Bandcamp Fridays hit $154m in payouts since 2020, with $19m paid in 2025 alone
Direct-to-fan platform Bandcamp has revealed that artists and labels have been paid out $154 million by way of its Bandcamp Friday initiative because the program’s launch in March 2020.
The corporate launched Bandcamp Fridays on the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when lockdowns impacted the earnings of indie artists from excursions and exhibits. The newest determine represents a $31 million enhance from the $123 million Bandcamp reported in Could 2024.
This 12 months alone, Bandcamp Fridays noticed payouts of $19 million from followers on to artists and labels, topping the prior 12 months’s complete.
Bandcamp usually takes 15% of digital gross sales and 10% of bodily items. On Bandcamp Fridays, it Bandcamp waives its income share to let musicians and labels hold the total buy worth when followers purchase music or merch. The corporate mentioned December’s occasion generated greater than $3.8 million in 24 hours, the best single-day complete of the 12 months.
Bandcamp added that artists obtain a mean of 82% of gross sales on common days via the platform’s artist-first enterprise mannequin, contributing to over $1.5 billion that Bandcamp has paid out to artists and labels to this point, the platform mentioned on Thursday (December 18).
As of writing, Bandcamp’s web site says the platform has seen followers pay artists $1.64 billion, with 77,031 information bought by way of Bandcamp yesterday alone.
Dan Melnick, Normal Supervisor at Bandcamp, mentioned: “5 years on, Bandcamp Fridays proceed to point out simply how highly effective direct fan help will be.”
“2025 was one other sensible 12 months for artists and labels, capped by our strongest Friday of the 12 months, and we’re extremely excited to convey much more alternatives to the group in 2026, increasing to eight subsequent 12 months.”
“2025 was one other sensible 12 months for artists and labels, capped by our strongest Friday of the 12 months, and we’re extremely excited to convey much more alternatives to the group in 2026, increasing to eight subsequent 12 months.”
Dan Melnick, Bandcamp
The platform plans to run eight Bandcamp Fridays in 2026: February 6, March 6, Could 1, August 7, September 4, October 2, November 6 and December 4.
In September, Bandcamp launched a brand new subscription service that provides customers entry to month-to-month file alternatives, listening events, suggestions and unique artist content material. The ‘Bandcamp Golf equipment’ function launched with a USD $13-a-month subscription price and gives a “subscribe-to-own” music discovery expertise.
Melnick mentioned on the time: “As an alternative of algorithms, followers get human-curated picks from a number of the finest DJs and journalists of their respective areas, unique interviews with artists, and group listening events.”
Based in 2008, Bandcamp launched as a direct-to-consumer various to file labels for artists. It has since expanded its providers to incorporate options corresponding to ticketed live-streaming and vinyl urgent.
Artists like Peter Gabriel and Bjork have positioned their catalogs on the platform.
In 2022, Fortnite developer Epic Video games acquired Bandcamp and bought it to music licensing platform Songtradr in 2023.
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