Key Takeaways
- Bandcamp Friday is on October 4th, where all purchases directly support artists and labels.
- Roland is offering a 3-month free trial of its Ultimate Studio Suite to Bandcamp artists and fans.
- Roland is hosting exclusive streamed listening parties throughout October with featured artists.
If you had plans to buy music or merch from some of your favorite artists on Bandcamp, this Friday is the day to do it. Bandcamp Friday is back this week on October 4th, meaning that Bandcamp won’t take any revenue from purchases made — instead, all the money will go directly to the artists and labels you’re buying from. So, get your favorite headphones ready to start listening to some great new music.
There are so many ways to support artists besides simply streaming their music somewhere like Spotify, but if you haven’t heard of Bandcamp yet, it may totally change the way you spin your tunes. If you’re wondering what’s in store for this month’s Bandcamp Friday, or want to know what it is in the first place, here’s everything you need to know.
What is Bandcamp Friday, anyway?
In short, a great opportunity to make sure your favorite musicians get the money they deserve
Bandcamp Friday was first conceived in March 2020 as a way to help artists who were suddenly impacted by the pandemic, and Bandcamp has kept the event going ever since — even if it is not always on a predictable or regular schedule. Bandcamp is already one of the most preferred platforms to support musicians on, since it pays significantly more than streaming when people buy music directly from artists themselves. So the advent of Bandcamp Friday makes that an even sweeter deal for everyone involved.
Bandcamp Friday was first conceived in March 2020 as a way to help artists who were suddenly impacted by the pandemic.
This month, Bandcamp is partnering with Roland, an iconic company known for its synthesizers and drum machines, which have greatly shaped music as we know it today. Roland is offering Bandcamp artists and fans a free three-month trial of the Roland Ultimate Studio Suite, which normally costs $20 per month. Roland’s Studio Suite subscription service gives you access to synthesizer software with a bunch of different instruments and sounds to choose from, sound patches to use with your synthesizer, as well as access to other applications that assist with making music from your computer.
Normally, a free trial is only 30 days, so you get an extra 60 on top of that through Roland’s collab with Bandcamp, which is a great deal if you’re an artist who wants to try out some new software.
The three months you’ll have to try it out is more than enough to figure out if it’s something you want to adopt as a regular tool in your music production arsenal.
Along with the subscription deal, Roland is also offering a discount on Roland Lifestyle merch and hosting exclusive streamed listening parties centering its own artists throughout the month of October. During these listening parties, artists will stream their own albums and hold interactive chats, allowing them to give the audience insight into their craft. Featured artists will include Shigeto, The Kelly Lee Owens, Undeath, and many more.
After this, the next Bandcamp Friday will be in December, so this is your last opportunity to take part for the next two months, and the second to last Bandcamp Friday of 2024. There are so many wonderful artists to support on the platform, from independent local artists, even ones from your own city, to bigger and more well-established ones. Whether you’re looking to purchase a digital copy of an album or buy a vinyl record, you can be sure all the profits are going to artists and labels this coming Friday.
Personally, I’m looking forward to buying some new albums from a few of my favorite artists on October 4:
- NO TITLE AS OF FEBRUARY 13 2024, 28,340 DEAD by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
- The New Sound by Geordie Greep
- Romance by Fontaines D.C.
- Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Expanded Edition) by Aphex Twin
- Belaya Polosa by Molchat Doma
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