Bandcamp was sold twice in 4 years

First acquired by Epic Games (the game studio behind Fortnite). Then sold again and currently owned by Songtradr.

Songtradr is one of the biggest music licensing platforms in the world. After buying Bandcamp in 2023 roughly 50% of their staff was not extended continued offers.

Many members of the newly formed union "Bandcamp United" were laid off during these proceedings.

Even though their staff is facing hard times, Bandcamp is still an amazing platform for artists and users as of writing. But we all know what happens after the acquisition by giant equity firms. It's known as enshittification and we've seen it happen to platforms like Instagram & Twitter.

It's always the same process

A good platform gains a big user base by providing a quality service. This user base can then be exploited to lower quality of services and increase profits.

This works because of the network effect. Users and especially creators are bound to the platform because lots of people use it and in turn they can't afford to leave.

In my mind there's no doubt that Bandcamp only has a few more good years, before profit is prioritized over quality and they start milking their user base.

Subvert aims to provide a solution to this by making their platform community owned and controlled.

Every member is a co-owner

Artists & labels can join for free. you can also become a member through financial support. If you rely on the platform you own part of it. You can vote for board members, bylaw changes and major decisions.

I follow their journey to launch since almost a year and their communication and transparency so far has been stellar!

There's honestly just so many talented artists on the platform creating amazing boundary-pushing music.

Don't wait for Bandcamp to become exploitative and then jump ship to another platform which just repeats the cycle. Let's subvert the commodification of art together! Join us.