In a day and age where streaming music through services like Spotify on the Internet is king, the issue of musicians making money has become an important one. Record sales in 2000 were around 730 million physical units sold, while in 2013, it had alarmingly decreased to only 206 million physical units. When spending anywhere from $9.99 to $13.99 for a standard album or $20 for deluxe album specialties like vinyl costing on average, it can seem ludicrous when you consider just how many artists you love. The question remains: how can you still support your favorite artists and their art?

1. Go to their shows

At almost 20, I’ve seen 15 bands and artists, which is extremely mild to a lot of music lovers. However, I can tell you that every show I’ve been to has been the time of my life. Bonding with the people around you over the experience at hand plus an intimate exchange of art from artist to appreciator are both amazing experiences.

But aren’t concerts way more expensive than CDs? If you look at the big number, yes. Absolutely. When you break it down, not necessarily. If you go to tours or festivals where there are several artists, break it down by band.

For instance, I paid $160 for a ticket for a three day concert festival called Rock On The Range. It’s a rock music festival held in Columbus, Ohio. Compared to a lot of festivals, like the “crown jewel” of music festivals Coachella, which is $399 for general admission weekend tickets, ROTR seems pretty reasonable. There are six bands that are on my absolute must see list. This does not account for any other bands I might decide to see spur of the moment. Divide six by the $160 I paid. That equates to around $27 per band.

Take an even smaller festival tour – I went to Vans Warped Tour in 2012. I paid $45 for my ticket and saw ten artists. That’s $4.50 per band. 

Take into account that these are memories being made with even the opportunity to meet your favorite artists, especially at festivals where they have free signings and even just randomly walk around, I would definitely say that paying for a concert is way more exciting than buying a CD anyway.

2. Buy their merchandise

There are multiple routes to do this. You can find merchandise at live shows, stores like Hot Topic and usually bands have their own online stores in which you can purchase t-shirts.

For getting more of the revenue to the actual artist, I would suggest buying at their shows or from their official online store. Pop-punk band Man Overboard takes their merchandise into their own hands. Guitarist Justin Collier spoke to music magazine Alternative Press in Feb. 2016 about how he and Wayne Wildrick, who also plays guitar in MO, do the designs themselves. Collier handles more of the business side such as orders, inventory, etc. Hot Topic currently does not have a Man Overboard inventory, but “unofficial” places sell t-shirts for upwards of $30. Meanwhile, Man Overboard’s official website sells t-shirts for as low as $8. I feel much better knowing not only that I’m paying significantly less, but also that that $8 is going straight to the band and not some random place online where the band sees little to none of the revenue.

Plus by wearing merchandise, you’re providing free advertisement! There have been multiple occasions that I’ve seen someone wearing an artist’s t-shirt and thought it was a cool design, so I decided to check them out.

3. Tell your friends (online & IRL)

People knowing about your favorite artist is important, and you can spread the word for free. Social media is massive in our generation. Instagram, Twiter, Facebook, you name it. When it comes to spreading the word, you don’t have to obnoxiously tweet out, “Hey guys! Listen to this cool band!” 50 times a day. In fact, you probably already spread the word without even realizing it! Posting song lyrics and the #NowPlaying hashtag are ways to indirectly reach people. How many times has someone posted song lyrics with the little music note emoji and it hit you right in the feelings so you had to Google it?

In real life, it’s as simple as playing it when you’re driving or you’re lucky enough to be passed the aux chord in someone else’s car.* Whether they love it or hate it, they can’t run away from you in the car. But hey, you’re still spreading the word!

*I cannot be held responsible if you lose aux chord privileges. 

4: Good Ol Fashioned Fan Mail

Up until now, I’ve talked about how you can support artists financially or get other people interested. However, some simple words of encouragement go a long way. Whether it be snail mail, email, Facebook comments on posts, album reviews, tweets to their official account, etc., you can be assured that your kind words are just as helpful as your financial contribution. Who doesn’t enjoy a pep talk? And sometimes your words may come at a time when they feel down and out and inspire them to keep on trucking. You may even get a response! Nothing is cooler than someone you admire or even idolize noticing your efforts and admiration. Even if you don’t get a direct response, though, keep writing, keep tweeting. What you are doing is awesome!

On an end note, I do stress that being a fan can make your wallet cry sometimes, but it is not always just about that. The simple things you can do for free help support the art of music in a big way! So to you I say — pull up your favorite album on Spotify, go buy a t-shirt if you can and write some fan mail.