4 ms·
Bandcamp has been of the best things to ever happen to DIY music. It’s given a tremendous amount of power to artists, power that used to be held almost exclusiv
by sickcodebruh 6y ago
Bandcamp has been of the best things to ever happen to DIY music. It’s given a tremendous amount of power to artists, power that used to be held almost exclusively by labels. We’re finally at a point where many bands can make decent money without having to worry about “getting signed” to a label and losing so much control in the process.
- hnhg 6y agoWhile this is true, it should also be noted that distributors have already updated their business model to take a cut of Bandcamp sales. e.g. label X uses distributor Y to manage the process of their tracks in as many online stores and streaming platforms as possible, and to collect revenue. Distributor Y then takes the credentials for Bandcamp and operates that in the same way as it does everywhere else, taking a certain sizable. It's still better than the old model but it doesn't mean all money goes to the artists.
- sickcodebruh 6y agoI’m not aware of any digital distribution platforms that automate the Bandcamp process and take a cut of that revenue, though I wouldn’t be surprised if that was happening somewhere. Which distributors are doing this? It should also be said that plenty of labels are operating Bandcamp pages, where they can take a cut of digital sales and then pay (or not pay...) artists. It can make sense for artists who are trying leverage the resources of a larger organization. IMO it’s something bands should negotiate aggressively since Bandcamp might be their best (possibly their only!) shot at recouping their expenses or selling merch.