Help Artists And More Get By With A Little Help From Their Friends

With the Covid-19 pandemic causing chaos in the world of music (as well as everything else), we’ve come up with some ways in which you can help support your favourite artists, record stores and venues during the lockdown.

The world of music, especially live music, is struggling as never before. Tours, shows and festivals have been cancelled, with many more a distinct possibility, leaving many artists struggling financially. And while we worry about our favourite artists, spare a thought for the empty music venues that also find themselves in dire straits having closed their doors, and staff that have been left with an uncertain future.

At Classic Rock we’ve come up with some ways in which you can get involved and help. So please do what you can if you’re able.

Buy merch

T-shirts, vinyl, CDs, jigsaws, that shiny water bottle you’ve had your eye on for a while but couldn’t quite justify – if a band are unable to tour, their online store is a good place to show support. Rather than buying their CD or LP from an online retail behemoth, buying direct from the artist means that more of the money actually goes to them. They still have fulfilment costs, but the margins in selling this way are much higher. Plus they generally have nice limitededition items (e.g. signed or coloured vinyl) and offer good deals on bundles (e.g. album + T-shirt + ticket) that help them keep the wolf from the door in these lean times.

Pre-order albums

If your favourite artist has a new album coming out later this year, check whether they have pre-orders available on their website, iTunes or other online retailers. Buying it in advance not only means that some money is coming in, it also sends a message to the retailers that there is anticipation for the release. Strong pre-order numbers can see an album pushed up the pre-order charts at download stores and online retailers, resulting in extra editorial support that it might not otherwise get.

Go shopping at independent shops online

Some music stores that have been forced to close their doors are still selling online. Visit our website, loudersound.com, for an interactive map of all the music shops in the UK still open for business online. In other countries, check your local store’s website for updates.

Buy a virtual pint and support your local music venues

The Virtual Pint campaign is looking to raise £5,000. Half of the money raised will go to the Music Venue Trust, while the other half will go directly to help out smaller venues across the UK. So how does it work? Simply buy a virtual drink – from a cream soda at £2 right up to a bottle of Dom Perignon at £200 – through the Virtual Pint Just Giving page and they’ll do the rest.

Keep buying concert tickets

For small acts, this is the most direct and immediate way they can make money and it is a critical part of their income. Buy tickets in advance (rather than walk up on the night), as the venue, promoter and act will be closely monitoring sales; shows can get pulled if ticket sales are slow. Even if the worst comes to the worst and the show is cancelled, you’ll be refunded. Buying tickets now is a very public display of support, especially for a band or artist that’s rescheduled their tour for several months ahead.

Participate in the Love Record Stores campaign

The Love Record Stores initiative is calling on fans to help promote their favourite stores on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #LoveRecordStores and tell the world what your local store means to you and help give them a boost. Use photos or videos to get your message across. The drive is also backed by artists and the music industry, so keep your eye on the hashtag to see what they’re saying.

If the artist you love has a crowd-funding page, fund it

The ugly and painful collapse of PledgeMusic at the start of 2019 had catastrophic effects for a multitude of acts, as projects they were trying to get off the ground either fell apart or their profits were wiped out. It exposed just how important crowdfunding is for so many acts. Thankfully there are many other platforms – such as Patreon, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, ArtistShare and more – offering ways to get much-needed money to finance their next record or tour.

Buy from Bandcamp

While we encourage people to use record stores if they can, don’t forget about Bandcamp. The website is a goldmine of fabulous music, and they take only take 15% of the profit from digital sales and 10% from merchandise, meaning artists get a larger chunk of the money you spend. Bandcamp is also a great way to discover new music and genres. Plus you can follow your favourite artists, meaning you’ll get updates when they release new music or new merchandise.

Donate to a hardship fund

A number of official bodies have set up funds to help provide financial assistance to musicians and others working within the music industry. Help Musicians have established a Coronavirus Financial Hardship Fund to “alleviate some of the immediate financial pressures that many professional musicians may be facing” in the UK. The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is providing a similar service in the US. The Recording Academy (the people responsible for the Grammys) and its charitable foundation MusiCares have set up the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help, and in the UK the Musicians’ Union Coronavirus Hardship Fund is providing grants of £200 each to musicians suffering immediate and real financial hardship.

Tune in to live streams

Artists have been taking to platforms like Instagram and YouTube to offer live performances from home. And you don’t have to watch alone – you can have ‘watch parties’ with friends via apps like Zoom, or you can start one on Facebook with any video already uploaded there.

Self-isolation is bringing us closer to artists. Our sister site GuitarWorld has a new series called Sick Riffs, with guitarists showing you how to play like them. Learn how to play guitar from the stars, and then support them by buying an album or merch.

Subscribe to bands on YouTube

Accounts need 1,000+ followers before they can broadcast live. So subscribe to your favourite small bands to allow them to open up their platform and reach a wider audience.

Tell your friends about your new favourite music

That’s the joy and the power of being a fan – that compulsion to be a total evangelist for the new act you’ve just discovered. Talking about the new album on social media, posting YouTube links to the new video, telling everyone that you’ve bought tickets for the tour… the cumulative effect of that can be significant.

Word of mouth has always been the way to build a following. Now you have a loudhailer and your advocacy can be the best weapon your new favourite artist will ever have. And don’t forget to, share, share, share on social media. Watched a video? Tweet it. Bought an album? Share the Spotify link.