Pat•re•on?

So you've been seeing this word all around my site, but you don't know what it means. Well, you're not alone: it's a relatively new crowdfunding site like Kickstarter or Indiegogo that hasn't achieved the same name recognition yet.

Since late 2015, I've been recording and arranging a full song every month. The dream is to earn fans, grow a listener base, and find ways to turn my songwriting into less of a hobby and more of a way to make a living. Patreon has a few key features that make it a great way to support what I do.

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How Patreon is Different

Patreon distinguishes itself from traditional crowdfunding in three primary ways: it's ongoing, based on small donations, and you pay for finished work only.

Ongoing: Patreon is a subscription service. When you become my "patron," you give me a donation each time I make a song, but—
Small Donations: Patreon isn't about large chunks of money. Small means small: $1, $3, $5. The idea is for me to find more listeners and to make an income from everyone's combined contributions. It's about asking more people for less money.
Finished Work Only: with Patreon, I have to make something first before getting paid. You aren't paying for the promise of me making a song, you're paying for an actual, completed song. Say I skip a month and don't finish one? If there's no song, there's no money exchanged.

Why it's awesome

Patreon is entirely voluntary. It asks you to pay for content because you want to, not because you're forced to. That's why:

The Music is Free

The music I make is totally free to stream. Right here on this site, you can listen to all my music, in full, as many times as you like, or you can download the Soundcloud app on your phone and listen to it wherever.

It's like tipping

Why do you tip a musician at the end of a concert? It's about much more than money. Tipping is a symbol of appreciation and a vote of confidence. It's a way to say "I like it. Keep doing what you're doing." That's exactly what Patreon is all about.

It means a lot

I love making music. I'd be doing this anyway, Patreon or not, but my patrons do really matter to me. Patreon gives me a big incentive to keep producing new creative work on a regular schedule, it gives me a dedicated and engaged audience, and it provides a modest source of income that enables me to buy new gear and develop as an artist.

other ways to Support

I know subscriptions can be scary. You don't know what your financial situation will be in six months or a year, etc... If Patreon doesn't sound like your thing, there are still a number of other ways that you can support me, and many of them don't cost anything: