Relearning Why We Buy Music

We need to relearn why we buy music. We’ll spend hundreds of dollars going to a concert, but balk at a few dollars to own our favorite song or album.Streaming made music accessible, but it’s also made us forget that it has value. If we don’t relearn how to buy music, we risk losing the culture we claim to love.

Relearning Why We Buy Music

by CARLO KIKSEN via The Fanbase Builder

Artists and industry pros often lament streaming’s minimal payouts, yet many don’t financially support other artists themselves. This disconnect highlights a broader challenge.

Why it matters

I enjoyed reading this excellent MIDiA article about the discrepancy between the problems the music industry prioritizes and what listeners experience. This got me thinking about another critical issue: People have forgotten how to buy music, and music is perceived as nearly worthless for many listeners.

For most people, music is either “free” or worth only a few euros per month to access virtually everything. Meanwhile, many artists complain about streaming payouts while not financially supporting other musicians themselves.

I’ve witnessed numerous real-life instances where people unintentionally pirate music, believing they’re doing nothing wrong. Some recent examples:

• An undertaker ripping funeral music from YouTube.
• A business downloading tracks for social media videos without licensing.
• A bedroom DJ exclusively playing bootlegged SoundCloud pop mixes.

In all these cases, people had no idea they were doing something questionable, nor how to purchase music legally. This knowledge gap significantly impacts artists’ livelihoods.

How it works

Artists and industry pros have a crucial role in reshaping music’s perceived value. Here’s how they can lead by example:

• Normalise music purchasing by regularly sharing their music acquisitions on social media.
• Highlight where to buy music, whether vinyl, CDs, or digital downloads. DJs could lead the change here.
• Share tracklists or charts through platforms like Buy Music Club to educate audiences about digital purchasing options.
• Promote record stores as vital parts of the scene.
• Use “buy now” messaging more frequently than “stream now” in promotional language.

A single music purchase can generate the equivalent revenue of thousands of streams. By actively participating in the commercial music ecosystem, artists help build a more sustainable industry.

Taking it further: artists who don’t purchase music should reconsider complaining about low DSP payouts. While not every artist needs to become an avid record collector, spending money on music helps them better understand the product that pays their bills.

Yes, but..

It’s not just about money. Attention and intentional listening also bring value to music. In his excellent new newsletter Calm & Fluffy, Bas Grasmayer offers compelling suggestions to counteract the economic forces that steer music listening behaviour. As Bas puts it, “The most impactful thing you can do for musicians is to spend more money on music.”

The goal isn’t simply increasing sales, but fostering a culture where music is recognised as worth paying for.

Take action now

Put your money where your music is:

• Visit a local record store and purchase physical music.
• Buy a digital download on Bandcamp (or iTunes, Beatport, Traxsource, etc)
• Create and share a Buy Music Club playlist.