Bandcamp is Waiving Sales Fees Today in Support of Indie Artists
The site previously waived sales fees on March 20.
As music platforms continue to cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many are offering promotional deals for listeners and artists. Spotify recently revealed its Artist Fundraising Pick feature that allows listeners to donate to their favorite artists.
On March 20th, indie music platform Bandcamp waived sales fees on its site to support musicians. According to Tech Crunch, the event drew $4.3 million. That number marked the biggest sales day in the site's history. On Wednesday, Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond announced the event would take place on the first Friday of each month. Read his full blog post here.
"The pandemic and its impact on the music community aren't over," he wrote, "so today, as well as on June 5 and July 3, we're waiving our revenue share on all sales on Bandcamp. Musicians will continue to feel the effects of lost touring income for many months to come," Diamond wrote. "So we're also sharing some ideas on how fans can support the artists they love."
The company shared its new Artist Guide feature, full of recommendations for artists to maximize sales. Diamond noted that some artists are offering fans production services, video hangouts, lessons, and gear tutorials. Artists can also set up subscription services on the platform.
Note: waivers on these first Fridays do not include subscription services or vinyl pressing campaign pages.