Stuff I bought this Bandcamp Friday:
Writhing, Of Earth & Flesh (debut album by an Australian death metal band)Al Wootton, Forest Trilogy (ambient/dubby techno inspired by the woods)Les Rallizes Dénudés, '77 Live (CD reissue, pre-order of November release)Kevin Richard Martin, Downtown (ambient-ish stuff)Blockdata, Entropy (sound-design-ish electronic stuff, pre-order of late October release)Submerged, Fury (heavy, industrial-ish drum 'n' bass, pre-order of December release)
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 8 October 2022 16:26 (one year ago) link
My list was...a bit long.
FWIW, my own happy insanity: pic.twitter.com/NwdbPLRPM5— Ned Raggett (@NedRaggett) October 8, 2022
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 8 October 2022 16:57 (one year ago) link
Not unsurprisingly, my more modest purchases--but some really good stuff:
https://www.twitter.com/musicophiliamix/status/1578591507065753601
― Soundslike, Saturday, 8 October 2022 18:57 (one year ago) link
Question about bandcamp etiquette, asking for folks on both sides of the transaction - what's a reasonable time to wait for a Bandcamp order before following up with the artist/label about the status? 95% of my physical Bandcamp orders are super quick and efficient with helpful shipping notices, but every now and then I order something that just kind of goes silent. I have the utmost understanding of how hard things are for artists and I don't want to be a pain in the ass, trying to feel out the best time to check in without being a pestering drag.
Specific case in point, I ordered some back catalog albums from a specific artist and the confirmation gave me the standard "estimated to ship" and "arrive no later than" dates. In this case, I'm about two days past the latter and not so much as a shipping update. Reasonable to send a friendly inquiry at this point?
― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 12 October 2022 19:38 (one year ago) link
absolutely reasonable
― Paul Ponzi, Wednesday, 12 October 2022 21:37 (one year ago) link
Thanks, I sent an email and got a good response. I'm just always wary of being a pestering punisher especially to these smaller artists trying to juggle everything.
As a related note, wanted to shout out two really good experiences with this stuff - a) ordered the new Peel Dream Magazine from Slumberland and got a shipping notice 15 minutes later, I know this just means they clicked 'print' on a shipping label, but still surprisingly fast; b) ordered something from White Hills and they sent me a nice email about how they are currently on tour and will ship when they get back home, appreciated to get that kind of update.
― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 14 October 2022 15:53 (one year ago) link
Nothing about your previous post suggested in any way that you were a pestering punisher, so if the tone of your email was half as thoughtful as your post, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think too often people enter into these discussions with a siege mentality - "where's my goddamn record, dipshits?" - which, unsurprisingly, doesn't tend to get results.
― Paul Ponzi, Friday, 14 October 2022 16:03 (one year ago) link
Not to turn this into a bandcamp complaints department but most labels, when you order multiple items from them, give you a break on the shipping costs when you buy more, like the first item might be $5 shipping but then they add just a buck or two for each individual item. Not Season of Mist though, they throw the full shipping charge at you for each and every single item in your cart.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 9 December 2022 15:26 (one year ago) link
Also NTTTIABCD but does anyone know why some albums don't have the option to add them to your wishlist?
― m0stly clean (Slowsquatch), Friday, 9 December 2022 15:54 (one year ago) link
xpost that seems like that has to be them being too stupid to know how to set it up? I would hope so at least.
― Fash Gordon (Neanderthal), Friday, 9 December 2022 16:55 (one year ago) link
when you set the shipping cost for 1 unit, theres another field where you have to set the shipping cost for additional units. you cant leave it blank, so i'd assume its a deliberate decision, imo.
― waste of compute (One Eye Open), Friday, 9 December 2022 17:14 (one year ago) link
It's annoying and this is literally the first label I've encountered it, but in the end I didn't even end up buying the one CD I wanted (the new Woods of Desolation) because, even though it was released today, it sold out completely in the half hour that I stepped away from my desk.
Sigh, hardly unique to Bandcamp, but I miss the days when you didn't have to pre-order an album the second it gets announced.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 9 December 2022 19:15 (one year ago) link
xp Free downloads can't be wishlisted, but is there anything else that can't be wishlisted?
― Christine Green Leafy Dragon Indigo, Friday, 9 December 2022 19:18 (one year ago) link
Ah, thanks, maybe that's it...I'll keep an eye out for next time I come across it...
― m0stly clean (Slowsquatch), Friday, 9 December 2022 23:35 (one year ago) link
The fantastic Bongo Joe label have just put out a NYP comp of contemporary Turkish psych artists with proceeds going to aid victims of the recent earthquake:
https://lesdisquesbongojoe.bandcamp.com/album/solidarity-with-february-2023-earthquake-victims
― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Friday, 17 February 2023 18:51 (one year ago) link
I don't know where to put this fabulous neo-classical piano release so I am putting it here:
https://mikiplayspiano.bandcamp.com/album/a-kind-of-mirror
― Perverted By Linguiça (sleeve), Wednesday, 5 April 2023 16:12 (one year ago) link
And also while this thread is revived, please give your voice to this effort:
https://www.bandcampunited.org/show-support
Further, per this week's meeting and follow-up notes, they're encouraging (polite, obviously) emails to ethan @ bandcamp . com to protest their hiring of a union-busting firm. More information via this thread:
https://union.place/@bandcampunited/110136308462128979
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 5 April 2023 16:34 (one year ago) link
(And of course, Bandcamp Friday in two days.)
Yuck. The union busting thing sucks...
Also:Does anyone know how to turn OFF a genre in the music feed?I selected to get alerts for DUB, but it's not much dub reggae, and tons of stoner techno, some of which might be fun, but too many alerts, and I can't get it to stop....
(I'm on the mobile app...)
― m0stly clean (Slowsquatch), Wednesday, 5 April 2023 16:39 (one year ago) link
lovely record, sleeve
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 5 April 2023 17:45 (one year ago) link
thanks, yeah I really dig it
― Perverted By Linguiça (sleeve), Wednesday, 5 April 2023 17:47 (one year ago) link
I'll throw this onto the pile, because I'm actually really proud of how it turned out. My first-ever "real" CD, a 2CD set in fact, compiling the three albums and one EP I released digital-only in 2022:
https://ianmanire.bandcamp.com/album/improvisations
https://f4.bcbits.com/img/0031873599_10.jpg
https://f4.bcbits.com/img/0031873605_71.jpg
― Soundslike, Friday, 7 April 2023 13:15 (one year ago) link
really bizarre thing is I bought the new Grave Desecrator off of what appears to be a REALLY tiny label selling it, but it's legit their album to sell as this was linked from articles written about the band. I decided to buy a cd copy and just listen to the digital until it arrived, since it's coming overseas, but after the purchase, I notice only one of the 10 songs is downloadable. but it's not a situation where it's a new release that the artist hadn't 'released' yet, it shows as released and available.
so I message the label to ask where the other digital tracks are, and I get a response from them almost immediately from the guy saying he isn't 'allowed' to post digital at this time (???) and he points me to a Youtube link where the full album is.
is there ever a scenario where a label on Bandcamp legal wouldn't be allowed to share digital files if they had the rights to distribute the album? I have no idea how this works. Bandcamp told them though that they needed to provide digital copies of the files since it's what they are advertising.
― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 16 May 2023 02:33 (eleven months ago) link
meanwhile I ain't looking to take any money from the band, I just want what i paid for! and a youtube ain't it.
I bought a Spacemen 3 disc from Bandcamp where there was no digital copy offered for rights reasons. But I’m not sure of the details. It was when they were trying to bypass their shitty former manager I think.
― assert (matttkkkk), Tuesday, 16 May 2023 02:48 (eleven months ago) link
is there ever a scenario where a label on Bandcamp legal wouldn't be allowed to share digital files if they had the rights to distribute the album? I have no idea how this works.
Yes. I've bought some reissues of Japanese jazz albums where the reissuing label only negotiated the rights for physical product, so I didn't get a download with my purchase. Or sometimes they won't have the rights to everything, so for example you'll buy a 2CD set with 15 tracks and only get a download of, like, nine.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Tuesday, 16 May 2023 03:11 (eleven months ago) link
my guess is maybe that happened, but the label mistakenly listed their album as CD + full digital rather than CD only (which I have seen on a few bandcamp albums).
― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 16 May 2023 03:16 (eleven months ago) link
The last Stereolab "Switched On" comp had the tracks from Lo-Fi on the CDs but not the digital purchase.
― assert (matttkkkk), Tuesday, 16 May 2023 04:29 (eleven months ago) link
A few years ago this French label Transversales released a Philip Glass album on vinyl via Bandcamp that included a download code. It was sold out on their Bandcamp site by the time I heard about it, but I was able to find a copy through a distributor. However, copies sold via distributors didn't include a download code. So I emailed Transversales asking for a code but they told me they didn't have digital rights, only physical rights. I didn't, and still don't, understand why, if they didn't have digital rights, they were able to include a download code with copies purchased from their Bandcamp. (It's still available from them on digital.)
― lord of the rongs (anagram), Tuesday, 16 May 2023 12:28 (eleven months ago) link
Whenever I get a vinyl release with no download code, I email the label with a photo of me holding the vinyl.
over 50% of the time they send me a BC code, which is great as I use BC as a streaming service for purchases and wishlist.
but sometimes there are strange rights issues, where they send a google drive download, instead of BC, as they dont have digital rights, some just ignore me.
Transversales, might have the right to include a code with every purchase but not be allowed to sell, however you say they are selling digital copies as well.
rights management is pretty opaque, you might just have to poney up to buy the digital, keeping an eye on sales/discounts. I've done that a few times when it was buy again or nothing.
― my opinionation (Hamildan), Tuesday, 16 May 2023 15:00 (eleven months ago) link
couple of years ago, trevor jackson was selling off 2 * 2cd promo compilations of his Underdog remixes via bandcamp.no digital at all for any of that stuff, yet, the releases are still listed in my Bandcamp listings in Sonos.
sometimes i have seen some labels put £999.99 for a digital file of a limited 7" single (for example).no idea if the 7" came with an actual digital code.
― mark e, Tuesday, 16 May 2023 15:05 (eleven months ago) link
Bandcamp confirmed, while trying to resolve the issue for me, that they no longer support selling of cds without free digital download attached. that I didn't know, but the wording made it seem like a recent change.
― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 16 May 2023 17:39 (eleven months ago) link
That’s weird, bcuz as was pointed out upthread, often labels (especially reissue labels) have the physical but not the digital rights — these would be small labels, mostly, why not let them sell physical product through BC?
― The land of dreams and endless remorse (hardcore dilettante), Thursday, 18 May 2023 22:15 (eleven months ago) link
It does seem weird not to offer this anymore
― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Thursday, 18 May 2023 22:47 (eleven months ago) link
i’m assuming not for eg thishttps://outlet-label.bandcamp.com/album/the-outletters-drive-by-dub-the-path-version
― Fizzles, Friday, 19 May 2023 06:11 (eleven months ago) link
I have a question. How does changing the preorder download to the actual release on the release date work? Apparently it's not an automatic process? Because this has happened before (even in the previous Month too) that a release day comes and goes but nothing happens, all I (the fan who paid months ago) can see is the preorder. And then I see it everywhere on illegal download sites. It feels like I'm being encouraged to not support bands there anymore if I'm being honest. Maybe it's just the label (or some guy in the band, who does their social media stuff after he gets home from work, who should have remembered it was yesterday) being sloppy, but this makes the whole BC experience feel bad indirectly.
Today, it's the new Saturnus album, for instance. "Releases June 16 2023" - my ass it does. And no, it's not "it's still June 16 somewhere on the planet lol" anymore, I waited.
― StanM, Saturday, 17 June 2023 15:48 (ten months ago) link
It apparently isn't automated. I've had this happen to me before.
One time it was that Bandcamp was listing a release date one week prior to the actual release date and the band didn't fix it, but I've also seen bands release the album late on release day
― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Saturday, 17 June 2023 15:54 (ten months ago) link
I recommend emailing the band through Bandcamp.
― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Saturday, 17 June 2023 15:55 (ten months ago) link
Thanks!
― StanM, Saturday, 17 June 2023 15:57 (ten months ago) link
I can confirm it's not automated, intentionally so. It's dumb though, you have to remember to get up and release it before going to work or whatever. I really wish you could just set it to release at midnight, and usually often just release it the evening before.
― Random Restaurateur (Jordan), Saturday, 17 June 2023 15:57 (ten months ago) link
I actually think there's a good chance Saturnus doesn't know this is the case, as they are all over FB talking about how the new album is out and available.
― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Saturday, 17 June 2023 16:02 (ten months ago) link
:( - I sent them a message via BC while I boneheadedly refuse to illegaly listen :-)
― StanM, Saturday, 17 June 2023 16:05 (ten months ago) link
(illegaLLy) anyway
maybe there should be "remember to click the Release button on release day (tomorrow!)" mails from Bandcamp for those kinds of bands? :D
― StanM, Saturday, 17 June 2023 16:07 (ten months ago) link
When you upload an album it tells you that you're going to have to manually make it available on street date, but there are no reminder emails ("Hey dummy, you said your album was coming out tomorrow — don't forget to pull that trigger!"), which would definitely be a good thing.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 17 June 2023 17:55 (ten months ago) link
ha, yeah Numero did this with that new Laraaji box, it took like 2 extra days
― out-of-print LaserDisc edition (sleeve), Saturday, 17 June 2023 19:20 (ten months ago) link
I'm really liking the music feed feature on the bandcamp mobile app. The stuff I buy on bandcamp is very specific genre-wise, so that may help, but the recommendations that come up are uniformly good and far more interesting than what I might get on a similar list on something like spotify. A big differentiating factor is that it feels like it is recommending stuff that is clearly related to what I've been listening to and purchasing without simply spitting back the same stuff that I was already listening to.
― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Wednesday, 5 July 2023 18:56 (nine months ago) link
Epic Games is selling Bandcamp to Songtradr. Now would be a good time to download all your purchases.
― read-only (unperson), Thursday, 28 September 2023 15:57 (six months ago) link
Uh, I was nervous when Epic bought Bandcamp, but somehow this makes me even more nervous. Download/backup all your purchases folks. Reports are that it will be sold to Songtradr.
Bloomberg reports that Fortnite developer Epic Games is expected to lay off 16 percent of its workforce, or around 900 people.In a statement from Tim Sweeney, Epic has confirmed the layoffs. He wrote that the company intends to divest from Bandcamp — an independent music storefront company Epic acquired just last year — and spin off SuperAwesome, a “kid-tech” company that specializes in creating safe online experiences for kids. He also explains that the layoffs are a result of the company “spending way more money than we earn.” Notably, Sweeney does not apologize to his employees for making the business decisions that have resulted in the disruption of roughly 900 lives, saying only that his “optimism” that such spending would not result in layoffs was “unrealistic.”
In a statement from Tim Sweeney, Epic has confirmed the layoffs. He wrote that the company intends to divest from Bandcamp — an independent music storefront company Epic acquired just last year — and spin off SuperAwesome, a “kid-tech” company that specializes in creating safe online experiences for kids. He also explains that the layoffs are a result of the company “spending way more money than we earn.” Notably, Sweeney does not apologize to his employees for making the business decisions that have resulted in the disruption of roughly 900 lives, saying only that his “optimism” that such spending would not result in layoffs was “unrealistic.”
source: https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/28/23894266/epic-games-layoffs-fortnite-unreal-engine
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 28 September 2023 15:58 (six months ago) link
caught in the xpost