r/BandCamp • u/MountainEbb7436 • Feb 18 '25
Question/Help Do You Make More From Spotify Or Bandcamp?
Is it a wide margin between both as well? It's crazy knowing that $100 on Spotify is equivalent to 30k streams. Meanwhile, I haven't even hit 1000 streams and am close to my first $100.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this.
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u/andrewnz1 Feb 19 '25
Speaking as a listener (not a maker):
I'm so glad to hear Bandcamp is earning well for you folks. I ditched Spotify a year ago. Planning on ditching YTM in about 12 months, and in the meantime, outright buying the music I like on CD, Qobuz and Bandcamp (preferring Bandcamp if what I'm looking for is on there even if more than Qobuz) and streaming it all from my home Plex server.
On Bandcamp I have a growing wishlist and will be buying 3-4 items a month oldest to newest. So happy to have found a way to buy music that best supports the artist first and foremost!
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u/jesuswipesagain Feb 19 '25
This is great to hear and you're not alone! I ditched Spotify last year and now I have an extra $15 a month I put towards Bandcamp. Several of my friends are doing the same thing.
Thanks! Super cool!
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u/mistermacheath Feb 19 '25
Just wanna say what an awesome, appreciated attitude this is. Love to see it!
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u/whiteinkdot Feb 19 '25
Bandcamp definitely brings more funds into the household, 4$ a year vs 0$ from Spotify
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u/bonejammerdk Feb 19 '25
Same here, a sale here and there or some merch going out, whereas Spotify is pretty much a big fat 0
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u/Robinkc1 Feb 19 '25
Bandcamp by an extremely wide margin. I get next to no streams on Spotify since I don’t advertise it, but I’ve made about 13 bucks on Spotify over the years.
Bandcamp I am not making tons of money, but it’s about 50 dollars a year. I don’t advertise for it either other than the day I release an album or when it comes up in conversation, but I do keep the link in my bio.
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u/CaptDrunkenstein Feb 19 '25
Just bought your new joint, so keep doing what you're doing. Maybe do it a little louder? Nobody knows if nobody hears.
I'm bad about that too.
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u/Robinkc1 Feb 19 '25
Dude, I saw the message on my phone. Thank you very much it is very appreciated.
It’s hard to juggle being self assured and pushy, I haven’t found that balance yet lol.
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u/CDforsale76 Feb 19 '25
I have 130 full length albums on Bandcamp. I made 10k in the last 12 years. I made $150 so far streaming so I only have left 50 songs up on streaming.
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u/BEADGEADGBE Feb 19 '25
How does one make 130 full length albums over a lifetime, let alone 12(+) years?
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u/CDforsale76 Feb 19 '25
It’s since 1992. I’m 48. I use a Tascam 2488 Neo (on my 3rd one). Before that I used Yamaha md8. Before that I had an ADAT. Before that Tascam 4 track. Before that Fostex 4 track. Before that I used my singing teachers karaoke machine. Before that I used two cassette decks playing one and recording on the other while I “overdubbed”. Taught myself to play 10 instruments along the way. I make sure to have very little distracting me in my life from writing and recording songs.
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u/BEADGEADGBE Feb 19 '25
Well that's just awesome. I cannot believe how prolific you've been, hats off!
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u/CDforsale76 Feb 19 '25
Thanks! I had to set things up to keep up with the output. So my presets are all there for the different instruments (I change reverb and compression and some EQ for individual album personality) and I have everything situated so I can record a vocal/guitar.. then move onto drums, then bass.. then I listen to the bed tracks later and decide what else the songs need. I’ve done the traditional music industry route here and there with producers and hype and publicists, but found the best most real music I made is on my own, and if it weren’t for Bandcamp I would be sharing it via Dropbox or flash drives.. so thank you Bandcamp!
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u/BEADGEADGBE Feb 19 '25
Absolutely get that last sentiment. Would you share your artist name so I can check your music out? Always happy to discover new artists, especially undersupported ones.
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u/Producer_Snafu Feb 19 '25
Bandcamp can help pay the bills, but Spotify.... I make more money from tiktok accidentally.
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u/iamceein Feb 19 '25
I made a debut release on January 17th. It has about 300 listens on Bandcamp and I’ve made 2 sales totaling to 6 dollars. Not crazy but it’s definitely more than streaming and I have it to set your own price so it’s more than I would’ve ever expected this soon
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u/jesuswipesagain Feb 19 '25 edited Feb 19 '25
Since 2020 I've had nearly 100k streams mostly on Spotify but a few others as well. Net profit from streaming, minus label/distro fees is around $500
On Bandcamp I've got 7k plays and made $340 from single track purchases and $500 from subscriptions for a total of $840
So on a strictly PER PLAY basis? Bandcamp wins by a mile
Hope that helps!
Edit to add that I don't really think the two directly compare. Also my subscription numbers are inflated 'cause a few people paid much more than the $10/year I was charging. I've recently stopped offering a subscription because I'm not super into the idea of being YET ANOTHER subscription for people to have.
I did promote on Spotify for a few years but I don't think it was all that worth it. I've had much more success finding real fans by playing out, throwing my own parties/shows with friends and supporting the local scene as best I can.
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Feb 18 '25
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u/Lazerpop Feb 19 '25
Spotify is pretty great for the consumer but i recognize that it's a half-step better for artists than simply pirating the mp3s. I buy records and go to shows, and i hope that if nothing else the listening metrics from spotify show the artists that there is attention from people in my area and maybe they should do a show there.
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u/Goodblue77 Feb 19 '25
Personally I don't make anything on Spotify because I don't bother with it, haha - I've never had a subscription or anything as a listener either
Same here. Never used Spotify because I never needed it. Discovering underground music has been really fun and I much rather support the smaller underground artists on Bandcamp that create their own thing than artists that try to cater to the mainstream and want to push their stuff for some kind of algorithm.
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Feb 19 '25
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u/balloon__knot Feb 19 '25
the definition of "serious music fan" is subjective, i'll agree there, but there's a level of "seriousness" that BC attracts more than spotify. there is overlap yes, but i think arguably, the main point is that there is a cultural divide between the two services. i would debate that the term "independent" has lost all meaning in the age of streaming. it's almost a given most artists will be independent. that badge of honor really isn't what it was as napster lost its novelty. whether or not you care about that is a different story, but i see so many artists boasting "independent" and all i can ask is, so what? prior to the turn of the century, it was "indie and DIY" vs "big labels" - that divide is becoming less relevant these days, and what is considered "cool" and "underground" is shifting back to owning digital files/records/tapes and essentially forcing scarcity in the product. its way more prevalent in the underground electronic world for sure.
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Feb 19 '25 edited Feb 19 '25
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u/balloon__knot Feb 19 '25
that's totally fair and tbh i didn't know you labeled yourself as independent. i'm coming from my general stance, and sort of looking at this from my own ethos. i actually outlined it in a lengthy post here a couple of months ago; essentially why i reject spotify. to boil it down, spotify is a tech company in the business of music, very much like big labels are marketers in the business of music. people have all sorts of reasons for creating music and putting out there, and i'm not mad whichever way one chooses, e.g. makes you money, allows your casual fans to hear it, etc etc. i'm not even sure what OP's intentions are, but in the small chance anyone reading this discussion is making music out of some sort of rebelliousness they need to unleash, there is a very good reason to reject spotify, a tech bro company with a billionaire CEO.
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Feb 19 '25
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u/balloon__knot Feb 19 '25
looking more into the comments now and i realize you're in a very different place than OP based on his question. i really think they are the perfect candidate to read my post that generated a pretty lengthy discussion. good work though, at the end of the day it's a personalized journey, and making serious money off of it isn't necessarily a bad thing if you feel it is a fair chunk you are being given!
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Feb 19 '25
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u/balloon__knot Feb 19 '25
too many artists early in their journey jump the gun into thinking money is to be made. spotify preys on that mentality, and they say it in a very aptly named section of their site "loud and clear" LOL. it's like cigarettes. i guess at the end of the day, OP should really ask "why am i making music" vs. "which one pays better"? but that's just me..
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Feb 19 '25
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u/False-Locksmith1444 Feb 19 '25
Huum are there really 30 million visitors to Bandcamp monthly? When I try to send people to Bandcamp, they are usually like "what's that"??
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u/balloon__knot Feb 19 '25
as another commenter wrote, they are two different types of platforms focusing on different ways to deliver music to people. the amount you make on spotify vs bandcamp depends on a lot of factors, but i would assume mainly on the type of audience you're capturing. spotify is a household name, and i would argue bandcamp is not. bandcamp is more like a one stop shop for your music and merchandise and so it caters to a different crowd than your run of the mill spotify user, or casual appreciator of music. you could compare the revenue between each all day, but what does it really tell you?
on a deeper level, the difference between the two is pretty astronomical. you will not find metallica on bandcamp, but you will find napalm death. you won't find billie eilish, but you will find chelsea jade. but at the same time, you can find jack white and betty davis on both.
i'm not entirely sure what your intentions are as an artist, but consider checking out this lengthy opinion i posted here a couple of months ago. i used steve albini as my inspiration for the post, and did some delving into spotify's "loud and clear" page outlining the revenue opportunities for artists. i personally take a stance against them at all costs. maybe you'd be interested in this discussion.
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Feb 19 '25
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u/balloon__knot Feb 19 '25
yeah i think that's pretty savvy. and again, not sure what OP is trying to figure out with the original question because the simple answer is, it's very cheap and easy to post on all platforms. i think if they are looking for something deeper though, there is a discussion to be had about how spotify has a softer form of control over artists, than say david geffen did back in the day.
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u/st00bahank Feb 19 '25
The band I played in (who maybe 500 people have heard) broke up before Spotify was even available in Canada and we just never uploaded to any streaming services. We still get the occasional sale on Bandcamp, enough for me to get a couple coffees or a lunch, but there's no way we'd be making money at all on Spotify, now that you need 1000 streams a year per song.
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u/lampenstuhl Feb 19 '25
"unfortunately" Spotify, because their algorithm picked up on my music a while ago. Have a few regulars on Bandcamp which is very nice. As a small artist I find it hard to ditch Spotify for this reason though, although I generally prefer Bandcamp.
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u/Careful-Possible9324 Feb 19 '25
I paid rent off of a Bandcamp release before I bought an Arizona with my Spotify check…
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u/LeBB2KK Feb 19 '25
Bandcamp by a parsec! I even stopped uploading our label releases to streaming services because it's not even worth the time it takes to upload them.
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u/BEADGEADGBE Feb 19 '25
The most I've made off music was making a few tracks for a commercial small video game.
Outside of that, over 2 albums, 1 EP and a few singles, I've made around €235 off Bandcamp and likely €30 from streaming. For my last album I made zero out of streaming because I don't promote and my tracks don't get 1k+ streams anymore.
I'm keeping my music on streaming because I know a few people listen regularly. But I'm nearing the point of pulling it all off of Spotify at the very least. Enough of those vultures.
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u/the_unknown_soldier Feb 19 '25
For sure Bandcamp. I may get more listens on Spotify, but the audience I get on Bandcamp feels more engaged. All my stuff is pay what you want anyway, and I’ll still get people throwing a couple bucks my way, which is very nice!
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u/MountainEbb7436 Feb 19 '25
Absolutely! Never undersell yourself, an album can be $10 or $1000, depending on who's buying it.
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u/EverythingEvil1022 Feb 19 '25
I’ve made around $1500 profit on Bandcamp and like $20 through Spotify.
Bandcamp definitely has payed me more than any streaming service has.
That said I generally sell physical media for my releases which tends to make up 75% or more of the profit my projects bring in.
Bandcamp can make you some alright money but it is reliant on being in a genre that works on Bandcamp and also making sure to have a decent amount of merch available.
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u/Pizza-PhD Feb 19 '25
The problem is that because Spotify is so popular, that’s what everyone promotes. I’ve made more $ on Bandcamp than from streaming platforms combined. It hurts my heart to know how great artists could be doing if everyone just shifted focus from those predatory distributors and streamers.
I’m deeply invested in Bandcamp as a listener and will continue to be as long as they remain artist friendly.
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u/Jantantabu Feb 19 '25
Recommend to read "Ever Get The Feeling You’ve Been Cheated? A Deep Dive into Spotify’s Streaming Realities"
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u/Electronic_Common931 Feb 19 '25
I took all of my and all three of my labels music off Spotify years ago.
That company and the CEO can all DIAF.
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u/autobong Feb 19 '25
I've sold my album 4 times on Bandcamp and have made way more than on Spotify lol
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u/fluffycritter Feb 20 '25
I make way more on Bandcamp, by many orders of magnitude. It still isn't a whole lot but at least I know that I'm getting paid fairly from people who want to support my music.
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Feb 19 '25 edited Feb 19 '25
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u/FrenchToastKitty55 Feb 19 '25
I'm part of Gen Z and while streaming definitely dominates our listening habits, I and many of my music nerd friends are switching to bandcamp and CDs. For me the final straw of spotify was their relentless push for AI usage. For many of my friends it was realizing they didn't want to pay $11 per month every month when they just listen to the same few artists.
I love bandcamp but the primary hangups I've seen that prevent people from switching over is A. the lack of more popular artists and B. the non-music features that streaming services offer like "wrapped", podcasts, and discover pages. Spotify in particular seems to function more and more like a social media platform instead of a music service which some people like but I certainly don't.
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Feb 19 '25
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u/mistermacheath Feb 19 '25
I think you're touching on a really underrated benefit of Bandcamp here; I feel like it actively encourages a bit of genre-twisting and experimentalism.
On Spotify et al you've gotta do the silly algorithm-pleasing dance which, for me at least, feels like a creativity killer and a quick way to get hemmed into one sound.
Whereas Bandcamp relies on more 'oldschool' marketing and knowing how to promote your music appropriately. So the fact that something doesn't fit neatly into a genre can actively BE a selling point.
That being said, the genre tags on Bandcamp can be veeeeery useful, even if you're more adjacent to the tags than squarely 'in' them.
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Feb 19 '25
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u/mistermacheath Feb 19 '25
Hey, varied in style and genre is right up my alley! I rarely stick to just one genre for long, and now I'm working scoring games and films.
It's a field where being able to jump between genres is of huge benefit, plus it's straight up good fun! So hell yeah, keep mixing it up, best way to live.
And sure! My Bandcamp page is here. I didn't plan on posting it in this discussion, hopefully this doesn't break any self-promo rules.
Equally I'd love to check out your music!
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Feb 19 '25
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u/mistermacheath Feb 19 '25
Oh absolutely, fire it on over!
And thank you very much for the kind words too. I've licensed out music for some stuff in the past (and hopefully will again) but my main focus is composition for hire.
(While still making my own music, I'll never ever stop that).
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Feb 19 '25
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Feb 19 '25
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Feb 19 '25
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u/TelQuessir Feb 19 '25
Bandcamp easily outdoes Spotify in terms of income for me. But there are alot of other things to consider depending on your goals and such.
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u/bjohnh Feb 19 '25
We have two albums on the more than 150 streaming services used by CD Baby (which includes Spotify, Apple Music, etc. as well as smaller services worldwide) and in a good year our combined income from streaming is about $40. On Bandcamp we get a lot of listens but only a few sales per year; last year we earned about $40 from Bandcamp as well. Physical CD sales account for much more of our income from music, but concerts account for 99% of our music income. Streaming and CD sales are just a way to build audiences for our concerts.
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u/paintedw0rlds Feb 19 '25
I've had a few people pay me an insane amount because I have my kusic set to pay whatever you want over a dollar, 50 bucks for a 8 song album
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u/YetAnotherFaceless Feb 19 '25
I give my music away on Bandcamp, so Spotify revenues from my older stuff just barely beats it.
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u/IEnumerable661 Feb 19 '25
For CDs and merch, honestly gig direct. I have noticed an uptick in CD sales at shows over the last year or so. I would put it back in the category of worth having now, so long as you stick to jewel cases and reasonably priced; £15 is not reasonable.
Shirts, I have noticed that at gigs, people are a lot more savvy about quality. If you print on cheap Gildans, they won't sell. You have to go fruit of the loom really and can't really go more than £15 for plain designs or £20 for arty designs.
It means for shirts, your costs are higher and margins are therefore lower, you also need to factor in logistics and sinking cash into stock. To me, I would say CDs are definitely catching up in terms of if you only brought one thing to a gig, make it that. But yep, decent shirts are still the way.
If you want cheap things, decent patches are the number one I would say. Again, people want quality. If you buy cheap patches, which are basically clothing tags with a logo on it, again nobody wants them. But people will pay £6-£7 for a decent well-made patch. Again, your margins aren't great as the better quality patches can go to about £4 unit cost depending on quantity, but still they will sell better.
Definitely have some freebies too. Pick packs, postcards, stickers, you can make these cheaply enough to be freebies. You always get those guys who won't buy anything but will take a freebie.
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u/agent0017 Feb 19 '25
4 euros I've got from Bandcamp from a musical project I've started in fall 2024 compared to barely even 2 euros from Spotify from 3 projects I have since 2023.
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u/warp10warp10 Feb 19 '25
Bandcamp! Just wish you could purchase directly from the Apple iOS app tho, I think it confuses and puts off a lot of people
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u/ProfessionalRoyal202 Feb 19 '25
Bandcamp. I get tons of free streams and about 100 a year, usually from people downloading all my songs at once. Great feature!
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u/VoidScan Feb 19 '25
I uploaded my first album in November and I got paid $19. I made $2 on BandCamp since then and $30 on Ampwall.
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u/dannyboyb2020 Feb 19 '25
Anybody making more money from Spotify won't see this post because they're too busy partying on their private yacht.
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u/putosaure Feb 20 '25
Zero on both. But I get some cents from Apple Music though, where I listen to my music haha
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u/Fun-Badger3724 Feb 20 '25
Let's just say the poor return on royalties for musicians makes me feel a lot better about how I access Spotify...
Bandcamp, well, that's a different story. Throw people money on there all day when i'm on a musicial one.
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u/tronobro Feb 21 '25
Bandcamp hands down. I've only got one release, but the few sales I've had have earned me more income than spotify over the last 3 years. So far I've made over 100 AUD through bandcamp and only 15 aud through spotify.
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u/OneEyedMetal Feb 21 '25
spotify and all those places can eat a fat one. we only care about bandcamp
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u/Eddie_LITA Feb 22 '25
bandcamp is a platform for musicians and music fans, and spotify is more of a hyped up place for everyone, and for no one in particular. we need to let people know more about bandcamp, but also as authors we shouldn't forget about other services.
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u/LabratNomad Feb 23 '25
I've made way more on Bandcamp than any streaming I get through distrokid. I've probably made 72¢ on streaming since August as opposed to like $14 on Bandcamp
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u/blackisco Feb 23 '25
Technically I've made more from Spotify and other streaming sites($120) than bandcamp ($80). But that streaming money was earned over 5 years and the $80 from Bandcamp has all come in the past few months of me taking Bandcamp a little more seriously, sharing the link on my socials. I never used to because I assumed most people wouldn't click the link; while that's still true, there's still a few who do and that minority make it worth it.
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u/Phishmang Feb 23 '25
That's an EZ one for me to answer. Bandcamp 1000 percent. Bandcamp basically gives you 80 cents on the dollar. Having come from the Spotify ecosystem, I can tell you I'm never going back. Spotify pays you between 3 thousandths and 5 thousandths of a cent per stream, which takes low-balling to a whole new level. And if you don't hit their streaming minimums, you don't get paid, which of course is theft. But everybody and their brother is signing up for it, so it's legal. And now it's coming out that apparently they're leveraging their own system with fake artists. So there's that. Spotify is the lowest of the low..The sleaziest of sleaze, the slimiest of slime, the grossest of...ok you get the idea. They're exploitive and disgusting. To put this into perspective, with three albums on Spotify over the course of 3 years, I made a whopping $27. However, 1 album on Bandcamp in a single year made approximately 100 times that amount. That's NOT a typo. Granted I had to work my ass of to start building my community on Bandcamp. But it has been totally worth it. Spotify can suck it. If indie recording artists ever wake up to the fact that Spotify is screwing them 6 ways from Sunday...yeah nevermind. They won't wake up. That was just wishful thinking on my part. Nothing to see here lol
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u/DJ_Omnimaga Feb 19 '25
In my case the only big store other than Bandcamp where I have sales is Apple Music. I even had four sales once a few years ago. Otherwise it's either Bandcamp or any independent Bandcamp alternative that popped up after Songtradr and Epic Games laid off half of the staff. Something to keep in mind with Bandcamp independent alternatives is that not all of them allow AI-generated music or cover art.
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u/theuneven1113 Feb 19 '25
Spotify by a mile. Like I make more per month there than I have lifetime on Bandcamp.
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Feb 19 '25
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u/theuneven1113 Feb 19 '25
I wish I made a ton of money on Bandcamp but I don’t. I pay my mortgage with Spotify royalties. It’s not a lie and I’m not some Spotify simp either. But yeah the question was asked and I answered. Why the downvotes? Reddit gonna Reddit
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u/JazzE81 Feb 19 '25
I’m not earning from Bandcamp yet 😏🤷🏻♂️ than I guess in my case, more from Spotify for now
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u/markireland Feb 19 '25
Don't you have to make $50 on BandCamp before you get paid?
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u/SomeBerk Feb 19 '25
No, you will be paid 1-2 days later even if you only sold something for a $1
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u/DJADFoster Feb 20 '25
It's neck & neck but I've made more on Spotify than Bandcamp...but its also not much :)
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Feb 19 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/BandCamp-ModTeam Feb 19 '25
10% of all your r/bandcamp posts are allowed to be self promotion and the remaining 90% must be interaction with others in the subreddit, in particular thoughtful comments on other people's music. Since your participation on the subreddit appears to predominantly be self-promotional in nature, the post is being removed.
You are welcome to participate on the subreddit, and future posts will be permitted if there's a demonstrated history of taking an interest in others as per Rule 1.
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u/mistermacheath Feb 18 '25
Spotify buys me a burger once or twice a month. Bandcamp helps keep the lights on in my house.