UPDATE: Bandcamp has announced that they will be waiving their revenue share on all music sales again on May 1, June 5 and July 3! Support independent music! CEO Ethan Diamond wrote of the success of the event on their blog,
On March 20, 2020, we waived our revenue share in order to help artists and labels impacted by the pandemic. The Bandcamp community showed up in a massive way, spending $4.3 million on music and merch—15x the amount of a normal Friday— helping artists cover rents, mortgages, groceries, medications, and so much more. It was truly inspiring.
In a positive move during these trying times, Bandcamp is waiving revenue sales for 24 hours on March 20, so that they can “put much needed money directly into artists’ pockets.”
They made this move in an effort to support musicians and artists, many who might find themselves hard pressed in making money when much of their life relies on touring, selling music and merchandise, all which is now impacted by the global pandemic.
Ethan Diamond, Co-Founder & CEO, said of the initiative,
“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.”
So if you’re an artist on Bandcamp or a fan of many musicians who are, today is the today to help out! Bandcamp’s page also goes on to offer other resources on how you can help the music community throughout these times.
If there’s anything that can make this all better, it’s music.