How To Support Your Favorite Artists During Coronavirus

Coronavirus

The music industry is taking some significant blows this week thanks to the Coronavirus. Artists and professionals alike are unsure what the future holds, but there are things consumers can do to ease their stress.

We live in scary times. As the Coronavirus continues to spread around the world, infecting thousands and killing many, the global economy is beginning to take a hit. People are being laid off, events are being canceled, and most believe worse announcements are right around the corner. 

The United States economy did not begin reacting to the outbreak until earlier this week, but the last five days have brought fear and stress the likes of which we have not seen in some time. The music industry, in particular, has been hard hit. As one industry professional said this week, “show me a tour that isn’t already canceled, and I’ll show you a tour that will be canceled tomorrow.”

And it’s not just big events. The loss of SXSW and postponement of Coachella no doubt hurt many music professionals, but the dozens, if not hundreds of tours forced into cancellation or postponement hurt many more. Artists who cannot tour will struggle to pay their bills, and the many professionals who rely on artists touring to keep their businesses operating smoothly will be forced to make hard decisions. 

As it stands, virtually every concert between now and the end of March is canceled or delayed. Additional cancellations and postponements may arise in the weeks ahead. That’s a lot of lost income for countless thousands of music professionals, all of whom are now needing consumer support more than ever.

If you are a fan of music, and we mean any music at all, please consider doing one or more of these things to ensure your favorite musicians and the professionals that make their careers possible keep their heads above water:

  • Stream their music.
  • Better yet. Buy music.
  • Please don’t take a refund unless it’s necessary. Most performances will be rescheduled for a future date.
  • Buy merchandise.
  • Donate directly to an artist through Vimeo or PayPal (our friends at Fly On The Call have a regularly updated list of artist accounts you can access for free).

Don’t have money to spare? It’s more important than ever to promote your favorite musicians. Share their music on social media, tell friends about why their music matters, and write/create videos/start podcasts celebrating the art that means the most to you. Everyone is going to be spending more time at home in the coming weeks, and that is a lot of time people can be discovering the next song or artist that changes their life. You have the power to influence positive change, both for the artists you love and the strangers online you consider a friend. Use it.

James Shotwell