Making a living making music has never been easy. In today's "music should be free" world, it's tougher than ever. But thanks to the internet, there is a wealth of music by independent ("indie") artists out there that's not spoon-fed to you by corporate types at big record labels. But because they don't have label $$$ behind them, indie artists must rely solely on fans for support.
The best way to help out your favorite indie musicians is, of course, to buy their albums, singles, or their merch - and come to their live shows if possible. But if you're cash strapped, or if you've already bought (kudos to you!) there still are still things you can do that can really help your favorite indie artists a lot - and they won't cost you a cent.
Here are 5 simple, easy and free ways to support your favorite indie music makers:
- Share the artist's Facebook page, posts and videos with people you know who you think might share your appreciation.
- On social media, share a link to the artist's website with some comments about why you like him/her/them.
- Write positive reviews of the artist's albums and/or singles on iTunes, Amazon, and anywhere else they sell their music that provides the possibility to write reviews.
- Like, and leave positive comments on the artist's videos on YouTube and share your favorite videos with friends and family who might like the video and the artist.
- Whenever you share something, encourage others to also share with people they know who might like the content.
OK, sure... some will say, "Hey, none of that pays the rent or buys food!" - which is quite true. But if you do any of these things for them, I very much doubt that most struggling indie artists will be complaining. And if you do lend a hand, don't hesitate to let the artist know.
Try it with my music!
So how about it, folks? Could I enlist you and maybe a few friends to do any (dare I say, all??) of the following to support the music I have been, and will be putting out there for you?
- Share my website with people you know: www.robertpalomo.com. Or share one of these pages:
- Music (streaming audio): www.robertpalomo.com/music/
- Videos: www.robertpalomo.com/videos/
- Follow my Facebook page and share it, and posts with people you know.
- Write reviews of my music on any or all of these sites:
- Leave comments on my YouTube videos
- Lastly, but not "leastly", why not buy a single or two: I recommend CD Baby because a higher percentage of the price goes to artists. But if you prefer iTunes or Amazon.com, hey, I won't protest!
I'd love to hear from you in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter about anything you do!
Photo: flickr.com/messicanbeer