Times are tough for everyone right now, but one group being hit especially hard is musicians. The majority of their revenue (one source mentions the average figure to be 28%) comes from live performances and merch sales made at those live events. Given the current pandemic, this revenue stream has turned virtually non-existent.
While there are creative concert alternatives popping up, they are not proving to be lucrative enough to make up for the revenue that is being lost right now. So how can you help our favorite artists during this time?
The first thing you can do is listen to your favorite artist’s music. The most direct method of support is actually buying their music, but if you don’t want to do that, streaming also helps immensely. While at first it might seem counterintuitive, streaming figures have actually decreased during the quarantine. This is due to the loss of daily commutes, multiple people in a home streaming the same things, and more time spent consuming other media forms such as news or television.
You should also take advantage of social media and make sure to follow and interact with your favorite artist’s social media accounts. You can also share your favorite musicians and songs with your followers and try to spread awareness of their music to get them more listens.
There are also funds being set up to help struggling artists that you can donate to. One charity, Help Musicians UK, which has over £2.5 million, is set to run out of money in just five days. This dire fact shows just how much need there is for assistance right now. Some other funds supporting musicians include the Sweet Relief Fund, the Musicares Fund set up by the Grammys, and the Artist Relief Fund.
And make sure to listen to and support your favorite artists right here on Dash Radio!