A Good Day To Support Independent Music
aka Bandcamp Day
It’s pretty incredible how much Bandcamp has changed how the independent music sector operates. For such a simple concept - an online shop allowing creators to sell direct to fans - it has fundamentally shifted the timeline of how releases work. This is best illustrated with its ‘Bandcamp Day’ offer, which are like gifting labels with several Christmases throughout the year.
Today is Bandcamp Day and around $4million will be spent on music on the platform today globally. As Bandcamp offers to waive their 10% cut on sales, all revenue goes to the artists and labels. After successfully launching the initiative during the COVID, Bandcamp have continued this offer and it provides much needed focus in a digital world of everything being on and available 100% of the time.
This year, A State Of Flo’s release schedule is heavily designed around each Bandcamp Day. This year I’ve been experimenting with two release date for each track - the first one exclusively on Bandcamp day and another a couple of months later through record stores and streaming sites.
I find there are two completely separate audiences - the first one are fans who are paying attention, read these emails or emails sent via Bandcamp to notify them of a new release and are happy to support. The second is more casual - perhaps discovering the labels or my music for the first time and dipping in via a stream or download. A third category is the record store shopper - perhaps preferring to also support the local record store (which I’m totally down for too - Bandcamp must have affected their sales, which is an unfortunate downside).
By having two release dates, I can judge how many copies to press and repress if the initial run gets close to selling out. For our first two Auntie Flo releases this year, both initial runs sold out and I know am sitting with a box of repressed records to sell - so time to grab one if you’d like! Details below…
The maths are simple - even without the 10% platform fees being waived, sellers double their money via every Bandcamp sale as distribution and store percentages are avoided. Streaming gets you a long tail return but in my experience this is minimal and hardly worth bothering about: my temptation is not to upload anything to Spotify but I’ve not been bold enough yet. It’s still a good ‘shop window’, on balance.
Anyway - please think about making a purchase on Bandcamp today. There is plenty of amazing music out there to discover! And if you regularly use the platform like I do, then your inbox will already be flooded with options…
On A State Of Flo - I’ve put all releases where I have vinyl left on for a discounted price.
Plants Can Dance compilation - £23
Plants Can Dance T-Shirts + ‘Zine + Download - £25
Auntie Flo - Havana Sessions - £12
Auntie Flo x Doe Paoro - Teach Us Of Endings Extended - £12
10% of all purchaes goes to EarthPercent- the music industries climate charity.
Happy shopping :)