You can now create your own subscription service on Bandcamp! For the monthly or annual fee of your choosing, your fans not only get the satisfaction of knowing they’re supporting you in a sustainable way, they also receive:
- All the new music or shows you make, streaming instantly to their mobile device via the Bandcamp app, and also available as a high-quality, DRM-free download.
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Any number of releases from your back catalog, given to them immediately as a bonus when they subscribe.
- Any track or album you designate as subscriber-only (great for live recordings, demos of forthcoming tracks, interviews, b-sides, and so on).
- The option to purchase any merchandise item you designate as subscriber-only (for first dibs on tickets, signed or limited edition items, house concerts, etc.).
- Whatever else you dream up. Guest list spots, album credits, video chats, lessons… it’s entirely up to you.
What might a subscription look like? Behold:
Things you may be wondering:
Why are you doing this?
Your biggest fans just want everything you make. They don’t want to risk missing a release because your announcement drowned in their social media fire hose or got buried under a truckload of spam, and they don’t want the hassle of going through a transaction every time you put out something new. Subscriptions are not only more convenient for those fans, they also create predictable revenue for you. We want Bandcamp to be an important part of how any artist develops a sustainable career, and we think subscriptions can be a big part of that.
Is this yet another crowdfunding platform?
A few years ago we noticed many artists using Bandcamp to fulfill the digital piece of crowdfunding campaigns, so we asked them whether they wanted crowdfunding built right into Bandcamp. Their response surprised us. As they described months spent focusing on campaign rewards, the word we heard most often was “unsustainable.” At the same time, our own experience contributing to crowdfunded projects was that we were motivated by a desire to help an artist we loved, not by a wish for a t-shirt, signed plastic disc, or potpourri sachet. Our hunch is that your biggest fans are less interested in funding studio time or mastering for just one album than they are in supporting you in a sustainable way. Speaking personally, we don’t want you to knit us a beer koozie, we want you to keep making more great art.
Is this a replacement for my Bandcamp site?
No, a subscription is just another option for your fans. It lives on its own tab (which you can make the default if you wish), and is also presented as another buying choice on your album and track pages.
How much does it cost?
The revenue share is 15% of whatever you set as your subscription fee, plus a payment processing fee of 2.9% + 30¢. If you’ve made $5,000 or more in the preceding year, the share drops to 10%. Subscriber-exclusive merch is always 10%. We’re using Stripe for payments, so fans can subscribe using a credit card, and your subscription fee is paid directly to you.
Still wondering something?
Check the Artist Subscriptions FAQ.