Simple Ways to Enjoy the Music You Love Without Harming the Planet
Climate news and doomscrolling can get overwhelming quicker than you think. Reading not-so-positive news about the state of the world can lead to feelings of dread, eco-anxiety, and smallness in the grand scheme of things. We can get caught up feeling like our individual actions do not have any positive impact on the planet when industry and corporations are the biggest greenhouse gas emitters.
It’s true that collective action and sustainable shifts within industry and corporations need to occur to change the trajectory of the climate crisis, but that doesn’t mean your individual actions don’t count. Making changes in our lives to become more eco-friendly result in a direct benefit to the environment, no matter how small. And that’s not all! These changes can also inspire your friends, family, and community to make positive changes too.
Within the music industry, demand for climate action from fans can trigger action from artists, venues, record labels, music companies, and the music industry as a whole.
Here are 6 ways you can practice sustainability as a music fan:
Be mindful about your consumption.
Today’s society is built around overconsumption and mass consumerism, and recent trends in the music industry reflect this.
Album Variants
There has been a surge of artists releasing several vinyl variants for the same album. In the past, we have typically seen 2 or 3 versions of an album being released, with these additional releases being deluxe or anniversary albums. Now, we see artists releasing numerous versions of the same album with the only difference being the album art or vinyl colouring.
Taylor Swift released 36 variants of her album The Tortured Poets Department across vinyl, digital, CDs, and cassettes. Her upcoming album The Life Of A Showgirl has 7 vinyl variant releases so far. Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS had 9 vinyl variants released and Charli XCX’s BRAT had 14 variants.
Vinyl variant releases are wasteful of resources and promote a culture of overconsumption. Artists use variant releases as a marketing strategy to boost their album sales. Limited runs of variants can create a sense of exclusivity and urgency to buy the variant before it sells out. Fans might try to collect them all, or may feel pressured to collect multiple variants to feel or be seen as a super-fan.
Be mindful when you are looking to purchase an upcoming release. Choose your favourite version and just buy that one – you don’t need multiple copies on the same album for the aesthetic difference.
Concert Fashion
Festivals and concerts have become almost as much about fashion as they are music. Every year, festival season comes along with new trends and mass amounts of clothing produced from fast fashion companies. A 2019 study found that per year, there are approximately 7.5 million “single-use outfits” bought for music festivals.
More recently, it has become increasingly popular to wear themed outfits to concerts. Fans will create concert outfits inspired by their favourite album or the artists’ style. This is a fun way to connect with other fans and express your love for the music, but it can become a problem when individual clothing items are bought specifically for the event and never worn again.
Before buying something new, look through your closet and try to come up with an outfit using pieces you already have, or hit up a local thrift store and search for the perfect piece second-hand!
Bring a re-usable water bottle to your next live music event.
Many concert venues and music festivals now encourage fans to bring a re-usable water bottle to fill up at their events instead of buying a single-use plastic bottle there. Before you go to your next concert, check the venue website to see if they have water refill stations on site and permit re-usable bottles to be brought in.
Take public transit to a concert instead of driving.
Fan travel to shows is where a significant portion of emissions come from in live music. A study by REVERB found that fan travel accounts for 527 tons of carbon emissions per concert, and 80% of concertgoers travel by personal vehicle. Instead of driving alone, try taking public transit, walking or biking, or carpooling to the venue!
Support on-site sustainability at shows.
Many artists and venues are beginning to highlight sustainability initiatives at their shows. Ways to engage with them as a fan include looking out for recycling and composting bins and taking a minute to sort your waste properly. Choose food vendors that offer plant-based foods or use compostable packaging. Some artists also partner with organizations to set up booths inside the venue.
On their World of Spheres Tour, Coldplay partnered with local non-profits on their tour stops to run booths and engage concertgoers on social and environmental issues. Artists partnering with REVERB also have booths at their show to engage fans. Artists who are partnering with REVERB on their upcoming (or current) tours are My Morning Jacket, Tyler Childers, Lorde, The Favors, Billie Eilish, and Reneé Rapp. Before you head to your seats and enjoy the show, get involved and learn about the work these organizations are doing!
Support eco-conscious artists and events.
Showing support for artists and events who take climate action demonstrates to the industry that environmentally responsible practices are recognized and encouraged. Engaging in this way creates a positive feedback loop where each step amplifies the next: eco-conscious choices are rewarded, more artists and industry stakeholders are encouraged to adopt sustainable practices, and fans keep supporting these practices more and more.
Demand climate action.
As fans, demanding climate action from all areas of the music industry can inspire change. Send a message to your favourite artist, venue, or event and ask them what they are doing to help the environment. Fans hold a lot of power in this industry. If the demand is there, change will start taking place. Remember, small actions add up!
Sustainability in the music industry isn’t solely the responsibility of artists or industry professionals. It’s a movement that fans can actively join.
Fan choice has power. By supporting artists who champion climate action, events that prioritize sustainability, and by being mindful about our consumption, we can help shape the values of the music industry. Our everyday choices can spark a ripple effect, moving the industry towards a sustainable future and reminding us that music and the planet can thrive in perfect harmony.