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Come Together In Isolation: how to support musicians from home

They say there’s no time like the present, and right now, you can take that phrase more literally than ever. It’s truly a strange time to be alive. The impact of coronavirus is far-reaching, and it has been felt, in some way, by every single person on this planet.

Yet as we’ve seen, time and time again, it’s often during experiences of hardship that people come together and we see the human spirit emerge. We’re starting a new series that looks at ways in which we can help each other during the era of coronavirus – from stories of positivity to actionable ways you can make a difference. Check out our first edition below.

come together in isolation, coronavirus, supporting musicians

There’s no time like the present: now more than ever it’s a great time to get behind your favourite musicians and give back to the art which makes us feel alive.

Whilst the economic fallout of coronavirus is certain to impact every single industry on the planet, perhaps one which will be hit particularly hard is the arts. A new website called I Lost My Gig reports that so far, $100 million has been lost by over 380,000 people impacted by event cancellations in Australia. This includes performers, production, crew, hospitality workers, managers, booking agents, and more. And that number is only growing.

In light of that, now is the perfect time to jump behind your favourite musicians. Below, we’ve outlined a bunch of ways in which you can support them from the comfy confines of your quarantine so that we can all ensure a future for the music we love.

Stream, stream, stream

Why quarantine in silence? Whilst streaming isn’t the most lucrative form of income for a musician, it’s probably the least demanding way (aka not demanding at all) you can support musicians. And what better way to support music than listening to music, right?!

Pick your streaming poison – is it Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, YouTube Music…who even knows the difference? – and get to work. Do you usually work in silence? Chuck on an album. Soundtrack your showers, your existential crises, or your pet hang times. Science says that listening to music every day improves mental health.

Merch

You know that band shirt you always wanted? Now is a great time to get yourself some merch from your favourite artist. Especially with Record Store Day recently postponed, you can help both musicians and your local record store by heading to the latter’s online store and grabbing yourself a vinyl.

Or if you’re more in the mood for something sartorial, then you can head to an artists’ website, where they’ll no doubt have an online store. Here, let’s try it now. Like Caroline Polachek? Head over to her store. Don’t know Caroline Polachek? Keep reading…

Discover new music

Now is an excellent time to discover new music. Spotify is a treasure trove of discovery and features a whole heap of playlists where you can find new tunes. But also hit up your favourite blog, ahem us, for their suggestions on what’s good. Take some time out of your day to listen to new music. Your future self will thank you.

Give direct

If you prefer to buy music, then Bandcamp is a top-notch alternative, as it allows you to specify your price. Whilst major artists won’t necessarily be on the platform, it’s a great way to connect with a wide range of artists, at varying levels. Feel free to add a couple of extra dollars for their hard work.

There are also apps which enable you to give directly to artists, including Patreon. For instance, Kimbra has her own Patreon where you can access exclusive content including behind the scenes footage, images, and even personalised videos. Twitch is another streaming platform where you can tip your favourite artist. Whilst it’s more slanted towards gamers, plenty of artists operate on there too.