05/01/2024
Want to help out your favorite independent musicians?
We all know that Spotify pays a microscopic percentage, roughly four-tenths of a cent per stream. Using that calculus, someone with 100,000 streams of a single song would earn royalties of $400.
Want a better way? Bandcamp.com, an online service which allows musicians to sell directly to consumers via downloads, CDs, vinyl, band merch and even cassettes. This service has tons of cool music, and roughly 82 cents on the dollar goes to the artist (or the label if that's who posted, but I digress).
But in fact, it's even cooler than that. Since 2020, in recognition of the difficult times musicians have been in for the last four years, Bandcamp has taken the first Friday of most months to waive all of its revenue share from each sale. This means that this Friday, May 3, one hundred percent of the proceeds of all sales, from midnight to midnight PDT, go directly to the artists.
If you’re in a position to spend a few bucks on music, I suggest the following, and I apologize in advance to anyone I should have included but did not. You can also go to www.bandcamp.com and just troll around to see what looks interesting.
If you're a fan of the Kitchen Party Ceilidh, you might check out these folks:
J.P. Cormier: jpcormier.bandcamp.com/
Breabach: breabach.bandcamp.com/
Beolach: beolach.bandcamp.com/
The Outside Track: theoutsidetrack.bandcamp.com/
Garnet Rogers: garnetrogersmusic.bandcamp.com/
Howie MacDonald: howiemacdonald.bandcamp.com/
Tim Edey: timedey.bandcamp.com/
Socks in the Frying Pan: socksinthefryingpan.bandcamp.com/
Le Vent du Nord: leventdunord.bandcamp.com/
The Elders: theelders.bandcamp.com/
Andy Irvine: andyirvine.bandcamp.com/
Farsan: farsan.bandcamp.com/
Còig: coigmusic.bandcamp.com/
Fergal Scahill: fergalscahill.bandcamp.com/
Kinnaris Quintet: kinnarisquintet.bandcamp.com/
Hounds of Finn: houndsoffinn.bandcamp.com/
Scythian: scythian1.bandcamp.com/
Alex Sturbaum: alexsturbaum.bandcamp.com/
Mary Beth Carty : marybethcarty.bandcamp.com/
Jocelyn Pettit: jocelynpettit.bandcamp.com/
Sean Keegan: seankeegan.bandcamp.com/
Dave Gunning: davegunning.bandcamp.com/
Keane Connolly McGorman: raelachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/keane-connolly-mcgorman
Miscellany Of Folk: miscellanyoffolk.bandcamp.com/album/atlantic-sounds
If you're a fan of Rockin' Dave's Roots Roundup, you might try these:
Hillbilly Hellcats: hillbillyhellcats1.bandcamp.com/
Peter & The Wolves: peterandthewolvesband.bandcamp.com/
A Jay Wade: ajaywade.bandcamp.com/
Dimestore Playboys: dimestoreplayboys.bandcamp.com/
Jared Pettys & The Headliners: jaredpetteysandtheheadliners.bandcamp.com/
Surfer Joe: surferjoe.bandcamp.com/
Space Cossacks: thespacecossacks.bandcamp.com/
The Fathoms: thefathomsofficial.bandcamp.com/
The Atlantics: theatlantics.bandcamp.com/
Don Stiernberg: donstiernberg.bandcamp.com/
Tikiyaki Orchestra: thetikiyakiorchestra.bandcamp.com/
Danny Thompson: drdannyroadkillthompson.bandcamp.com/
Matt Heaton & The Electric Heaters: electricheaters.bandcamp.com/
If you're an artist I've missed, please accept my apologies and by all means post your info in the comments below.
And, if you have anything left over after all that, I might humbly suggest you visit davebagdade.bandcamp.com/
Thanks in advance for your support of great and deserving musicians everywhere, especially in these trying times. Now, if you'll excuse me, Im'ma go spool up some purchases for Friday.
Dave Bagdade is an award-winning Celtic and bluegrass multi-instrumentalist originally from Chicago and now living in Indianapolis. Dave has performed and taught workshops in the US, Canada, Europe and Singapore.
