Crowdfunding is an easy online way to fund projects by taking in small investments from a large number of people. Recently, lesser-known artists have been using crowdfunding to raise money and disseminate their work.  

Through popular crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter and GoFundMe, supporters can help thrust unknown artists into the spotlight. Anyone can share ideas on these websites, and offer promising projects support through small investments toward a bigger goal.

Freshman Sally Chik of Hazlet said she thinks that crowdfunding is an effective way to launch a career in the arts.

“The point of art is to share it with people. If you’re gonna post it online, you most likely want to share it with everyone,” Chik said. “It’s a great way, because rather than showing it to people in real life, you can access it better, and you can spread it around.”

Although crowdfunding’s popularity is helpful for artists, it also has its drawbacks.  Many websites like Kickstarter use “all-or-nothing” campaigns. This means that if the artist doesn’t reach a monetary goal within a specified time limit, they will not receive any of the money raised. Even without a time limit, there is always a chance that a project will never reach its goal.

Senior and Art Club president Sebrina Gao of Freehold said that crowdfunding is beneficial, but easy to misuse.

“If they’re not physically in the world like with a publisher, it’s a way for independent artists to create something, and I think it is a good resource to use,” she said. “However, it can be easily used the improper way if it’s not planned out correctly.”

There is also a lot of work that goes into crowdfunding. Irish singer-songwriter Mundy knows just how difficult it is to get noticed.

“You really have to go out there and market yourself to a point of nearly embarrassment,” Mundy said. “Every single penny had to be documented and everything sent out on time and I actually had to get somebody in to help me to keep it all ticking over.”

There are pros and cons to crowdfunding, with both the prospect of earning enough money to start a project and the risk of receiving no money at all. In the end, the outcome depends on which platform you use and how seriously you take it.