How do you feel about Bandcamp?

First Post October 03, 2025 01:30 PM

I have been a user of Bandcamp for a good few years now and have built up quite a collection on there and I was wondering if any other Academy members also used it. If you do, what are your feelings about it, especially if you have used it as an artist? 

I like to use it if I can because I think that the musicians get a more significant cut of the revenue from Bandcamp than through somewhere like Amazon and certainly better than the rip-off streaming services. In fact, today is Bandcamp Friday and all the proceeds of any purchases go directly to the artists. Unfortunately, for physical releases, postage rates have now become so exorbitant that I rarely purchase physical media from sources other than in the UK. As much as I like to support the artists, if I have to pay more for postage than for the record itself then I have to think twice. I hate having to sometimes resort to Amazon and making Bezos and his ilk even more fucking money, but I don't have so much of it that I can just fritter it away on postal charges. Generally though I think BC is a force for good in the modern music distribution industry and feels far more ethical than the alternatives.

Anyway, here is a link to my Bandcamp profile for anyone who is interested:

https://bandcamp.com/Sonny92

If anyone else wants to post their BC profiles I will definitely check them out. Why not post your latest purchases here too?

October 04, 2025 09:18 AM

I don't use Bandcamp myself but it is true that it gives more back to independent artists than other services, generally about 85% of the sale price in fact. It is worth noting that many of the releases that you see there have been posted by labels though & all bets are off in that situation as it depends on the deal the band has with their label as to how much they receive. We have a very fair deal going with Sphere of Apparition who make looking after their artists a priority but that may not be the case for other bands/labels.

October 04, 2025 10:24 AM


I don't use Bandcamp myself but it is true that it gives more back to independent artists than other services, generally about 85% of the sale price in fact. It is worth noting that many of the releases that you see there have been posted by labels though & all bets are off in that situation as it depends on the deal the band has with their label as to how much they receive. We have a very fair deal going with Sphere of Apparition who make looking after their artists a priority but that may not be the case for other bands/labels.

Quoted Daniel

Even via labels though, the artists must get more than the zillionth of a penny they get paid per stream on Spotify or the other streaming services.


October 04, 2025 11:22 AM

Potentially but only if the release has paid for itself already. Most deals will require the labels costs to be paid for before the band starts earning any royalties at all & you'd be surprised by how few actual sales there are for lesser-known releases in the modern day.

October 04, 2025 02:13 PM


Potentially but only if the release has paid for itself already. Most deals will require the labels costs to be paid for before the band starts earning any royalties at all & you'd be surprised by how few actual sales there are for lesser-known releases in the modern day.

Quoted Daniel

That certainly helps to explain the high cost of vinyl nowadays. I was looking at the rate of inflation here in the UK since 1976 when I really started buying LPs and I was paying £1.25 to £1.99 for an album. This is the equivalent of £9.40 to £14.95, but most are now priced £25 - £35, although you can see some for less on Bandcamp. HMV record chain are a minimum £35 usually, or they may have a 2 for £50 offer on occasionally. That is more than twice as expensive, even allowing for inflation.

As far  as live shows go, in 1977 I paid £4.50 to see Pink Floyd on their Animals tour and in '79 it was £2.50 for Sabbath in our local venue in town. That would be £33 for a Floyd ticket today and the Sabbath tickets would be £16. It isn't like these were small bands at the time either - these guys were at the top. Zeppelin at the Knebworth festival, after four years since last playing in the UK, was £7.50 - the equivalent of 48 quid today for six bands with a three-hour Zeppelin set at the end of it!

Music fans are getting fucked nowadays and make no mistake.


October 04, 2025 02:17 PM

I recently got back in the BC thang after a hiatus.  Daniel has covered most of what I was going to say, however I like it stillas a platform for all music and have made some good idscoveries over the years by browsing other users collections.  My collection can be located below.

https://bandcamp.com/stiffncold

Recent purchases:

Drape - Beautiful Glorious Death Throes

Khaos Aura - Thornbringer

Axis of Light - To the Great Unbearing North

Kveldstimer - The Cursed Oak

Altar of Woe - The triumph of malignant narcissism