The 4th of July is a national holiday known for celebrating freedom with family, friends and BBQ. But what would the party be without music? For all the fireworks and fun, Independence Day also serves as a reminder of how important music is to the moments that shape our lives. As you plan out your 4th festivities, here are seven simple ways you can support music creators over the holiday weekend and the rest of the summer.
1. Attend a live show
Whether you head out to a big-ticket concert event or support a local venue, attending artists' live shows is a great way to support their art. Who knows, you might even hear a new song, an unexpected cover or even meet your musical heroes face-to-face. Check out your local event calendar listings and find an artist you love who is playing live, or just go try something new.
2. Listen to music via a paid streaming service
As streaming continues to replace physical music sales, listening online is a great way to show love for the music creators you love. While the Recording Academy is hard at work to ensure music creators are compensated fairly with streaming royalties, paid subscriptions are a great way to ensure you're doing your part as a fan.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The music industry is expected to double in revenue over the next ten years - but a closer look at the numbers reveals a harsh reality for working musicians. <a href="https://t.co/abrPMQjMKd">https://t.co/abrPMQjMKd</a></p>— GRAMMY Advocacy (@GRAMMYAdvocacy) <a href="https://twitter.com/GRAMMYAdvocacy/status/1142181921834840064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
3. Buy merchandise
By ordering T-shirts, vinyl, artwork and more, you put dollars directly in the pockets of your favorite music creators and have something to show your support. Bring along your favorite new vinyl record or wear that new favorite band tee to your 4th of July BBQ, and you'll no doubt strike up a conversation with someone about our favorite topic: music!
4. Demand better digital credits to discover more songs from your favorite music makers
In a world that revolves around online discovery, proper credits are essential. But current digital credits leave much to be desired, and exploring other works by the songwriters, musicians and producers you love can be a lot harder than it should be. Take a quick minute to help us change that by signing our "Give Fans The Credit" petition.
5. Follow your favorite music makers on social media
Forge a direct connection with the people who make the music you enjoy by following their social accounts. Better yet, share, recommend and amplify their work to your network. You'll be utilizing the power of the internet to help make the world more aware of what music means to you while always staying in-the-know on what your playlist's players are up to. And in an industry that uses social metrics to help inform and measure influence, your like or follow shows that you care. While you're at it, you can also follow GRAMMY Advocacy on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest.
6. Make a playlist
Speaking of playlists, many streaming platforms like Spotify use user-created playlists when sourcing data to build their own playlists. This cycle of discoverability means that when you put your favorite songs on a playlist together, someone else with a crossover in musical taste is more likely to discover a new artist or song from you. Best of all, a playlist is the perfect time capsule – like the mixtapes and CD mixes of yesteryear – to look back on. What's on your "4th of July 2019" mix?
7. Be an advocate for music
Education is power! Subscribe to the Academy’s advocacy newsletter to stay up-to-date on all issues affecting music creators. Sign-up to receive our regular newsletter chock-full of Advocacy news, reports, interviews and more. Happy 4th!
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