Having long-since been known as perhaps the best and most supportive platform for independent artists and bands to utilise when uploading their music – Bandcamp remains a solid go-to for those wanting to directly download music from and support their favourite creatives.
The platform has always maintained its sense of fairness in promoting the likes of Bandcamp Fridays and other social pathways designed to increase those deserved rewards. However, when it comes to playlists, it’s probably fair to say that YouTube and Spotify have so far been the global leaders.
The usual process is familiar – Submit your music to a million playlist curators on Spotify, and maybe get a few thousands streams, perhaps a fraction of a dollar, in the process.
Enter Bandcamp Playlists – a new addition to the Bandcamp artist-first hub, and an exclusive new way for fans to share all of the music they love from the artists they choose to support.
Only paying customers can create playlists on Bandcamp, and those who listen can enjoy the usual 3 streams per track, before being redirected to the artist’s profile to purchase the music.
You can only add tracks that you own to a playlist, so every playlist on Bandcamp is essentially a representation of genuine support for hard-working musicians – not the free flowing stream-factories that exist elsewhere and provide little to no financial return.
It’s a great idea, potentially a huge step forwards, and given the size of the Bandcamp platform, the possibilities do seem quite limitless – once more people start to realise the true value of the music they love.
Music and art make certain moments in life incredible. More than this, they make life itself so much more bearable, in so many cases. If artists aren’t supported and made able to continue putting in the time to write, record, and tour, then the needs of modern life will simply take precedence, and new music will cease to emerge.
Unless you sacrifice just a small handful of your hard-earned cash, to reinforce and support that safety net for the artists you love, then even the very best independent music may ultimately fall from existence. It’s happened before, it’s happening still, and it will continue to happen.
Never mind though. You can always get an AI programme to write you something heartfelt and meaningful, with a stunning guitar solo and a voice so powerful it feels like they’ve pierced through your very soul. You might even be able to go watch it play a live show some day, too. Or listen to an interview, perhaps, about where it got its inspiration from. Woop-de-f*cking-do.
Artists have to pay to get their music on Spotify, and that’s never been the case with Bandcamp.
Try out Bandcamp Playlists today. Support the artists you love, before you lose them forever.
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Header Photo by Nardo.
