Get Ready to Celebrate Indie Music! Bandcamp has just dropped an epic announcement — their Bandcamp Fridays initiative has helped artists and labels rake in an astonishing $154 million since it started in March 2020! That's a huge deal, especially for artists who had to hit pause on live gigs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just since May 2024, there's been a $31 million uptick, making 2025 a record-smashing year.
So, what's the magic behind Bandcamp Fridays? It's all about giving the cash directly to the artists! Typically, Bandcamp takes a small cut from sales. But on these special Fridays, artists and labels keep 100% of what they make from music or merch sales. December alone saw a mind-blowing $3.8 million flowing to artists in just 24 hours. Cha-ching!
Overall, artists get about 82% of sales on regular days thanks to Bandcamp's artist-first approach — part of their mission since their 2008 launch. Fans have paid artists a cool $1.64 billion to date, with 77,031 records sold just yesterday. Wow!
Dan Melnick, Bandcamp's General Manager, is super pumped: "Five years on, Bandcamp Fridays are still showing just how powerful direct fan support can be." And there's more excitement brewing for 2026, with plans to host EIGHT Bandcamp Fridays throughout the year. Mark your calendars!
And check this out: Bandcamp Clubs—a new subscription service launched for just $13 a month—offers exclusive artist content, recommendations, and more, meaning music discovery is going next-level without relying on algorithms.
In case you're wondering who's backing all this awesomeness, it's Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, who initially acquired Bandcamp, then sold it to Songtradr in 2023. From big names like Peter Gabriel to Bjork on the platform, indie artists have never had a better spot to shine.