With essentially every tour coming to a firm halt in the wake of coronavirus, bands are struggling to supplement their income after those plans abruptly changed. Thankfully, Bandcamp is stepping in to help. The streaming and music hosting website has announced that it will waive its cut of sales this Friday, March 20th, so that artists can receive 100% of the profits.
Head over to Bandcamp’s website to buy music and merch directly from artists worldwide, and to read more about their fundraiser sale. To help make sure artists get full proceeds — instead of the money being split between the musicians themselves, the record label, their management, and the hosting website, among others — other record labels like Run For Cover, Sargent House, Deathwish, and Father/Daughter Records are passing along all money raised from their Bandcamp catalogs on Friday directly to the artists, too.
“To raise even more awareness around the pandemic’s impact on musicians everywhere, we’re waiving our revenue share on sales this Friday, March 20th (from midnight to midnight Pacific Time), and rallying the Bandcamp community to put much needed money directly into artists’ pockets,” said co-founder and CEO Ethan Diamond. “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.”
Perhaps the biggest question this raises is which albums should you buy? Whichever ones you can afford and enjoy, first and foremost, but definitely take a risk on records you may otherwise be unfamiliar with. Take our suggestion and check out the Artist of the Month punk trio THICK, the pick-me-up indie poppers Beach Bunny, or any rising Latin music artist like Bad Bunny, all of whom are on Bandcamp.
While coronavirus continues to cripple the entertainment industry, most Americans are turning to movies and TV for self-care. Don’t forget that musicians are finding a way to help, too. Ben Gibbard is performing nightly concerts live from his home, Neil Young is planning a similar series, Willie Nelson is bringing his annual Luck Reunion online, and The Metropolitan Opera is streaming operas for free on their website.
Find the latest updates about coronavirus’ impact on tours, festivals, album releases, and more right here.
Bandcamp Waiving Its Cut of Sales on Friday to Support Artists
Nina Corcoran
