4 ms·

"If you love music and respect the artists, songwriters and everyone else who makes great music possible, use a licensed service that compensates artists and ot

"If you love music and respect the artists, songwriters and everyone else who makes great music possible, use a licensed service that compensates artists and other rights holders." It seems so easy compensate that second group that I work harder breathing each day. That first group, it seems like I could get a message to mars easier than to send them a whole dollar.

mraison 12y ago
To be fair, companies such as Bandcamp are making this easier every day. If you're an artist and want to be directly paid by your fans, it is becoming easier every day. However I agree that a big part of the industry is still very opaque (including services like Spotify, unfortunately)
Jgrubb 12y ago
Buy a t-shirt. That's the most direct route to actually help them out with as few middlemen as possible.
- willismichael 12y ago
  Can somebody verify this? I'm one who used Groove Shark to discovered music that I really like and then bought it in an effort to support the musician (thanks big music, you just took away one of your means of extracting money out of me). I would happily wear the t-shirt if I knew that it was in fact the most direct route to actually transfer money to the musician.
  - path411 12y ago
    I remember that most bands, especially small ones made most of their money off merch. Not sure how it works for larger bands though.
  - Jgrubb 12y ago
    I was a professional musician for 15 years. After having kids, the amount of time that I would've had to spend on the road playing and selling t shirts would've far outweighed the time I would've had to be home raising them, so I started teaching myself development in the tour bus. That was 7 years ago. My old band is still out there, selling out Red Rocks, and any of their merch that you can buy at the show has the highest margin of anything. This is true for every band from John Mayer to the Avett Brothers to your local Dead cover band. So help me God, buy a shirt at the show or on their website.
klunger 12y ago
Yes. I have high hopes for Patreon and similar services to change this though.

mraison 12y ago

To be fair, companies such as Bandcamp are making this easier every day. If you're an artist and want to be directly paid by your fans, it is becoming easier every day. However I agree that a big part of the industry is still very opaque (including services like Spotify, unfortunately)

Jgrubb 12y ago

Buy a t-shirt. That's the most direct route to actually help them out with as few middlemen as possible.

willismichael 12y ago
Can somebody verify this? I'm one who used Groove Shark to discovered music that I really like and then bought it in an effort to support the musician (thanks big music, you just took away one of your means of extracting money out of me). I would happily wear the t-shirt if I knew that it was in fact the most direct route to actually transfer money to the musician.
- path411 12y ago
  I remember that most bands, especially small ones made most of their money off merch. Not sure how it works for larger bands though.
- Jgrubb 12y ago
  I was a professional musician for 15 years. After having kids, the amount of time that I would've had to spend on the road playing and selling t shirts would've far outweighed the time I would've had to be home raising them, so I started teaching myself development in the tour bus. That was 7 years ago. My old band is still out there, selling out Red Rocks, and any of their merch that you can buy at the show has the highest margin of anything. This is true for every band from John Mayer to the Avett Brothers to your local Dead cover band. So help me God, buy a shirt at the show or on their website.

klunger 12y ago

Yes. I have high hopes for Patreon and similar services to change this though.