7 Simple Ways You Can Support Your Favourite Musicians This World Music Day!

7 Simple Ways You Can Support Your Favourite Musicians This World Music Day!

They say musicians have always had a better understanding of love than others and I think we can all agree that we’ve had our moments where a song has described the way we feel much better than we ever could in words and most of the time, it is what has got us through things. From headbanging to Salim Merchant's 'Kurbaan Hua', to swaying your hips to Sonu Kakkar's 'London Thumakda', to suffering from a 'Dramatic Window Staring Disorder' while Tulsi Kumar's 'Tum Jo Aaye' plays in the background, giving you all the feels. (Guilty, as charged!)

While those serve as some of the most therapeutic sessions, we often fail to appreciate musicians and their work. They’ve helped us get through our big celebrations, happy moments, bad days at work, breakups and even our ‘crying softly in the bathroom so no one finds out’ sessions. (We've all been there, done that) Independent musicians are on the rise today and there’s so much to discover which can only happen when we get rid of the stereotypes which say that musicians are usually on two ends of the spectrum, either a touring pop star or someone who’s struggling to make ends meet. This World Music Day, let's show some love and give back to some of our favourite local artists who never fail to deliver their best (And if you're wondering, your friend that’s just starting out counts as well!)

If this isn't the most important one out of them all, I don’t know what is! There’s a lot of time, effort and money put into making a record and streaming platforms don’t do them justice in terms of revenue. So lesser the streams, the lesser is the reach, resulting in very little income. Most artists don’t even end up recovering the costs spent on each single but you'll rarely hear them complain. Even if you just go to them and tell them that you enjoy their music, that’s more than enough. (Also works as an ice-breaker if you're wondering how to initiate a conversation!)

Spending a few bucks to go support a friend/ local artist and their dream while getting to listen to some live music is a definite win-win if you ask me. So grab your spot in the first row and sit back and enjoy! Small gestures like going regularly can make all the difference to them and you never know, backstage access passes could be your reward in the future! (Works as a great first date plan too)

There's a lot more that goes into the process of making and releasing music than what we see. Months, sometimes even years of hard work goes into that piece of art which takes a toll on their pockets. Musicians and artists tend to release merchandise like t-shirts, posters and mugs with logos or song lyrics on them to support themselves financially. All you do is spend a few bucks, buy an item and support someone's dream. (And you've got an outfit ready for their next gig!)

If you want to watch your friend/local artist perform live, buy tickets. If you want to wear their merch, buy it. Each time they give away free merch or add you on a guest list, they’re losing out on potential income. You wouldn’t want to lose out on your income at work, so why should they? Reach into your pockets and show your support, it's really not that difficult.

An artist is nothing without his/her listeners and one of the simplest forms of appreciation to them is having you engage with the music they put out. Engagement in the form of likes, comments, shares, pre-saves and adding their music to your playlists make all the difference in the algorithm on streaming platforms and help their music get more reach.

Nothing can beat word of mouth if you genuinely like the song your friend has released. All you need to do is introduce their music to your friends, family or even colleagues at work. It's funny how much time and energy we spend talking about celebrities and how little we support our friends when we have the opportunity to do so. So, invite them to their gigs or even share their music on your social media and help get the word out! (It's FREE.99!)

Now let's be real, those are the most basic things you could do for your musician friend. But if you want to go all out for that special someone this year on World Music Day, this one's for you.

You’ve seen countless song covers on your friend's Instagram or Youtube channel, as they try to get the attention of the singer they love to no avail. And there are so many people vying for their attention, very few actually manage to get through. A few words of encouragement from their favourite celebrity/singer/musician could turn things over for them and we've got a direct route through Tring! And this is as real as it gets.  You can easily get a personalized celebrity video message from the likes of Jaan Kumar Sanu, Ankit Tiwari or Sudhanshu Pandey and hand it over as a surprise on a birthday, as a gift on occasions like World Music Day or even as they celebrate a milestone. All you have to do is, go to www.tring.co.in and pick the artist/singer/songwriter/musician you think is the perfect fit for the occasion or is someone your friend adores from a choice of 7000+ celebrities. (National or international artists, they’ve got you covered!) You can add a personalized message as well and complete the booking. Something that seems so far away is now so easily accessible on Tring and this could just give them all the encouragement they're looking for.

A world without music would be non-rhythmic, chaotic and offbeat which tells us the importance of artists and musicians. We can’t get through a day without listening to our favourite songs. Parties, weddings, celebrations, travelling from one state or country to another or travelling from home to your workplace would all feel monotonous and dull. This World Music Day, let's learn to be more appreciative and supportive of these artists who work ever so hard and add a little colour to our lives.