FanBase is a Patreon for musicians that pays you from three directions at once: monthly memberships, single paid drops and paid messages, plus tips. You set up to three tiers between $4.99 and $49.99, post demos and behind the scenes audio, and keep 80 percent of every payment.
Streaming pays fractions of a cent per play. A few hundred fans who pay you directly each month can be worth more than a million streams, and they also buy merch and tickets. FanBase gives those fans a simple place to support you, and gives you the tools to turn that support into steady income.
What musicians sell on FanBase
Music fans want closeness to the work. They want to hear the song before it is finished, know why the bridge changed, and get the release before anyone else. Every post on your page can be public, members only, locked to a minimum tier, or sold once as pay per view.
- Demos and voice memos. The rough idea recorded on your phone is the kind of content superfans love most.
- Stems and multitracks. Producers and fans who remix will pay for clean parts of your songs.
- Early releases. Members hear the single a week before it hits streaming services.
- Live sessions and rehearsals. Audio or video from the rehearsal room, unpolished and real.
- Lyrics, chords and tabs. Handwritten lyric sheets, chord charts and guitar tabs for players.
- Song breakdowns. A short video explaining how a track was built, with the session open on screen.
- Paid messages. A personal voice note thanking a fan, or a short cover request answered in a locked message.
Studio, membership tiers
MusicSupporter
$4.99
per month
Inner circle
$9.00
per month
Producer
$24.99
per month
Tier ideas for musicians
Three tiers is usually enough. Keep the cheapest one easy to say yes to, and put your most personal perks at the top.
| Tier | Example price | What fans get |
|---|---|---|
| Listener | $5 per month | Every release a week before streaming services, plus a monthly studio diary post |
| Studio | $12 per month | Everything in Listener, plus demos, voice memos and one live session recording each month |
| Producer | $30 per month | Everything in Studio, plus stems for each new song, chord charts and a monthly song breakdown video |
You can also offer bundles of 3, 6 or 12 months with a discount you choose. A 12 month bundle is a good gift idea for the holidays and around album launches.
A worked earnings example
The numbers below are a hypothetical example to show how the 80 percent share works. They are not results from any real creator.
| Income source | Example activity | Fans pay | You keep (80 percent) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listener tier | 150 members at $5 | $750 | $600 |
| Studio tier | 40 members at $12 | $480 | $384 |
| Producer tier | 10 members at $30 | $300 | $240 |
| Pay per view | 25 sales of a live album at $8 | $200 | $160 |
| Tips and paid messages | Month total | $150 | $120 |
| Total | $1,880 | $1,504 |
Say you have 200 members in total. Even if half of them sit on the cheapest tier, the upper tiers and single drops can add up to a real monthly income. You can run your own numbers in the calculator on the FanBase homepage, and see every cost on the fees page.
How FanBase compares for musicians
At the time of writing (October 2026), Patreon charges new creators 10 percent plus payment processing, and it focuses on memberships. It does not offer paid messages or pay per view posts in the same way. FanBase charges 20 percent all in and gives you the full toolkit on one page. If you are comparing options, our Patreon alternative guide walks through the differences in detail.
| Feature | FanBase | Typical membership platform |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly tiers | Up to 3, $4.99 to $49.99 | Yes |
| Pay per view posts | Yes | Limited or no |
| Paid messages | Yes | No |
| Tips on posts | Yes | Varies |
| Crypto payouts | Yes | Rarely |
| Fan list export | CSV any time | Varies |
Getting your first music members
Your fans already follow you somewhere else. The job is to give them a clear reason to move one step closer.
- Put your FanBase link everywhere. Bio links, video descriptions, the merch table and the end of every live show.
- Post something free first. A public demo or rehearsal clip shows people what members get.
- Announce a members first release. Tell fans the next single goes to members a week early.
- Thank people by name. A short paid message or a public shout out turns a one time tipper into a member.
- Schedule posts ahead. Load a month of studio diary posts during a quiet week, and they go out on their own.
Built for working musicians
Bands and managers who run several artists can use one team account. Read more on the agencies page, where payout reports per creator come as CSV. Every creator is identity verified before the first payout, which keeps fake pages and impersonators off the platform. You can read how that works on the verification page.
When the money comes in, it clears 7 days after each payment. Once your cleared balance reaches $50 you can withdraw, and payouts go out weekly to your bank account or a crypto wallet. The payouts page explains the schedule step by step.
Start your music page
Joining FanBase is free. Pick a handle, upload a cover and avatar, write a short bio, add your tiers and post your first demo. Fans pay by card or crypto, can cancel any time and keep access until the end of the paid period. You keep 80 percent and own your fan list from day one.