There’s no work from home for artists that planned to tour the world with their new album or cinemas proudly presenting the upcoming award winning movies. The current covid-19 pandemic hits them hard as performances have been canceled or postponed and they are totally in the dark when their business will go back to normal or if it will at all.
That’s why TITLE listed a few easy ways to move from fan to supporter and help your favorite artists to deal with the current crisis and ease their pain:
Buy merchandise and physical stuff
Instead of investing in toilet paper buy something nice for yourself and support your artist – get their merchandise, buy physical CDs or vinyl and now is the best time go get these limited editions with tons of bonus stuff you can spend your time in quarantine with. And whenever possible buy your stuff directly via the artists website and not via some third party retailer as they are getting some share of your money as well.
Most studios already started by releasing their movies digitally – grab your virtual copy now and start watching. Independent movies suffers the most from the current crisis but will be available through online streaming platforms like mubi or vimeo for rental. The screen might be smaller at home than in a cinema but at least you aren’t supposed to wear trousers, so what are you waiting for?
Get vouchers
Prepare yourself for the time after the shutdown by hoarding vouchers instead of toilet paper: The money from these vouchers will get to the venues and artists directly and you will get the satisfying feeling of supporting directly as well – and the fun of actually enjoying the art will be delivered to you at a later time. Win/win for everyone!
Think global, act local
Unless a rich prince from Nigeria provided you with several millions of dollars you need to consider who you support – and the biggest trigger for you should be “support your local artist”. Local cinemas, local bands and local venues won’t get any additional attention from outside their region and upcoming artists will struggle harder during these times.
Support their crowd funding campaigns
Are your favorite artists doing any crowd funding campaigns? A quick trip to their website should answer that question and by contributing to it you can show your support within minutes.
Spread your love on social media
We all want the world to know our favorite artists and now the world is spending its time on social media: Why not show some love for your favorite tracks and convert your friends into fans? Every mention of your favorite artists also shows them that people out there care for them and especially upcoming artists often struggle and appreciate every sign of support. And if you don’t already follow them on social media – now is the time.
Consider holding off on refunds
We know that you paid a shitload of money for your tickets and that you absolutely deserve to see your favorite band perform right in front of your sweaty and happy face – but the income from ticket sales not not only goes to the artists directly but also to every member of their crews and and to the venue.
Check out for virtual perfomances (and pay for them)
The show must go on – even during social distancing and quarantine. More and more musicians are starting their own live shows from within their living rooms or doing livestreams on Twitch. Check their websites and social media channels, follow them to get alerted and use the donation button.
Don’t stop the music
Music will help us getting through these hard times. And listening to your favorite bands not only boosts your mood but also boosts their profits: the income via streaming might be minimal but being streamed a lot helps artists to stay visible and getting discovered by more listeners.
