Bandcamp Waives Revenue Shares to Support Musicians During COVID-19 Outbreak
Bandcamp has announced that for 24 hours on March 20 (from midnight to midnight Pacific), the site will waive its revenue shares on music sales in an attempt to “put much needed money directly into artists’ pockets.” The action is in direct response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which has had a massive effect on the music industry due to tour cancelations.
“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,” Bandcamp co-founder and CEO Ethan Diamond wrote in a statement on the platform’s website. Diamond added, “For many artists, a single day of boosted sales can mean the difference between being able to pay rent or not.”
Find Diamond’s full statement below, and check out a few ideas from Bandcamp on how fans can support artists and how artists can inform fans of new ways to provide support here.
Read “How College Radio Is Responding Amid Coronavirus-Prompted Campus Closures.”
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
Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
