Why Musicians Are Struggling to Fund Their Projects on Kickstarter in 2025
The days when crowdfunding was hailed as the saviour of independent musicians feel like a distant memory. Back in 2012, Amanda Palmer turned heads by raising nearly $1.2 million on Kickstarter to fund an album, tour, and book, sparking hopes that the platform would change the industry forever. Fast-forward to 2025, and Kickstarter’s latest ‘Creative Download’ report barely acknowledges music. While games, comics, and tech continue to rake in millions, musicians are finding it harder than ever to meet their funding goals. The stark reality is that crowdfunding is no longer the golden ticket it once was, and artists are facing the brutal challenge of financing their careers in an era where everything costs more, and attention spans are shorter than ever. The Decline of Music on Kickstarter Music is still the second-largest category in terms of successfully funded projects on Kickstarter, but that statistic means little when most of its biggest success stories belong to the 2010s. Major campaigns from artists like De La Soul, Delta Rae, TLC, and even Palmer herself have long since passed, leaving little in their wake. Where once musicians could rally fans around an ambitious project and watch the pledges roll in, the platform […] The post Why Musicians Are Struggling to Fund Their Projects on Kickstarter in 2025 appeared first on A&R Factory.

The days when crowdfunding was hailed as the saviour of independent musicians feel like a distant memory. Back in 2012, Amanda Palmer turned heads by raising nearly $1.2 million on Kickstarter to fund an album, tour, and book, sparking hopes that the platform would change the industry forever. Fast-forward to 2025, and Kickstarter’s latest ‘Creative Download’ report barely acknowledges music. While games, comics, and tech continue to rake in millions, musicians are finding it harder than ever to meet their funding goals. The stark reality is that crowdfunding is no longer the golden ticket it once was, and artists are facing the brutal challenge of financing their careers in an era where everything costs more, and attention spans are shorter than ever. The Decline of Music on Kickstarter Music is still the second-largest category in terms of successfully funded projects on Kickstarter, but that statistic means little when most of its biggest success stories belong to the 2010s. Major campaigns from artists like De La Soul, Delta Rae, TLC, and even Palmer herself have long since passed, leaving little in their wake. Where once musicians could rally fans around an ambitious project and watch the pledges roll in, the platform […]
The post Why Musicians Are Struggling to Fund Their Projects on Kickstarter in 2025 appeared first on A&R Factory.