Many forms of culture and especially the music scene have suffered during this extraordinary time, when just about every concert and tour in the foreseeable future has been cancelled. We decided to put together a list of things you could be doing now to support your local music scene and the artists.
Stream your favorite music all day (and all night)
Some artists may be feeling hesitant about whether to go ahead with their music releases, but now is an excellent time to put those songs out since pretty much everybody is spending more time at home and thus has the time to stream their favorite music on Spotify or their other streaming service of choice. So put the music blasting while you are working from home, and maybe throw in some dance moves when it’s time to take a break. That is a great way to keep your spirits up and give the artists some streaming royalties.
Watch the live streams (or catch them afterwards)
Even though the social distancing measures have pretty much put a moratorium on live concerts, many artists are now going online to give the fans a sense of community and make you feel almost as if you were there. Keep an eye out for live streams on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. And maybe give a little extra attention to the YouTube ones, where the artists can be earning a little something for each stream when you watch. Also if there’s a Swish number to contribute during the live stream, that’s a great way to show your appreciation.
Don’t cancel your tickets
As one show after another has had to be cancelled or postponed, the best thing you can do is hold on to any tickets you had already booked/purchased. Most shows get rescheduled or will get a new date later on, with the purchased tickets honoured for the new date. Holding on to the ticket in wait for the new date is an easy way of supporting the artists, venues and organizers in this difficult time. And of course buying tickets for any new shows announced for the fall season.
Invest in a song and get a share of royalties
Swedish music startup Corite is giving music fans the chance to invest in songs by independent artists and beside supporting them you actually get a share of the streaming royalties for one year, when the song is released. The artists can use these funds to finance production, PR, music videos or other activities. So go to Corite and take a look at the available campaigns and build your own music portfolio.
Get the merch
Artists are getting creative with all kinds of merchandise, so get that cool T-shirt, hoodie or baseball cap! Or why not that tote bag, those socks or a lighter (obviously from Miriam Bryant)? And what better way to show you are standing strong in these times than by rocking Dotter’s Bulletproof T-shirt?
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Buy their vinyls, CDs and cassettes
Even though we are living in the digital age, many artists are offering physical albums and EPs. When it comes to collectability, the vinyls are of course a beautiful thing. But hey, some artists are even putting out their music on cassette tapes nowadays… Now that is nostalgia, or some cool weirdness, if you are too young to have been around when cassettes were still the norm.
Join a crowdfunding campaign or fundraiser
Artists may also be looking for an investment for their album, music video or other project out on crowdfunding platforms such as Funded by Me or Kickstarter. You help make the project happen and maybe get the album plus some added perks base on how much you are pledging. You may also find artists using Patreon to gain some financial support from their fans, or other ways for raising funds.
Share those links and spread the love
Share your favorites on social media, so the music you love will reach more people and your local artists will get more exposure and more plays. And so that music can help us all get through this together. We would of course like to share some of our favorites, so here’s a playlist of some amazing Swedish music we are blasting in self-isolation right now.
