{"id":97051,"date":"2023-10-18T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/?p=97051"},"modified":"2023-10-18T12:29:49","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T11:29:49","slug":"50-of-bandcamp-laid-off-as-songtradr-takes-ownership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/50-of-bandcamp-laid-off-as-songtradr-takes-ownership\/","title":{"rendered":"50% of Bandcamp laid off as Songtradr takes ownership"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Image credit: Bandcamp Union<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bandcamp has lost half of its staff due to apparently soaring operating costs as it changes hands from Epic Games to Songtradr <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bad news for the Bandcamp camp. They’ve just lost half of their staff as the company changes ownership and looks to rethink its business in the face of years of rising costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last month, it was announced that Songtradr would be acquiring the music platform and marketplace from Epic Games<\/a>. They made it clear that layoffs were on the table and now the extent of them has been revealed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Songtradr announced that “50% of Bandcamp employees have accepted offers to join Songtradr”. Leaving the other 50%… looking for a job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An email from Songtradr CEO Paul Wiltshire reveals a bit more: “Transparently, the financial state of Bandcamp has not been healthy. While the revenue has been consistent, over the past few years the operating costs have significantly increased making it impossible to continue running the business the way it has been.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When their takeover was announced, Songtradr promised that they would not be removing services or making any dramatic changes to the platform. At least, not immediately. Sadly for the staff, the same can not be said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staff respond to the layoffs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ex-Bandcamp Daily Senior Editor, JJ Skolnik, was amongst the layoffs after 7 years at the company. They posted the following tweets on their situation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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about half the company was laid off today. some of the most incredible people i\u2019ve ever worked with, including two of my amazing editorial colleagues @diamonde<\/a> and @atoosamoinzadeh<\/a> and most of the incredible support staff among many others. this is a loss, no two ways about it<\/p>— jj skolnik (@modernistwitch) October 16, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>