Bandcamp: The Ethical Future of Streaming?

2p.

This is the amount that would go to Bruno Mars if I listened to his most recent album The Romantic (2026) – in its entirety – on Spotify. Tuppence. For three years of creativity, soul and passion. If I bought the album on vinyl for £30 (were we to assume he receives a 50% cut of this), and if we really did the maths, we’d come to the jaw dropping conclusion that Bruno would be paid more if I listened to a physical copy once than if I played the whole album 700 times on Spotify. To casual listeners, this may be a stunning stat (and one worth having handy for the next pub quiz), however for many this is a tragically unsurprising number. Some may rebut, quite rightly, that only receiving small change for their work may make little difference to mutli-million dollar artists like Mars, but what about lower-level artists – who write their own music, promote it and distribute it themselves without the backing of a major record label? Not receiving a proper cheque when people support their music often impacts a smaller musician or band’s ability to develop themselves as an act, get themselves noticed, or simply break even financially.

Music is essential to our daily lives, yet the artists we hold dearest are being bled dry. Spotify’s algorithm is undeniably a wonderful springboard for listeners to discover more of what they like. However, those it recommends will rarely receive more than pennies in return, and some – for a number of moral or financial reasons – will not even receive that exposure (De La Soul, for example, refused to have hits like ‘The Magic Number’ on the service until their former label backed down from demanding 90% of profits).

Fear not, however!. There is a way forward, even if it means taking a small leap away from the convenience of traditional streaming. The alternative streaming service Bandcamp hit the internet in 2008, with a goal to “help spread the healing power of music by building a community where artists thrive through the direct support of their fans”. Returning to number-crunching one more time, Bandcamp – in contrast to Spotify – will send 82% of the money paid by the listener directly to the artist. This is not a small operation either; over $1.8 billion has been paid to artists through Bandcamp, with 1.6 million vinyl records purchased in its history. You can also get CDs, cassettes, T-shirts and all kinds of goodies on each artist’s individual site, with the money going – as ever – directly to them. And although the Taylor Swifts and Bruno Marses of the world are nowhere to be found (not that those with as left-field a music taste as mine would mind), student favourites such as Pulp, Fontaines DC, Radiohead and Ezra Collective all call the website home. Though it sounds more pricey than free streaming, in reality, you could buy around 125 tracks (not to mention an abundance of free downloads) for the price of a year of Spotify Premium. All whilst safe in the knowledge that you’re making a positive difference to the lives of musicians you love.

Words by Oscar Lovell-Clark.