‘More than a marketplace; it’s a thriving community’: Bandcamp Friday helps artists survive

Today marks the 40th ‘Bandcamp Friday’, a monthly event where 100% of sales revenue generated on the music streamer and marketplace goes directly to the five million artists who use the platform.

The idea was born shortly after the pandemic hit, when Bandcamp announced it would waive its fees for a day to support musicians, who were upon the first to lose work when venues closed down. During the 24-hour window, fans bought $4.3 million of music, over 800,000 records and merchandise – more than 15 times the usual Friday sales on the platform.

As Bandcamp noted after the haul: “Fans stepped up for the artist community and showed their commitment with their wallets, knowing the purchases they made would go directly to helping the livelihood of the artists they supported.”