Bandcamp Friday turns 40 as revenue to Artists and Labels tops $123M
Friday, May 3 marks the 40th Bandcamp Friday, a day when the platform waives its commission on sales and passes it on to artists and labels.
Songtradr, which acquired Bandcamp seven months ago from Epic Games, says that since the inception of Bandcamp Fridays in 2020, the platform has contributed $123 million to artists through the initiative.
The company reports that cumulative sales on the platform now top $1.3 billion, with average artist earnings up 20% and a 30% rise in fan engagement.
Bandcamp continues to to grow, with approximately 100,000 new fans using the platform each month.
The Orignal Superfan Platform
From individual artists to major labels, servicing superfans has become a major focus, and in many ways, Bandcamp was among the first successful superfan monetization platforms, and uniquely it returns 85% or more of the income to creators.
“Bandcamp’s community is truly unique, fostering a deep sense of engagement between artists and fans,” says Jansport J, an artist thriving on the platform. “Whether it’s releasing a project with fans like Aglana from the UK in mind, knowing that Thomas in New Zealand is eagerly awaiting a pre-order, or anticipating that David in Los Angeles will add my album to his recommended list—these are real interactions that happen on Bandcamp. It’s this direct connection with supportive fans across the globe that makes Bandcamp invaluable to independent artists like myself.”
“We’re not standing still. Our ongoing enhancements and investments in Bandcamp are about expanding the platform’s capabilities,” said Bryan Biniak, President of Songtradr, Bandcamp’s parent company. “We’re introducing more tools for artists and labels to succeed, enhancing discovery, and building community features. Songtradr is actively investing in the community, the product, and new payment solutions to make the platform even stronger.”
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.