Music Not Diving with Scuba #154 Aly Gillani: Bandcamp - the insider take, "what's best for the artist always comes first for us"
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Feb 4, 2025 Aly Gillani, the European Label Representative at Bandcamp, shares his insights into the independent music scene. He discusses Bandcamp’s unique direct-to-consumer model and its mission to prioritize artists’ needs. Aly reveals how the platform adapted during the pandemic and the significance of initiatives like Bandcamp Fridays. He also addresses misconceptions around its acquisition by SongTrader and the challenges artists face in a commercialized landscape. Discover how Bandcamp empowers musicians to forge genuine connections with their fans!
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Birth Story: Frustration Turned Product
- Ethan Diamond started Bandcamp after failing to buy a band's CD online and receiving a messy zip file instead.
- That founder story drove the site's mission: make it simple for artists to sell directly to fans.
Outsider Mindset Fueled Product Design
- Bandcamp's founders lacked music-industry baggage, which let them solve problems differently.
- That outsider mindset helped create user-focused features and organic growth.
Bandcamp Fridays Exploded During COVID
- Bandcamp launched Bandcamp Fridays during COVID to support artists and it was community-named.
- The first Bandcamp Friday jumped site revenue from ~$0.3–0.5M to $4.3M and kept growing thereafter.