Heat Rash

As somewhat of an early Christmas present to myself, I've done something that I would never have considered doing before. I've joined a paid-for subscription model for a band.

I've signed up for Heat Rash, which is a fan subscription model by Los Campesinos! (deliberate exclamation point there) - who are one of my favourite bands, and their latest album Romance Is Boring recently topped my 2010 albums of the year list - which in a shameless plug, is available from the following places:

Part 1 - Numbers 30-21
Part 2 - Numbers 20-11
Part 3 - Numbers 10-1

So why have I subscribed, and paid a touch over £30 (£25 a year, plus mysterious shipping and handling fees)? Is it because I want the exclusive mp3 downloads, quarterly comics / 'zines with free 7" vinyls and exclusive access to gig pre-sales and merchandise deals?

Well yeah, kinda. I mean that stuff is all great, but its not the only reason. Personally I find an incredible amount of loyalty towards my favourite bands, LC! being one of them, as well as others - Muse, Arcade Fire, Johnny Foreigner amongst some of the others.

I first heard about LC! ages ago - back in the summer of 2006, when flicking through the "Off Topic" section of the Football Manager message boards, a video game several members of LC! also play on a regular basis. The thread that the band posted was a gentle introduction to themeselves, and asked the reader to check out their MySpace profile (anybody remember MySpace?), which I did - and I liked what I heard.

Fast forward four and a bit years, and I've seen the band live nearly a dozen times, met lead vocalist Gareth on a handful of occasions (who flatteringly actually remembers my name!) and have loads of signed 7" vinyl, setlists, and a signed copy of their latest record. So in a way I feel partially compelled to adhere to the cliche of 'giving something back'.

I've read enough band blogs to understand that touring, whilst being a great way to raise a band's profile amongst fans, is not the most financially lucrative way to live, and that any sort of different or unique creative outlet is often left to the band to undertake (Last week I spent the best part of an hour helping Birmingham-based Johnny Foreigner cut out pictures of ghosts for their latest single release / artwork project).

Anyway, are fan subscription models the best way for artists and musicians the best or only way to actually make any money? Possibly, but it depends on the size (in terms of mainstream popularity, not band members) and the ethos of what the band is trying to achieve. Get it right, and you have a stronger online community, but get the balance wrong, and accusations of "selling out" will quickly rise to the surface.

The only other way I can realistically see for bands to make money, is through various sponsorships and endorsements - and loads of mobile phone companies, car manufacturers, coffee retailers, lagers, have all been eager to get a lucrative "slice of the pie" in recent years - but thats a whole different can of worms right there.

Are fan subscriptions the best way for musicians to make money?
Would you pay to support a band you liked? How much - and for which bands?

I would be interested to hear what your opinion is, whether you're a fan, a band, or a record label.

Paul