It’s a great day to support your favourite musicians by purchasing some of their music. Bandcamp is waiving its revenue share on sales this Friday, meaning that 100% of the profits from any purchase will go to an artist’s wallet.
Due to COVID-19, many independent artists are facing unprecedented levels of challenge in making a living as a musician. Streaming services continue to pay a fraction of a cent for each stream while touring, by far the largest source of income for many, has been cancelled and postponed due to safety regulations on travel and public gatherings. Many smaller artists fund their careers through a second job that they may also be unable to work during these times. Times are tough, but Bandcamp is doing a great thing by offering to help.
If you aren’t familiar with Bandcamp, it is a website in which artists and labels can upload their music for free, sell it and their merchandise at the prices they choose. Bandcamp takes a relatively small cut of sales profits (15% for digital and 10% for physical releases), making it a very artist-friendly platform. But on Friday, they aren’t taking anything at all. It all goes to the creators and labels.
If you have a few bucks to spare, please do consider spending it on a musician you enjoy listening to and consider who might need it most during these times. If you love what someone does, help them continue to do it. It’s a win-win scenario.
For more information, see the official Bandcamp announcement here.