With the music industry one of the first to feel the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic, digital storefront and music streaming platform, Bandcamp, is to waive and all of its revenue share it would have received on Friday 20th, as a means to help its registered artists recoup lost earnings from cancelled gigs.
With hundreds of underground artists from across the Middle East using the site as its primary platform of distribution, it comes as welcome news, with many finding themselves unable to leave their homes, let alone perform or record.
"For many artists, a single day of boosted sales can mean the difference between being able to pay rent or not," Ethan Diamond, the CEO and co-founder of Bandcamp, said in a statement released on the site. "Still, we consider this just a starting point. Musicians will continue to feel the effects of lost touring income for many months to come, so we're also sharing some ideas below on how fans can support the artists they love and how artists can give fans new, creative ways to provide support."
Bandcamp takes 15% of digital music sales and 10% from sale of physical goods such as merchandise. The company says that, since its launch in 2008, it has made over $450 million for artists.
