Over the past year, I have pushed quite hard for blog followers and those who want to submit music to the blog to use Patreon.
I though I should try to explain a bit of the background to Patreon with this post but also what it means, and above all what you as a Patreon member get out of it.

Patreon is a way for creators to get paid for what they do. Whether it’s music, photo, podcast or in this case a blog. As a Patreon you voluntarily support the creator every month with some money.
As a thank you for your support, you usually get Patreon-exclusive content. It can be pre-listening to a podcast episode, pre-sales of tickets together with meet and greet when an artist has a concert. Maybe a photographer sends an exclusive photo once a month to his Patreons, or that you get a physical copy of a record when it is released as a thank you for supporting a singer with a certain amount of money each month.
So there are many different ways to set up a Patreonship.

Here at Popmuzik, Patreon is a way to support the work and time it takes going through all the submissions of new music that are sent to the blog every day. To help covering the expenses of the blog and the possibility to give readers music inspiration every day. To make it possible to interview artists, record podcasts and update playlists.

The blog’s Patreon is for both readers and those who want to submit their music. If it’s their own or an artist they represent as a PR company or music company.
There are six different levels that start at 50 SEK a month up to 600 SEK.

If you are a reader of the blog, you choose which level you feel you want to support the blog with. You are a monthly Patreon, and at 09:00 on the 1st of each month, money is deducted from the card you connected to Patreon for the new month. You can whenever you want end your membership and you are an active member until the last of that month.
As a thank you for being a Patreon and supporting the blog, you will have access to exclusive photos taken during interviews with artists and concerts. You will also get the opportunity to listen to upcoming podcast episodes before anyone else. (They are in Swedish, so mostly for Swedish followers).
In addition to that, I also sometimes have zoom seminars where I give tips and thoughts on how you as an artist or company can reach out with music the best way, or thoughts on the industry in general. They are also in Swedish.

If you are an artist, PR or music company, you choose the Patreon level according to how many songs you want to submit to the blog each month. Here the levels are 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 or 20 songs each month.
I listen to all music submissions from Patreons and I always give feedback to the person who sent the music (usually within 48 hours). In other words: you as Patreon does always get listen to and a respond to your submission. Even if it’s a song that did not suit my personal taste at all and gets rejected, you still get an answer.
It is also Patreons that I prioritize for interviews, either artist or the artists the company that the Patreon represents.

I always try to get songs from Patreons up in the blog on the day of the release. Some days, however, many songs are released and then the goal is to get everything up before the weekend is over. If there are many songs a week, however, I try to get the songs out in the order they came in, so try to send me your songs in time before the release.
Only Patreons has the opportunity to have a premiere in the blog for their new video or if you want to post a song some day before the public release.
As an extra bonus, the Patreons in the levels from 6 songs a month also get advertising banners in the blog. An easy and flexible way to advertise your new song, live performance or artist brand for all the readers of the blog.
Those in levels 6 and 9 songs a month receive one banner a month for 10 days and those in levels 12 or 20 songs a month receive two banners a month for 10 days each.

Why then did I choose Patreon for those who want to support the blog or submit music?
I have run the blog for over 10 years and while the submissions have become more and more, I have never received any compensation for what I have done. Sometimes not even a thank you or a share on social media for spending hours on an interview and highlighting a certain artist…

If it’s just a single person submitting a song from time to time, that’s no problem. But when there are up to 100 people who send songs EVERY DAY… Then it becomes an impossible equation. Then it’s more or less a full time job to just go through all these songs every day. And this should be done at the same time as you then need a job to get money for home and food. An equation that unfortunately does not work when people expect them to get answers and posts about every song that is submitted. Those eight, ten hours a day that are really needed to cover the people’s expectations on the blog do not directly give room to do anything else.

In the end, it felt like many people just wanted access to the platform and get a post about their release, but did not give anything back.
With Patreon, I feel that I sort out those who just want a post in one of Sweden’s largest music blogs, from those who actually care about the blog and want it to continue writing about new music. Those who understand that not everything can be free, but if you give a little you can get a lot back.
For what it’s worth. Give something back is what I personally try to do for those who are Patreons, and it feels like many of the blog’s Patreons appreciate and understand the approach I have created with this.

If you as a reader or artist appreciate the blog, it means a lot that you are a Patreon.
You are the one who makes it possible to discover new music in the blog or interviews with different artists on a daily basis.
Thank you for being a Patreon and thank you for making it possible for artists to be discovered by an audience here at Popmuzik.

You can also become a Patreon here.