0. If you really want to support an artist, just ask what is the best way to just send them some hard cash every month? Patreon, ko-fi... even straight wire transfer (isn't FedNow already working?).
I don't believe most people care about a lot of the artists they listen to enough to seek them out and send money this way.
Not that I believe it's good or bad either way, it's just cumbersome. People want easy solutions. A few of my long distance friends are artists, and it makes them happy to see that I have bought their new cassette or vinyl on Bandcamp above the regular price, and send nice notes with it.
I can do this for more people more easily thru Bandcamp than figuring it all out myself.
> most people (don't) care about a lot of the artists they listen
Fair enough. Then don't pay anything?
> it makes them happy to see that I have bought their new cassette or vinyl
On the other hand, I do not want to buy merch, I don't care about physical media and I flat out refuse to buy something with DRM and/or through exploitative middlemen.
Why do we keep insisting on having middlemen?