World Music Lab 🐸 BANDCAMP - HOW TO

Why Most Artists Make $0 on Bandcamp – And How You Can Avoid It.

May 16, 2025

🌟 Hello!

A few months ago, a friend of mine reached out with a question. He knew about my Music Artist Blueprint — an exciting 6-module coaching program designed to help artists build solid foundations for a sustainable music career in today’s fast-changing industry. But he was looking for something more specific, as he wanted to increase sales — both from live gigs and recorded music.

Despite having great tracks on Bandcamp, the sales just weren’t coming in. His conclusion was blunt: “Most artists make zero on Bandcamp… not because of their music, but because they don’t have a blueprint to reach and convert buyers.” His question was: Could you help with this Eric?

My answer was that I could help, but need more participants than one to create the blueprint. So, if you’re interested too, just drop me a line here. And I’ll keep you informed on the next steps. In the meantime, here are some considerations.

🎯 Spotify vs Bandcamp

While Bandcamp and Spotify both connect artists with listeners, they operate on very different models. Spotify is all about access and discovery through streaming — but it pays fractions of a cent per stream. Bandcamp, on the other hand, is a digital storefront. It’s built for artists to sell directly to fans, keep a fair share of the revenue, and build real relationships with their audience.

But here’s the catch: Bandcamp is a store, not a promoter.

🎯 Why Bandcamp Works (When You Work It)

Bandcamp can be a powerful platform, but only if you know how to use it strategically. Here’s what sets it apart — and how it puts the power in the hands of independent artists:

Direct Sales & High Payouts: Fans can buy digital albums, vinyl, CDs, merch, and even tickets. Artists typically keep around 82% of the revenue — far better than streaming payouts.
Flexible Pricing: Set your own prices or offer "pay-what-you-want" — encouraging superfans to pay more when they feel your work is worth it.
Bandcamp Fridays: On these special days, 100% of sales (minus payment fees) go to the artist. Since 2020, fans have spent over $140 million supporting artists through this initiative.
Fan Engagement Tools: You can message fans directly, share updates, and offer exclusive content. It’s more than a store — it’s a community.
Subscriptions & Exclusive Offers: Build recurring income with a fan subscription model or offer early access and bonus material to your biggest supporters.
Real Fanbase Growth: When fans “follow” your page, they’re automatically notified about new releases — no algorithmic gatekeeping.

🎯 Numbers Speak for Themselves

To date, fans have paid over $1.5 billion to artists and labels through Bandcamp. The platform hosts more than 216,000 active artist stores, with a vibrant, global community of music lovers who want to support the creators they believe in.

So, why aren’t more artists making real income from it? Because most haven’t learned how to attract, engage, and convert fans effectively.

🎯 Pre-register: How to Market Your Music on Bandcamp?

If you’re like my friend and feel like you’re missing out on sales — even though your music is good — you’re not alone. That’s why I’m ready to put together a step-by-step guide to help artists take full advantage of Bandcamp, and learn how market their music and increase potential sales by connecting with the right audience.

💡 It’s time to stop waiting for the algorithm and start building your “clientbase” intentionally to grow your sales and your impact?

👉 Pre-register today — Let’s shape the future of collaborative music-making — together.

📩 To learn more or express interest, contact us at: music4you.wml@gmail.com
🌍 Explore the Music Artist Blueprint