UPDATE: Bandcamp’s servers are operating more slowly than usual due to high volume, a Tweet from the company sent Friday morning reads: “Please be patient with us today as there may be slowness and availability issues on the site. We’re working on them. Keep supporting artists!”
As the coronavirus has devastated the live-music industry, many have asked the best ways to support musicians who suddenly and abruptly lost their main form of income. The usual answer is “buy an album or merch” — and then Amazon stopped accepting incoming shipments of non-essential products (which obviously do not include vinyl or CDs).
But today, online retailer Bandcamp is graciously waiving its fees, allowing 100% of all sales to go to musicians. It is an admirable move for a company that is itself independent and it bound to take a big hit from this self-sacrificing act.
If there’s a time to buy music, it’s today. A link to the site is here, and a letter from cofounder and CEO Ethan Diamond is below.
(See a full list of labels and artists offering donations, exclusive merch, discounts and more for today’s fundraiser.)
The Covid-19 pandemic is in full force, and artists have been hit especially hard as tours and shows are being canceled for the foreseeable future. With such a major revenue stream drying up almost entirely, finding ways to continue supporting artists in the coming months is now an urgent priority for anyone who cares about music and the artists who create it. The good news is that we’re already seeing many fans going above and beyond to support artists across Bandcamp.
To raise even more awareness around the pandemic’s impact on musicians everywhere, we’re waiving our revenue share on sales today (Friday, March 20th, from midnight to midnight Pacific Time), and rallying the Bandcamp community to put much needed money directly into artists’ pockets.
For many artists, a single day of boosted sales can mean the difference between being able to pay rent or not. Still, we consider this just a starting point. Musicians will continue to feel the effects of lost touring income for many months to come, so we’re also sharing some ideas below on how fans can support the artists they love and how artists can give fans new, creative ways to provide support.
It may sound simple, but the best way to help artists is with your direct financial support, and we hope you’ll join us both today and through the coming months as we work to support artists in this challenging time.
Ethan Diamond
Co-Founder & CEO
Bandcamp