Bandcamp: A Love Affair

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Jackson Manely, Editor

If a bunch of hipsters had a sensual crack binge full of beanies, lip rings, and clinical depression, their love child would be Bandcamp.

Bandcamp, an American online music company, was founded in California in 2007 with the sole purpose of offering artists and labels an opportunity to earn money from their music and to get it out to the world.

Thanks to Bandcamp, artists from around the world have been able to create the music they want, and earn from it, even if it is a goat yodeling over an obnoxious dubstep instrumental or deep tracks from Ethiopian jazz artists.

You can find just about anything on Bandcamp. From punk-jazz fusion to experimental soundscapes, it has something for everyone.

It starts with the “discover” tool, where you surf through all types of genres, sub-genres, and sub-sub-genres. Each artist has material to sample and when you like something, you purchase it.

The buying process makes it really simple to support artists. With “Name Your Price,” you can choose how much you want to give to support their efforts.

85% of proceeds goes to the artists themselves, as opposed to Spotify and Apple Music who lowball artists in order to get ad revenue, thus forcing musicians to tour all year to make a steady paycheck.

Bandcamp is the single greatest innovation for the advancement of music in this digital age. It offers a new musical perspective to listeners and creative liberation to musical artists. It is a refreshing and beautiful little hub for those who are willing to give a little bit more just to help music evolve and thrive.