The joys of using Bandcamp
Why this indie-focused site is still a viable alternative to Spotify
Like many of the people who are roughly my age, I grew up using an iPod that boasted a carefully curated music library. I was perhaps slightly more selective than most with the music that I listened to — or perhaps my tastes were just weirder — but I always took a special pride in the music that graced my ears on a daily basis. I hunted down artists on iTunes, never missed a daily deal on the Amazon mp3 store (remember those?) and generally did all I could to ensure I never missed out on good music.
Today, these practices all seem quaint in the face of the behemoth that is streaming music. Spotify (and to a lesser extent, its competition) dominates the music industry, and for good reason. The cost of a month of access to Spotify is roughly the same as the cost to buy one album from a digital music store — in terms of immediate value, it’s a no-brainer.
But when we switched to streaming, we lost something valuable: the sense of ownership and pride over a handpicked library of music. I understand that for most people, the tradeoff is worth it to gain access to (nearly) all of the world’s music at one’s fingertips. However, I’ve recently found myself gravitating back to my own personal library of music that I own. And while it’s certainly not the only way to make this switch, I’ve found that Bandcamp is the best way to purchase the files to complete that process.
Bandcamp is a digital music store that prides itself on supporting artists. “When a fan buys something on Bandcamp, an average of 82% of the money goes to the artist or their label — typically in 24–48 hours,” the website reads, “and the remainder covers our revenue share and payment processor fees.” This policy has been roughly the same since the website’s inception in 2008, though back in those halcyon days it was iTunes, Amazon, and music piraters that Bandcamp tried to differentiate itself from.
Search for an artist on Bandcamp, and their page will come up with a discography. Artists are free to list their own price on the website, with most opting for the somewhat standard $10 per album. The catalog skews toward indie (you won’t find Taylor Swift or Coldplay), but most of the artists I like — Manchester Orchestra, The Wonder Years, Jason Isbell — have pages there. Other artists like the fantastic Somewhere South of Here list their music for any price fans are willing to pay (which can include zero dollars).
From the monetary perspective of a consumer, Bandcamp can’t compete with Spotify. But in terms of actually owning music again — something I value more and more lately — Bandcamp shines. All its music can be downloaded in virtually any format available and stays linked to your account. If something were to happen to my computer or phone, I’d be able to download the music again without a hitch. As I start to rebuild my music library, it’s a wonderful feature to take advantage of.
In August of 2020, NPR’s Damon Krukowski wrote a story highlighting the differences between Spotify and Bandcamp, a particularly timely piece given the difficulties of performing music in the teeth of the pandemic. Bandcamp emerged as a feel-good alternative to Spotify, and I have no reason to doubt that many artists appreciated that success. It made sense to believe that, as Krukowski noted, “Spotify and Bandcamp could not be more opposite.”
Of course, much of Bandcamp’s indie appeal vanished when Epic Games purchased the site in 2022. It was a move that caught many music fans by surprise and quickly caused many to worry about the long-term future of the site. Bandcamp had always prided itself on being independent and there are plenty of reasons to be wary of an acquisition by a massive company like this one.
Bandcamp and Epic Games claimed that there aren’t any changes to the website coming soon, and so far that has largely been true. The music is still available and the portion sent to artists hasn’t changed. As with any purchase like this, though, it’s impossible to tell if it’s the first step in the dissolution of one of the most beloved music websites around, or just a move that establishes long-term financial stability.
But even if Bandcamp’s best days are numbered, the version of the website that exists now is still the best way to buy music digitally. I can’t honestly say if owning music would be so appealing to me without those rose-colored iPod memories in my brain. But I can say that this is how I prefer to interact with the artists I love and I’m glad that this digital space exists. The world of technology and I are on weird terms at the moment, but this place at least still works the way it should.
The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.
