By Lauren Gould
A musician offers tips to helping your favorite artists thrive – from switching streamers to buying merch
Each week we cut through the noise to bring you smart, practical recommendations on how to live better – from what is worth buying to the tools, habits and ideas that actually last.
I stream thousands of minutes of music every year. Since 2016, it’s been me and my perfectly curated Spotify playlists against the world.
But music streaming isn’t without its issues. For years, critics have argued that many of these platforms don’t fairly compensate artists.
Back in January, I challenged myself to spend a week without streaming music altogether. For seven days, I supported my most-loved musicians by swapping Spotify Premium for an MP3 player and vinyl records.
For many of us, cutting out streaming isn’t realistic or practical, which led me to seek out alternative solutions that support artists without taking away access to their music. And who better to ask for advice than a musician?
I called Phoenix-based singer-songwriter Victoria Bigelow, who shared small changes we can make to our music-listening habits to help our favorite artists thrive.
Try smaller streaming platforms …
Some musicians love Bandcamp (80%-85% of sales paid to the record label or artist) and Tidal, (whose payments work out to be about $.013 per stream, compared to Spotify, whose payments net out at about $.003-$.005). These payments are calculated based on artist’s percentage of the total number of streams.
“If you’re an audiophile, Tidal is the best place to start, and it’s amazing for supporting artists,” Bigelow said.
You also don’t have to worry about losing all of your playlists when switching. Tidal has a feature called “transfer music,” allowing you to import your tracks and playlists from Spotify or Apple Music.
… Or a more artist-friendly giant
While Apple Music’s royalty rate isn’t as high as Tidal’s, it averages out to a higher rate than Spotify’s.
“When a song does really well on Apple compared to when a song of mine isn’t really well on Spotify, the difference definitely shows up in my bank account,” said Bigelow.
A Spotify spokesperson says that “services with smaller, less engaged audiences appear to ‘pay more’ per stream simply because people use them less, adding, “that’s why Spotify’s scale, engagement, and active listening matters”.
Merch matters
Bigelow said merch sales are crucial for musicians. Touring is expensive, and some artists can’t afford to tour at all.
“Everyone gets a cut before you do. And financially, [touring] can put people in a really rough spot. So I think merch is one way that artists actually get to have control, unless they’re fully independent,” she said.
Listen local
“I think there’s a movement towards physical interaction and community-driven spaces. Show up locally for artists that you care about,” Bigelow said.
You can follow local venues on social media and sign up for their newsletters to find out about upcoming shows.
Bigelow also suggested tuning into the closest college radio station to discover local artists and hear about future performances. Sites such as Campus.fm can help you find a specific station that you’d enjoy.