It is technically possible but not recommended. Why? Fan funding is intended to be a virtual tip jar that allows your fans to applaud your ongoing and excellent work. That work is something you are producing in the studio, your YouTube channel, Instagram, Twitch, or even live somewhere.
Any money placed in your tip jar (a purchase of your fan funding offer) is a financial, voluntary applause of your incredible effort.
When a direct mental link to a download is involved is muddies the water of what fan funding is about.
The other issue is, sadly, humans being what they are, a small number will take advantage of an instant download “reward” in exchange for a monthly support offer. They will sign-up, download the reward, and cancel before the first month’s renewal. Or worse, cancel their order entirely and issue a chargeback, getting the download for free.
Those that do choose to offer a download as a reward tend to issue it based on a condition that the fan remain a monthly supporter for three months or more, providing the download link or discount code to make a retail item (see below) effectively free once the minimum number of months have elapsed.
Best Practices
A better approach is to set-up the reward item as a standard retail download. Working with us in the big Fan Beach Pool House we can help you generate a discount code valid for a specific item in your shop you can issue to your valuable on-going fans.
That way you can e-mail a fan at the start of month #4 with the code and link to your public-facing download offer to say, “thanks, and here is a coupon to download this item for free…”
Plus, in the meantime, that same download can be sold at retail prices to the public.