The Best Way to Buy Music And Support Your Favorite Artists
A recent study by the RIAA found that despite vinyl sales making up only a fraction of the overall consumer market for music, they generated more revenue for artists, labels, distributors, and sellers in 2015 than all the revenue generated from ad-supported streaming combined. The 17 million vinyl records sold in 2015 accounted for $416 million in sales, while ad-suppoted streaming on services like Spotify and YouTube only accounted for $385 million. This news also comes as it was announced that 2015 was the first year that streaming edged out digital downloads in overall volume.
“In 2015, digital music subscription services reached new all-time highs, generating more than $1 billion in revenues for the first time, and averaging nearly 11 million paid subscriptions for the year,” RIAA CEO Cary Sherman says. “Heading into 2016, the number of subscriptions swelled even higher”Š ”Šmore than 13 million by the end of December … The consumption of music is skyrocketing but revenues for creators have not kept pace. In 2015, fans listened to hundreds of billions of audio and video music streams through on-demand ad-supported digital services like YouTube, but revenues from such services have been meager”Š ”Šfar less than other kinds of music services.”
So this all lends to the question, what is the best way for the conscientious music consumer to listen to and purchase music?
The answer is not an easy one, and it has a lot to do with the convoluted economics of the music business. For example, a mainstream artist may only make $0.33 off of each copy of a physical album they sell. That means there could be a scenario that depending on your streaming habits, you may actually be supporting that artist more by streaming the album instead of purchasing it.
However the story may be a completely different one for your favorite independent artists. If an artist makes and manufactures their own music and you buy a copy from them at a live show, there’s the possibility they may receive 100% of the proceeds minus the production costs. Or if an artist is signed to a smaller indie label, they may receive 30% to 60% of the album price. Or when it comes to the hot distribution company Thirty Tigers, most artists will receive 90% of the overall take.
Something else to consider is that you want to support your favorite artists, but you also want your music to be easily accessible. It’s not so easy to listen to those pricey vinyl records in your vehicle, or on the bus ride to work. So there also has to be some practicality in your purchasing and streaming habits. But just because you stream an album online doesn’t mean you can’t support your favorite artist otherwise. Often you hear from independent music fans that say they’ll listen to an album on Spotify as soon as it’s released, but then buy a physical copy the next time the band rolls through town. Or maybe in lieu of buying an album, they’ll buy a T-shirt or two. But they make sure to spend money directly on a band.
Also there’s a lot of data on how much labels, distributors, and sellers make on a record compared to artists, making it seem like they’re these draconian and greedy entities out to take advantage of artists. Sometimes this is the case, especially when it comes to big mainstream labels. But many of your favorite indie labels also need financial support so they can in turn support your favorite bands and artists. So do the songwriters who write for artists. Same goes for local or regional record stores that help get the music to you. And even if you hear, “Oh, the artist only receives $0.33 if I purchase a physical copy,” in the macro economics of the music business, that $0.33 could add up and be very important revenue stream for an artist’s career once it’s combined together in total sales.
How to purchase music is a very convoluted subject, is specific to each artist, and it can drive you crazy thinking about it. But despite some rare cases and unusual exceptions, there are a few hard and fast maxims about the best ways to purchase or stream music to make sure you’re supporting your favorite artists as best you can.
BEST Option 1: Purchase a physical copy (vinyl or CD) directly from an artist at a live show
If you want to make sure your money gets directly into the hand of your favorite artist, then put in there yourself. If they’re completely independent, most or all of the money will go directly into their pocket if you purchase from the merch table. If they’re on most independent labels, they will make a fair percentage of the sale, either as part of their contract on a percentage basis, or by buying their merch stock from the record label at a discount, and then selling it to fans at sticker price. Some independent, and even mainstream artists will also receive the money normally dedicated to distributors and sellers if you purchase from them directly at shows.
Vinyl copies will probably help support the artist more than a CD, and they will usually come with a free download code so you can listen to the music away from your record player, but sometimes the margins on CD and vinyl can be ostensibly the same. It’s also not a bad gesture to buy a t-shirt or other merch item in lieu of an album maybe you streamed so much or downloaded already that you don’t have a desire to purchase a physical copy of, and can be just just as good (or better) than buying an album.
BEST Option 2: Purchase a physical copy (vinyl or CD) directly from an artist’s website
Obviously not every band or artist will be rolling through your particular town right when their album is being released, so buying directly from the merch table is not always an option. Perhaps you can wait until they do come through town, and in the interim stream the album on your service of choice. Or you can purchase the album directly from an artist’s website, where many of the same rules that favor the artist apply.
The losses that an artist incurs by the consumer buying online compared to in person are marginal, but can add up. Paypal fees, credit card fees, or other fulfillment fees may apply. The artist may have to pay a small percentage to whatever company is handling their shopping cart. Some artists use 3rd party distributors since they’re on the road often and are not around to stuff envelopes with CD’s and T-shirts, and shipping costs can also be an issue for both the artist and the purchaser. Money spent on shipping goes to UPS or Uncle Sam, not the artist, but overall this is still a better option than streaming the album on an ad-supported service, or buying from a 3rd party big box store.
Sometimes artists won’t have an option to purchase their music on their website, or will simply supply links to iTunes and Amazon in their online “store.” Other artists, especially mainstream ones, may not have a contractual option to sell their own music. If this is the case, it’s still not a bad option to click specifically on the Amazon link to purchase a physical copy. If the artist has set up an affiliate program with Amazon, they will get a greater percentage of the proceeds from the sale if you use their supplied links to purchase.
DON’T FORGET TO PRE-ORDER! Pre-ordering albums can be a huge help to artists and labels. The more fans that pre-order, the more likely an album will sell enough copies during its first week to show up on industry charts. Being able to boast a good chart showing can give an artist the momentum they need to either launch a career, or go to the next level. Charts are what the industry pays attention to, especially these days when independent artists are showing up on industry charts more than ever (because their fans are more likely to purchase physical or downloaded copies).
Also, a lot of times pre-ordering will be rewarded by being able to download a song or two early, or if you pre-order a physical copy, it will be accompanied by a download code for the music just in case you don’t get it on the day of release.
BUNDLES BUNDLES BUNDLES! Bundles of albums, t-shirts, and other merch items together are an even better way to support your favorite artists, and save some money on each item and shipping costs. For fans who really want to show their support, this is a great choice.
BEST Option 3: Purchase a physical copy (vinyl or CD) directly from an independent label
Many independent labels, along with facilitating distribution of albums to larger sellers through Sony Red or Red Eye Distribution, operate their own shipping departments and stock CD’s, vinyl, or even offer digital download options for their artists. This is another way to cut out middle men and make sure the artist and independent label is getting more of the money. You might notice that for some artists on certain labels, if you go to the “store” on their website, it will redirect you to the label’s store. This is still a solid option for keeping the money as close to the artist and the people supporting them as possible.
BEST Option 4: Purchase a physical copy (vinyl or CD) directly from an artist-supporting distributor (BandCamp, CD Baby)
For artists who don’t have record labels, and even some who do, companies like CD Baby, TuneCore, and BandCamp offer great options for independent artists to distribute their music, digitally and physically, through their low-cost and easy-to-use interfaces. The margins BandCamp and CD Baby offer for sales, digital or physical, are much better than they are with Amazon or iTunes for artists. Artists even have the option of manufacturing their own physical copies, even offering signed copies and bundles with T-shirts, etc., that they can send to these fulfillment companies to handle the orders for them.
CD Baby and BandCamp are many times seen as a pain by consumers who are used to using the much easier options of iTunes, Amazon, or Google Play, and many independent artists use these smaller companies to distribute their music to the bigger sellers, and to streaming companies like Spotify. But chances are, the artist will get a little bit more money if you buy from BandCamp compared to buying from iTunes.
BEST Option 5: Download an album or song from the artist, the label, or an artist-supporting distributor
Let’s face it, some people just don’t want to be lugging around huge music collections, or may just not have the space for them. But downloading music is still a better option than streaming it if you want to make sure the most money ends up in the hands of the people who actually make it. Usually, the margins are not the same on downloaded music as it is physical music, but sometimes they are close enough that patrons shouldn’t feel guilty as long as they put the effort out to own their own copy in digital form.
Though the whole digital download era now feels a little abbreviated in the advent of streaming, many artists and independent labels still offer the option to consumers if you know where to look. Artist-supporting distributors like CD Baby and BandCamp are based around the model of fans downloading music directly from the artists they love. Downloading may not be long for this world—physical sales may be around longer than this option—but it’s still a better way to purchase music and preserve as much of your money as possible for the artist.
BEST Option 6: Purchase a physical copy (vinyl or CD) from a local record store or regional chain
If a middle man is going to make some money off of your purchase of music, make sure it is someone who is going to keep that music money local, who will stock albums from local artists or cool independent artists from around the country. Local record stores are still vital to local music economies, offering CD release parties and other promotional options for artists, and offering a hub for the sharing of music by local music lovers.
And don’t bemoan the regional chain of music stores. Just because a music store has multiple locations doesn’t put them on the same level as Wal-Mart. Sometimes stores like Hastings are the only options in rural areas for local listeners to purchase physical copies. If they go away, then sometimes the only option left is ordering online.
OPTION 6B: Purchase a physical copy from a big box store. With discounted prices and special deals worked out with distributors, who knows how much money ends up in the pockets of the artists when you buy an album at Wal-Mart. But for some rural areas, it’s the only option, and is still better then streaming the music on an ad-supported platform. Amazon with be another option.
BEST Option 7: Download an album or song from iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, etc.
Though if you do download your music directly from an artist or a company like BandCamp, there are plenty of options on how to import the music into your library, some people still like the convenience of using iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, or others, and their cloud, playlist, and recommended listening features. Purchasing from iTunes, etc. is one of the easiest ways to purchase music, but it’s also where the consumer starts to go down the slippery slope of supporting others more than they’re supporting the music makers with their dollars.
Nonetheless, it is still a better option than streaming for free on an ad-supported service, or downloading an illegal copy.
Is iTunes, Amazon, or Google Play better than the others to download music from? This is a hard question to answer since many labels, collections of labels, and major distributors work out their own specific deals with each download service. But something to pay special attention to is what service the artist or label asks you to purchase music from. Not only may they point you in the right direction for which selling partner will be more profitable for them, but sometimes it can be important for the performance on a specific selling platform. For example, iTunes charts continue to be used more and more by artists, labels, publicists, and the music industry to judge consumer sentiment in real time. So if an artist specifically asks you to order from iTunes, this may help their performance, and thus, the exposure for their music in these outlet-specific charts.
Amazon also offers rankings updated hourly, and unlike iTunes, uses affiliate programs to pay back artists or labels who refer sellers to them. So sometimes Amazon is the better option.
Also Amazon, unlike iTunes, offers physical copies of music. Though it’s not as good of an option as purchasing music from the artist or a label, buying a physical copy from Amazon may be a better option than downloading or streaming a record, depending on the deals and price points the artist, label, or distributor has set up with Amazon. Unlike iTunes, Amazon gives some flexibility to sellers on price, so they can offer deals and specials. On iTunes, the prices are mostly fixed.
BEST Option 8: Stream music from a PAID subscription service.
It’s $10 a month for crying out loud, and the amount of money this means for artists, labels, songwriters, and other music professionals can be vital to preserving their careers. It’s a mere penance for putting you in touch with vast libraries of music, and a mere $0.33 a day is a totally understandable convenience fee for not having to listen to ads, and in some cases to get better-sounding audio.
Is Spotify, Apple Music, or Google Play better for paying artists? There’s a reason Taylor Swift and Adele are not on Spotify, and there was a reason Taylor Swift stood up to Apple and won her case. Part of it is because Apple Music doesn’t have a free option (though they did have a free trial period). Spotify and YouTube are seen as the lowest-paying streaming service out there, but this partly has to do with offering a free option.
Though the payouts vary, according to Information is Beautiful, here is what the AVERAGE breakdown in payouts looks like. And note, this includes services that offer ad supported options as well, so if you do pay for your Spotify account for example, the payout is likely to be higher, and if you don’t pay for your Spotify account, it could be lower.
Average Payout per play (according to Information is Beautiful):
Google Play: $0.0073
Tidal: $0.0070
Rhapsody: $0.0019
Apple Music: $0.0013
Spotify: $0.0011 (offers ad-supported option)
Deezer: $0.0010 (not available in North America yet)
YouTube: $0.0003 (only from ad supported views)
So as you can see, Google Play and Tidal would be the best financial options, but Tidal is one of the least-used. Google does not offer user data.
WORST Option 9: Use an ad supported streaming service
If you’re at this level, you have to severely question just how much you’re willing to call yourself a music supporter. Though the ads do pay out to artists, it’s pennies on the dollar, even though these services are the most prevalent way listeners stream music. What makes it worse is that if you use ad blockers, YouTube users basically get the music for free. So if you are a cheapo who doesn’t want to pay for a subscription, perhaps you could at least turn your ad blockers off when you are streaming on YouTube to make sure the artists and labels get something. Same goes for when you go to independently-owned music blogs (like Saving Country Music) that also offer content for free, but rely on ads to survive.
WORST Option 10: Download your music illegally
Now you’re just an asshole, especially if you participate in file sharing of leaked copies. This is the exact opposite of supporting an artist. Listening to music before it’s been released for public consumption cuts into the artist’s metadata numbers, which costs them money, and placement on important industry charts.
March 28, 2016 @ 6:47 pm
Question: Amazon Prime music… Anyone have any idea about how that works in terms of royalties? The member pays $100/yr for a variety of services, including access to streaming music/movies as long as membership is up to date. I listen to some of those items, particularly to investigate new artists, but I don’t know how Bezos’ bunch stacks up on paying artists/writers.
March 28, 2016 @ 6:59 pm
That’s a good question. I tried to look into it, but like you said, you money goes to paying for so many different things, it’s hard to know what goes to music, and what the breakdown is. And just like Google, Amazon loves to be secretive about their numbers.
March 29, 2016 @ 7:53 am
I don’t know the exact formula, but I do know that Amazon Prime pays in relative parity (but less) than Amazon streaming or Spotify. For our artists in March 2015:
Apple .76 cents per stream
Spotify .52 cents
Amazon .46 cents
I don’t know where Information Is Beautiful got it’s numbers, but my guess is that they cherry picked their Spotify number to include only ad supported streams (70% of our streams in the last month were from fans who subscribe), and that the numbers for Apple streaming were from a period when they had just started and most of the subscriptions were in the three month free trial period, when they were paying a very reduced rate (better than the nothing they were planning on paying – thank you again Taylor Swift). Clearly, they are paying better than advertised on that site.
But I do think subscription streaming gets a bad rap here. The numbers can scale into something significant for the rights holders (which hopefully are the artists). People get bogged down on the stream rate and forget that the number of transactions goes through the roof, because any time music is consumed in an acquisition model, that’s the end of the financial relationship, whereas with streaming, it continues as long as the fan chooses to want to listen to the music.
I looked at one of our more popular artists’ sales, covered by this site often, in March 2016. They were streamed 1.36M times, whereas they were 3519 single downloads and 2583 full album downloads. Of course, this artist also sold WAY more than that when the album came out, but just as looking at the transactional rates paints a slanted picture, just as it would if I said, “streaming is better because look it allows an artist to conduct 200 times the numbers of transactions in a month!” You have to look at the full picture, which I attempted in 2012, and I think article still holds true today. Read it if you want.
http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2012/11/clearing-up-spotify-payment-confusion.html
March 28, 2016 @ 6:51 pm
I dig bandcamp
March 28, 2016 @ 7:01 pm
BandCamp is a really good option for an artist that has no label. They offer a lot of cool services, and pay out at decent rates. It’s also great for a site like Saving Country Music because I can embed an album right into a review, and people can listen and then purchase it in one click.
March 28, 2016 @ 7:10 pm
Kyle, i wholeheartedly agree since you’re talking mainly to an US audience. But i want to give some different perspective from an “outsider” (i’m brazilian). Here, today, the US dollar costs something around R$4. I bought vinyls from the US almost every month in 2014, when the exchange was something around R$2. To make it a little more difficult, here in Brazil we pay 60% in taxes when a foreign product arrives, and the taxes are calculated regarding the price of the product + shipping rates. In other words, one single vinyl here costs, today, something around 30% of a brazilian minimum wage. It’s impracticable if you’re not rich.
In this context, options 8, 9 and 10 are usually the only way. I don’t see us as assholes, but as people searching for good music the way they can. I even got some positive feedback from independent artists about illegal downloads (i once had a download blog, maybe five or six years ago). Anyway, as i told you before, i agree with you when you speak to people who can easily buy stuff from artists they love.
March 28, 2016 @ 7:26 pm
Good points Valdez and totally understandable. Sometimes logistics keeps us from supporting or purchasing music like we want to, especially for international listeners. I don’t believe in making people feel guilty for how they consume music (unless they steal it).
March 28, 2016 @ 7:46 pm
Yeah, my whole point was about who’s being targeted on the article. I had (and still have) a lot of arguments with US residents who only wants to download music illegally. Hope your list can be helpful to some people.
March 29, 2016 @ 10:38 am
I am living the same situation.
For us Brazilians, streaming is the most viable way.
March 28, 2016 @ 7:13 pm
There is a cool bandcamp app that i use frequently. I have noticed there are labels, like the metal label Relapse, that use bandcamp alot.
March 28, 2016 @ 7:14 pm
This is a very helpful list to have. Personally, I’ve always hunted for the physical copies at my local record store before I do anything else. For independent acts however, I often have to resort to buying (keep in mind, BUYING) the album from Google Play (service I use). Once I’ve bought the album from GP, I usually listen to the album on something like Spotify. After all, if I’m going to listen to the album I might as well help in any way I can.
However, the thought has never occurred to me to buy directly from an artist’s website. Yeah, it’s a “d’oh” moment for me, I know…..
I do however always buy items from the merch booth if I can.
I’ve been meaning to give Bandcamp a try for so long now that there’s really no excuse at this point. I’ll have to change this in the coming days.
Excellent article!
March 28, 2016 @ 7:18 pm
Yep… Nothing better than getting a signed CD at a live show, and getting to talk a bit with the artist.
March 28, 2016 @ 7:23 pm
A good, interesting, and helpful article. Thanks!
March 28, 2016 @ 8:05 pm
I most either buy a CD at show if I can or go to Hastings and buy ALOT of music. I also use Spotify to preview the album then if I like well enough I go out and buy it. I like buying them at shows as you can get them autographed and talk to the artist a bit, I have had artists recognize me from other shows, which is a neat feeling! Also, Hastings is a great place, it has helped me discover many artists and their website has a lot of good stuff too!
March 28, 2016 @ 8:55 pm
Steal vs share ?
I often burn discs of newer (to me) artists for friends to turn them on to a band and 8 times out of 10 they make it to show with me and hit the merch table. I have had conversations with artists about this and most encourage it.
March 30, 2016 @ 6:42 am
I remember hearing that back in the 80’s, underground metal fans would hand out and trade cassette tapes. That’s how Slayer and Metallica got so large so fast.
March 30, 2016 @ 9:19 am
There’s no doubt that sharing and copying music can ultimately lend to helping to support artists by spreading their music, but this is not 1985, 1995, or even 2005. Today, anyone can pay $10 and get access to virtually every song ever recorded. Or, pay nothing, fight through a few commercials, and get the same thing. If you want to share something with your friends, make a playlist and email it to them. That way the artist is getting metadata and financial credit for all the times it is streamed. Like someone said above, you hand a CD to a younger person, they don’t even know what to do with it.
March 30, 2016 @ 12:06 pm
Hate to argue but that’s where your wrong my friend
I’m 14
I HATE streaming
Almost all my friends use CDs
Some more then I do
I don’t know where this stereotype that all young people don’t use CDs anymore
I still listen to vinyl sometimes
If I could find a cassette player that actually works I would love to listen to my dads old cassettes
March 30, 2016 @ 12:50 pm
I’m not saying kids don’t know what CD’s a re. I’m saying that’s what someone else said in this very thread. But, I would still say there are a lot of kids who don’t know what CD’s are because I have experienced it myself. If you hate streaming, and if all of your friends hate streaming, great. But that’s what’s called anecdotal information. The numbers don’t lie, and the numbers say that CD sales are in the toilet, and more people are streaming than ever.
March 28, 2016 @ 10:31 pm
I do 7 and 8. I buy from iTunes and stream from Apple Music. It’s just so convenient having everything within one app, but if it helps the artists then I’m willing to buy directly from them via their website (since my favourite artists skip Alberta and Canada as a tour stop altogether).
March 29, 2016 @ 6:38 am
Same, but replace Alberta with Manitoba. I did try AM for a bit but went back to purchasing complete albums on iTunes instead. I do like how 99.9% of the music I want to buy is available on iTunes, including lesser known artists like Luke Bell and Brent Amaker.
March 28, 2016 @ 11:44 pm
I used to buy CDs, but it’s getting harder and harder to find CDs since most local and chain record stores have gone under. Unless you want top 40, Walmart and such stores are out. I am too impatient to buy CDs and wait for them to be shipped, so I download most music these days. I usually shop sites where I can get lossless or at least 320 Kbps like Bandcamp, CD Baby, or 7 Digital. Until Amazon or ITunes offers higher quality, I only use them when I can’t find what I want elsewhere. iTunes is useful for finding new music though.
Some bands offer high quality files on their site for download, but it’s rare or lower quality. Don’t know the legal hang ups, but you would think it would be more common. Cut the middle man, but loose the promotion I suppose.
March 30, 2016 @ 8:37 am
I’m not 100% sure but I believe most Amazon downloads are high quality VBR now which offer the same quality as 320kbps.
March 30, 2016 @ 10:19 am
The last album I bought from Amazon had varied kbps all around 256, with some songs higher and some lower. iTunes is about the same. I would be willing to pay a bit more for lossless. Should be an option.
March 30, 2016 @ 12:04 pm
I agree. Lossless should be an option.
Though, the way VBR works means that the bit rate you see posted in the metadata for a particular song is the songs average bit rate, not the maximum bit rate. So a song could show an average bit rate of say, 227kbps, but be 320kbps in parts of the track that need that extra data, therefore, the quality of the track is equal to that of 320kbps. However, VBR mp3’s can be capped at different maximum bit rates like 256 for example.
Sorry if you already understood all that, I wasn’t trying to talk down to you.
March 30, 2016 @ 12:17 pm
No, thanks for the info. I’m no expert, just want good quality sounding music. Though I have purchased lossless albums that still sound crappy.
March 31, 2016 @ 1:28 pm
Scott, I used to feel the same way, but I just wanted to point something out. On Amazon right now, for example, you can get Shooter’s new record for close to $9 on mp3 or the cd for $7.89. I recently dumped Netflix and got Amazon Prime because most of the shows are the same to me anyways and you get free 2 day shipping on all orders. So the cd was cheaper than the mp3 and I can rip it into iTunes in a lossless format, and put it on any device I have. I can then either keep the hard copy, or sell it for a few bucks on eBay. The only time I mess around with mp3’s is when I buy something on vinyl and get a free download. They come with most vinyl purchases these days.
March 29, 2016 @ 1:14 am
I find that ad supported streaming like Pandora is a great way to be introduced to new artists. One should never use it as a main listening service, but it’s handy to be able to type in an artist’s name and suddenly find half a dozen or more artists you haven’t heard before, but are quite in tune with your tastes. After that, I go to my local record store, and if they don’t have it, they can usually get it. My local shop buys directly from labels and artists, and that tied with my love of supporting small businesses makes me a fan. I love buying vinyl, and these days most records come with a download card. I’m ashamed to admit that I used to pirate music, but I’m trying to make it right. I’ve built a list of all the music I’ve stolen, and I’m slowly but surely using my meager paychecks to redeem myself by purchasing the same music. I’m sending this article to as many people as I can, by the way. We need more information like this.
March 29, 2016 @ 7:59 am
There’s no reason to feel guilty for using ad-supported streaming, as long as you’re making other efforts to support those artists. Hey, it’s super convenient and can help you decide what to buy, and who to support.
March 29, 2016 @ 5:01 am
I heard from a small technical death metal band (Rivers of Nihil, check them out at https://www.facebook.com/riversofnihil/ if you are into that sort of thing), that the best thing you can do for a band like them is pre-order their CD from amazon. It was a few weeks before their latest was scheduled to drop. One of their fans said, “I’m going to wait and buy it from you on tour so you get more of the money,” and their response was, (I’m paraphrasing) “the higher our pre-sale numbers are, the better tour we get — better venues, better headliners for us to open for, etc” and then they specifically said they’d rather you preorder then make an extra $4 of you on tour. I assume they know most of their fans will buy a shirt and some stickers or something on tour anyhow, because that’s the metalhead way, but it was an eye-opener to me. Even though I’m a paid Google Play Music subscriber, if a band that I really love has a new CD coming out, I preorder it on Amazon to boost their pre-order numbers. And then I go see them on tour and buy a shirt.
March 29, 2016 @ 7:58 am
This is a great example Aaron. If the band is asking you to pre-order from Amazon and you want to do everything to support them, pre-order from Amazon. Even if there’s other ways that might make the band a bit more money. if ALL of their fans buy from the same outlet, it’s likely they can really drive their numbers up, and then promote that they were “#1 on Amazon debut week” or whatever. As silly as this may all seem to some, this can make a big difference to some bands.
March 29, 2016 @ 12:03 pm
A friend is always trying to get me to download music illegally to save costs. But I always believed, especially in county music and among independent artists, that having strong album sales and pre-orders gives them more label support and stronger promotion, so I’ll always buy my music because I want my favourite artists to keep continuing to make music and play their music. So this just confirms it for me.
March 29, 2016 @ 5:14 am
That’s a good article very helpful. But you know the majority of America has illegally downloaded music at one point or another. They didn’t create the technology, that guy is the asshole. And unless your over 40 odds are at some point you did too. I was a teenager when this technology became prevalent 1998-2002, its hard as a teenager to see there is something wrong with free music.
At this point i have bought a freaking $#!+ ton of cds, and mp3s, some of the cds i have bought before and didnt have a computer to back them up, the cd gets wear beyond playability. Now i have to buy cd again. Also, when purchasing a cd of an artist that is long dead, the money in no way supports that artist, maybe the numbers support them, but Charlie pride isnt gonna chart anytime soon.
I always buy the independent artists i like from amazon. I have principles, I haven’t downloaded a song in a long time, but I have before and don’t feel much like an asshole over it. Really, I am scraping the poverty level and the fact that I can even buy any music is a miracle. I brought up the Redmp3.cc in another comment to bring attention to the problem. We can do what we can do, we can’t shut these sites down though, that’s someone’s job who doesn’t care.
March 29, 2016 @ 5:50 am
A Google play subscription ($15/month for 6 devices) is money VERY well spent for me as a consumer. Looks like it isn’t the worst choice for an artist either. When I like an album enough I still buy a physical copy sometimes.
March 29, 2016 @ 8:11 am
When it comes to purchasing music I am old fashioned. I can’t imagine buying anything other than a physical format of the music. Something you can feel, touch and see. I believe owning a physical copy somehow gives the album more value and a much stronger emotional connection.
I believe streaming music or buying it from iTunes, and storing it in your computer/phone is what has led to music becoming much more disposable to the modern generation. It has lost that added value that buying a real physical copy of the album brings.
This disposable, easily accessible product that music has become is also what has made the younger generation believe that music is not something to be paid for but that it is their right to listen to it for free whenever they want.
I also enjoy reading the names of the songwriters, musicians, producers, engineers, who mixed and mastered the album and where.
Having said all this, I am a realist. The days of the physical format of music is numbered. CDs will in the not too distant future be confined to the annals of history. All the music produced will be listened to purely digitally directly over the internet. There is no way of stopping it.
Oh, and I don’t even want to get started on what the consumer desire to listen to music on the MP3 format has done to the production value, mixing and mastering of the music made today. This is a whole other topic………….
March 29, 2016 @ 8:22 am
I’ll let Adam Smith’s “Invisible Hand” sort this out. Meanwhile, I use some combination of all of the above to support artists I enjoy. Artists I find truly inspirational, I tend to buy physical copies of their albums. Others, I use Spotify or Apple for convenience.
March 29, 2016 @ 8:40 am
Not saying I disagree with any of this, especially since I am an old fart. But this really only applies to old farts.
My kids love music. They listen to all kinds of stuff. But if I gave one of my kids a CD, they would laugh at me. Might as well give them an 8-track — they don’t have anything that can play one of those either. CDs are only a viable option for old people. Kids don’t have CD players. They also don’t have devices that can store digital downloads.
Kids are 100% streaming. For them, that is the only way you access music. Usually via YouTube. Often Spotify. It is the industry’s job to figure out how to cater to the consumer’s desires, not the other way around. Physical media is dead. The industry needs to accept this.
March 29, 2016 @ 11:22 am
On the flip side, the new generation is being introduced to vinyl like many millenials or even Gen X’ers weren’t, and it can be fun for many kids to get to look at the covers and watch the records spin. It’s not for everyone, but vinyl is probably the viable physical format of the future.
March 29, 2016 @ 11:54 am
I inherited my dads Technic turntable years ago and it’s interesting to see the popularity of vinyl now. I have many friends who want to get into vinyl. It’s definitely making a comeback among a younger demographic.
March 29, 2016 @ 2:22 pm
I wonder if with vinyl coming back albums will become more album focused as opposed to singles. Or will it be like it was in the late 50s early 60s where you loaded all the hits up front and had filler in the rest? I don’t mind vinyl (aside from the shady practices some companies use to produce it and charge more for MP# quality wax) and the ritual of it but the setup it requires is very constricting and somehow I don’t see the younger generation (who according to some studies will only vote if they can do it from an app) maintaining a long term love affair with a medium that requires real care and respect if it is to last a long time. Dust, scratches… it’s not like organizing files on an iPod.
March 30, 2016 @ 1:24 pm
Although I understand the draw to vinyl, the cost is ridiculous.
March 30, 2016 @ 12:36 am
I’m 26 and I pretty much exclusively buy CD’s. Probably about 2 per week.
However, I do rip the CD’s to my computer and then sync them to my phone so I can listen to them wherever I’m at. I’ll also carry my newest CD’s with me in my vehicle so I can give them a few good listens so I know which songs I’ll want to sync to my phone.
March 30, 2016 @ 12:14 pm
No kids are not 100%
As I said above in 14 and me and almost all of my friends still use CDs all the time
Maybe it’s a North Carolina thing
March 29, 2016 @ 8:41 am
Damn I should’ve preordered Countach instead according to this, but I wasn’t sure if I was gonna like it. I didn’t want to get and then find out I don’t like it. But after checking it out on Spotify, turns out I do like so best legal option would be Amazon. I could do itunes but I used up most of the money on Dukes of Hazzard episodes lol.
March 29, 2016 @ 11:20 am
You still have the right as a consumer to preview an album before you decide to purchase, and as long as you buy it within the first week of its release, it still should register on the first week of charting.
As for Shooter’s record, if it charted (and I can’t find it anywhere), then it didn’t chart very well. So it may have not made a difference.
March 29, 2016 @ 9:08 am
Bandcamp should be higher up on the list than CD Baby… Free to signup, and 100% of the revenue goes to the artist. No hidden fees, etc.
CD Baby does offer a ‘free’ option, but it’s for digital sales through their website, and takes 15% off the top, as well as a ‘processing fee’ every time they pay out.
However, most ‘indies’ need CD baby to get onto itunes… usually that’s a $50-$65 setup fee to begin.
A $10 itunes sale, usually translates to $6.50 for an artist, and again, there’s a ‘payout’ fee on the back end again.
March 29, 2016 @ 11:03 am
You’re totally right MikeP. I just didn’t want to tier this thing to where there were 20 separate options and people ended up even more confused. I lumped artist-based fulfillment companies like CD Baby, Tunecore, and BandCamp together to just illustrate these are better options than buying from big box retailers. Like I was saying in another comment, BandCamp is a great opinion for both consumer and artist.
March 29, 2016 @ 11:33 am
Which, makes sense… it could have easily spiraled into a less managable list. It’s good to have articles like this where things are spelled out for the consumer who wants to support their favorite acts. Things have been muddied increasingly with the advent of streaming, mixed in with all sorts of other ‘delivery’ methods.
March 29, 2016 @ 9:12 am
Another great read Trigg, ok I have Pandora one, No ads and I love it. While driving which ain’t much sirius xm in the pick’em up truck, bands I like, I see them live, also buy tee’s and stickers from their web pages. So how does
Pandora one, pay out to artist compared to free pandora?
March 29, 2016 @ 11:00 am
I’m not sure specifically about Pandora, but the gulf between paid streaming and ad-supported streaming is pretty massive. It really does appear to make a big difference just to shell out those few extra bucks a month.
March 29, 2016 @ 9:52 am
I admit I mostly stream my music, I pay for and use Google Play Music since it works so well on my Android devices. It’s just so convenient to use when I am on the go. I will buy the occasional album through Amazon or Google Play, but that is generally reserved for artists where I know and trust will give me a full album’s worth of good material. No offense to a lot of artists/bands out there, but for a lot of albums it feels like they had 3-4 knockout songs and the rest are forgettable material designed mainly for live shows.
It’s pretty rare that I get the chance to buy an album at a live show since very few of my favorite artists play a lot of shows here in north-central Minnesota. I know Lee’s Liquor Lounge is able to pull in a fair many Texas Country acts and 1st Ave. hosts acts like Isbell, Simpson, DBT, etc. but tickets often sell out fast for those shows or are too high for my blood.
March 29, 2016 @ 9:54 am
It’s odd that the highest margins come from physical CD sales when downloads don’t require the manufacturing costs of CDs. However, CDs do tend to be more expensive than downloads, and CDs can be pressed for pennies on the dollar when you make millions of them. There’s also the factor of being able to download just a few songs instead of the full album, which would definitely cut into margins.
It’s also funny to see how the music industry’s physical vs. digital prices are so different ($15-$20 for a CD, $10-$15 for a CD download) while the console video game industry tends to charge the exact same for physical and digital copies (typically $60 for either). The lower digital prices for the music industry are probably due to attempts to stave off piracy, which isn’t nearly as rampant in the video game industry.
While the convenience factor of downloads is a big plus, there’s nothing like getting a tangible copy of something you love, especially when it’s autographed! 🙂
March 29, 2016 @ 10:02 am
I always download leaked copies if possible, then buy the cd
March 29, 2016 @ 10:10 am
While supporting the band is a consideration, you have to also consider your own interests as well. I received an email once from a country singer I like asking me to support him by going to his Kickstarter page and donating to help him record his new album. I donated $15, more than the cost of a CD download, with the promise of a high quality download of the album on it’s release. I wanted to help him get an album out for both him and me. Unfortunately, the high quality download turned out to be low quality M4A files that sounded really poorly.
I ended up buying another copy of the album at higher quality, but kinda felt I got screwed a bit by this artist. I am willing to support my favorite bands, but will look for higher quality music files for my own listening pleasure over what profits them the most.
March 29, 2016 @ 10:56 am
Kickstarter is a whole other can of worms, and don’t get me started on crowdfunding, and being promised one thing, and being delivered another. Kickstarter is presented as the ultimate in “supporting” artists, and sometimes it is. But sometimes it just enables them to continue bad financial habits, takes the pressure off to make a good record, and folks are unfair asked to pay for something they haven’t heard even previews of yet.
And yes, convenience, audio quality, and other concerns have to go into all of these decisions. I was trying to illustrate that by the different levels of support.
March 29, 2016 @ 10:33 am
Before streaming I did not help artists I was irregular downloads
I had (still have not) afford to buy the albums
Now I pay Spotify and can help (even if slightly) the artists I’m fan.
Here in Brazil it is not cheap to buy a physical copy
For my financial condition Pay Spotify is the best option
March 29, 2016 @ 12:19 pm
Well, I’m still in school, so I can’t afford to be buying tons of merchandise and bundles, but I do what I can. I mainly download music on iTunes, but I also like buying vinyl. As a teenager though, I can say that most teens these days have no respect for artist. I have friends who pirate music and don’t think twice about it.
It’s really a shame that the only real money most artist make is from touring- and as an aspiring southern rock/outlaw country performer, I’m not too excited about the way the music industry is working.
March 29, 2016 @ 2:35 pm
This is an excellent article. Thank you!
March 30, 2016 @ 4:13 am
I always go for option1 when possible but i live in the sticks so I end up using option2 alot! But its happening more and more where I’ll order something and months will pass by and then I have to be a jerk and start asking where my stuff is. Maybe its just my luck but its very difficult and frustrating sometimes.
March 30, 2016 @ 7:18 am
I have been a Sirius satellite radio subscriber since 2004. Most of my listening is through their service while I’m at work or on the road. Streaming is usually not an option because most of my work is in places with no cell or wifi signal. How well are artists paid by Sirius/XM compared to streaming or paid downloads?
March 30, 2016 @ 8:59 am
The rules governing Sirius XM apply more to radio than they do streaming. Streaming is still considered music consumption, while Sirius XM is still considered a broadcast medium. When you give money to Sirius XM, you’re paying for them to maintain their network, and offer you content commercial free.
March 31, 2016 @ 8:47 am
This is a really great article. Thank you so much for writing it. I have always wondered about how the different streaming services support the artists. As a fan, I want to make sure to support them the best that I can. I have a paid Spotify subscription and a paid Google Music subscription. I tend to mainly listen on Spotify, but it seems Google might be the better option for the artist between the two.
Of course nothing can beat (both for the fan experience and to benefit the artist) getting a CD at a show (and a concert shirt too). Not to mention how important it is to support live music!
April 13, 2016 @ 8:54 pm
I always try to stream an album simultaneously through Spotify while I listen to the physical copy. This way, the artist has a continued benefit beyond me just picking up an album.
April 19, 2017 @ 9:13 am
I agree that you can do a lot to support some of your favorite artists by buying physical copies of their music. I think it’s important that we keep our eyes out for new, up and coming artists, too, so that we can support them in their pursuit. The more we do to help them create music, the more capable they will be to go out and put out albums.
December 30, 2018 @ 4:47 am
Taylor Swift made a fool of herself when she talked against Apple. She doesn’t understand that “independent” musicians are going to be paid very low wages if they allow their content for streaming. She only did that to make herself look powerful. She is not. Her 1989 album was a joke, and she has no right to make musicians look like struggling musicians. Blame the Digital era of music distribution, not Apple Music.
June 19, 2019 @ 2:41 am
“Artists don’t really make the money off the music like we did in the Golden Age, It’s not really coming in until you hit the stage.” The Weeknd tells FORBES.