Image Credit: Valentino Funghi

Bandcamp Fridays Have Been Vital For Independent Artists and Labels During The Pandemic

On the first Friday of every month since March, Bandcamp have wavered their fees on purchases to help support the many artists and labels affected by the pandemic. It’s no secret that the pandemic has hit the music industry and events industry the hardest, with many musicians out of work or unable to tour, which is a massive money earner, especially in the age of streaming. These days have been invaluable to the industry and those affected, in fact over the nine days fans paid artists and labels $40 million dollars.

In recent months there has been a lot of progression in the fight against Covid-19 and after a year of uncertainty there is light at the end of the tunnel. The Pfizer vaccine is now being rolled out, which is a massive step forward. However, there is still much speculation over when or if live music or events will return in 2021, although we are very hopeful. 

Thankfully, Bandcamp have decided to continue Bandcamp Fridays into 2021, on February 5th, March 5th, April 2nd and May 7th. You can follow this via isitbandcampfriday.com. 

During the pandemic Bandcamp have been the unsung heroes of the underground, emerging and independent music scenes. Offering a lifeline, a real financial lifeline to artists in a time of live hiatus. 

Bandcamp also announced earlier in the year they will be launching Bandcamp Live, a live streaming service designed for musicians. The service will run similarly to Bandcamp, taking 10% of fees for tickets and merch. It will be a totally interactive live streaming platform, featuring chat boxes and merch sale notifications. They have also wavered the fees for this till March 31st 2021.