Is Ko-fi a useful promotional tool for musicians?
This creator-support platform lets you maintain creative freedom while earning extra revenue and promoting your skills.
You’ll find plenty of articles extolling the virtues of social media, and urging you to be present and consistent across various platforms. But, it’s best not to rely solely on social media for your marketing as a musician. While platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter can help build an audience, they don’t always translate directly into financial support. Relying on algorithms and engagement rates can be frustrating, especially when trying to make a sustainable income from music.
This is where creator-friendly, direct-to-fan platforms like Ko-fi come in. You may have seen your favourite YouTubers thanking some of their subscribers for “buying them a coffee”, in other words, making a small donation to support the channel. This is where the name Ko-fi comes from, and the platform is designed all around this concept.
What exactly is Ko-fi?
Ko-fi is a crowdfunding and creator-support platform that enables artists, musicians, writers, and other creators to get financial backing directly from their fans. As mentioned above, the “coffee” concept relates to how fans can give small, one-time donations without having to commit to a long-term subscription. This is how Ko-fi differs from the popular creator-support platform, Patreon. Fans can donate once, purchase merch, and even request a commission. However, those fans who do wish to support their favourite creators regularly can certainly do so, thanks to Ko-fi’s membership options.
Ko-fi users can treat the platform as a virtual tip jar, an online store (no artist website needed), or as a way to fund future projects. It’s free to set up a page that can be customised to each individual’s particular needs, and there are no monthly fees. Ko-fi takes a 0-5% platform fee, but as it’s not monthly, it means you only pay a fee when you actually earn.
How does Ko-fi work?
You don’t need an existing website or any technical skill to set up a page on Ko-fi. Here are some simple steps to follow to set up your Ko-fi page as an artist:
- Create Your Ko-fi Page – Sign up for a free account and personalise your page with a bio, profile picture, and links to your music.
- Choose Your Offerings – Decide whether you’ll accept donations, offer memberships, sell products, or take commissions.
- Promote Your Page – Share your Ko-fi link across your social media, email newsletters, and website.
- Engage Your Supporters – Post updates, share exclusive content, and interact with fans to encourage ongoing support.
There aren’t any complicated contracts or restrictions, meaning you can utilise the platform however you like. This makes Ko-fi a great tool for independent artists looking to boost their earnings while promoting their music without solely relying on social media.
How can artists use Ko-fi?
We’ve already touched on the fact that you can decide how you earn money through Ko-fi; you can take donations, offer memberships, sell products, or take commissions. But, let’s break down some specific use-cases that fit under each of those methods.
Donations
Speaks for itself, really. You can use Ko-fi as aplace for fans to virtually tip you. If you create video content, you could directly appeal to fans to donate to you, if you feel happy to do that. Otherwise, you can just leave links to your Ko-fi page for fans to go over and donate to themselves – but more on that later.
Offer memberships
Again, this one doesn’t need a ton of explaining. Dedicated fans can financially support you regularly through a membership on Ko-fi. To encourage this, you can offer exclusive content and exciting perks, such as:
- Early access to new songs and albums
- Behind-the-scenes content (studio footage, songwriting sessions, etc.)
- Exclusive live-streamed concerts
- Q&A sessions or private chats
- Special discounts on merch
Sell products
Ko-fi provides you with the opportunity to sell digital and physical products via an online shop. You don’t need to be selling products on another e-commerce platform, everything can be done directly on Ko-fi, where you can sell straight to fans. Some popular products you can offer include digital downloads of your music, physical records (like vinyl or even CDs), merchandise like t-shirts and posters, and personalised videos and messages.
Take commissions
This is an exciting feature of Ko-fi, as it enables you to share your skills with fans who have found you and are fond of you because of said skills. If you do offer music services, here are some ideas for work that fans could commission you for:
- Custom songs or jingles
- Music lessons (virtual or in-person)
- Mixing and mastering services
How to promote your Ko-fi page
We mentioned earlier that instead of asking fans to donate, you can just let them find your Ko-fi page and come to you when they feel like it. In order for this to happen, you need to be promoting your Ko-fi page sufficiently.
Naturally, social media is a big one here. You can promote your Ko-fi page via Stories on Instagram, or within videos on YouTube, as well as leaving links in your bios. But, that doesn’t mean you have to use social media to promote your page. If you have an email list (if you don’t, make one), then you can include a link to Ko-fi there. You can also link to it from your own artist website, and even feature a QR code on gig posters.
Wherever you promote your music and yourself, just remember to either mention or link to Ko-fi, and you’ve opened up another way to earn money and promote yourself.
Summing up
Ko-fi provides independent musicians with a unique and flexible way to earn money while strengthening their relationship with fans. Whether you’re looking to accept donations, set up memberships, sell products, or take commissions, Ko-fi gives you the tools to generate income without relying on traditional industry structures or social media algorithms.
One of the best parts is the control that you maintain. You decide what to offer, how to engage with your audience, and how to grow your career on your own terms. For musicians looking for financial independence and creative freedom, Ko-fi is a great step towards that.