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Mar 17, 2020 By Christopher Roberts

The COVID-19 coronavirus is taking quite a financial toll on independent musicians, as festivals and tours are either cancelled and postponed, eating into their livelihood. In response to all this, Bandcamp has announced that this Friday they are waiving all revenue fees, meaning that if you buy something from the site on Friday the artists make all the money, none of it goes to Bandcamp. Not only can you download albums from Bandcamp, but you can also purchase vinyl and other merchandise from artists on there. Co-founder and CEO Ethan Diamond announced the initiative in a statement on Bandcamp, writing: “For many artists, a single day of boosted sales can mean the difference between being able to pay rent or not.”

Here’s more of Diamond’s statement:

“The Covid-19 pandemic is in full force, and artists have been hit especially hard as tours and shows are being canceled for the foreseeable future. With such a major revenue stream drying up almost entirely, finding ways to continue supporting artists in the coming months is now an urgent priority for anyone who cares about music and the artists who create it. The good news is that we’re already seeing many fans going above and beyond to support artists across Bandcamp.

To raise even more awareness around the pandemic’s impact on musicians everywhere, we’re waiving our revenue share on sales this Friday, March 20 (from midnight to midnight Pacific Time), and rallying the Bandcamp community to put much needed money directly into artists’ pockets.

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.

It may sound simple, but the best way to help artists is with your direct financial support, and we hope you’ll join us on Friday and through the coming months as we work to support artists in this challenging time.

Ethan Diamond
Co-Founder & CEO
Bandcamp”

Read the full statement at Bandcamp.

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