Unpopular opinion: I’m starting to dislike #BandcampFriday. Sure, it’s nice for discovery and to make a (tiny) bit of money.

But it puts unnecessary pressure to release something, anything, often half-baked. I fills your inbox with emails from all the artists you follow. It happens randomly and it’s stressing if you feel committed to participate. Worst of all, it’s a strong reminder of how dependent most artists are from the "benevolent" rule of corporations. It feels like charity with a price.

@ice does it really have that much of an impact on the income of an artist?

@albi In my case it’s mainly when the handful of people who sometimes pay for my stuff grab an album or two, but since I release everything for free it’s not really meaningful. Well, except for the ego. It of course feels really great to know there are people who appreciate your work enough for contributing a few bucks, even if it’s almost nothing, and ironically most often coming from fellow musicians.

Maybe it’s impactful for bigger artists though.

@ice I meant the Bandcamp Friday
is the (I presume) slightly increased income worth the stressing over it?

@ice
Musicians feel pressured to release something just because it's BandCampFriday? I was not aware of that! I released quite a lot last year, but there will be very little this year as I'm in a writing phase. On BCF, I just give my existing material a push with one post, and boost that post halfway through the day.

I personally love #BandCampFriday, mainly for browsing the # and finding something new. I only made one purchase yesterday, but I added to my wishlist.

@SharonMurphyMusic It probably depends on how well you’re established as an artist and how much your income depends on it. In my case I find it a bit stressful, there’s some kind of fear of missing out that built up over the years, even as a hobbyist musician. Anyway, glad it’s working for you :)

@albi Well, not for me. Or maybe I’m just salty that I couldn’t release anything this time. That, and the recent layoffs made me kind of weary regarding BC. I’m not saying Bandcamp Friday is bad, it’s certainly more positive than negative, but I increasingly feel some kind of dissonance between how it helped during the pandemic and its relevance as some recurring marketing stunt now.