Cue & A: How Do You Feel About Music Crowdfunding?

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For this edition of the Cue & A, we're interested in your thoughts on musicians using crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Patreon to launch albums. Do you support artists such as Pos from De La Soul, who just published a Medium piece describing how his band raised over $600,000 for their new album?

Or are your views more in line with J-Zone, who wrote in February about his perception that TLC took advantage of their fans, using a Kickstarter campaign to finance lavish lifestyles?

One thing is clear: Artists are increasingly turning to crowdfunding as an effective tool to finance music projects, a phenomenon detailed in Bryan Kim’s piece, The Complete Guide To Music Crowdfunding. As a music fan, does your perception of a crowdfunding campaign depend on which artist (new or established) is asking for the money? Are you beginning to suffer from crowdfunding fatigue?

Back in March, musician/Cuepoint contributor Mike Errico discussed Amanda Palmer, who has embodied the music crowdfunding movement as much as anyone, posing some key questions as he contemplated launching his own campaign.

Does a crowdfunding campaign make an artist look “needy,” or “hat in hand?” Does it have the same stink of a tip jar?

Or is crowdfunding simply an effective, direct strategy that’s shifting the balance of power in the music business towards the artists and fans, providing a much-needed alternative to record companies and other traditional industry gatekeepers?

Please share your thoughts in the Responses section below.