The ramifications that COVID-19 has had on the music industry has been dire. With live music at a complete standstill, many artists and industry-adjacent folk have lost their core source of revenue. It’s an unprecedented and awfully scary situation. As a way of supporting musicians struggling during this time, Bandcamp has announced that for 24 hours on March 20th (from midnight to midnight PST), the website will waive its revenue shared on all sales as a way to “put much-needed money directly into artists’ pockets.”
“The Covid-19 pandemic is in full force, and artists have been hit especially hard as tours and shows are being cancelled for the foreseeable future,” Bandcamp co-Founder and CEO Ethan Diamond shared in a statement.“With such a major revenue stream drying up almost entirely, finding ways to continue supporting artists in the coming months is now an urgent priority for anyone who cares about music and the artists who create it.
“For many artists, a single day of boosted sales can mean the difference between being able to pay rent or not. Still, we consider this just a starting point. Musicians will continue to feel the effects of lost touring income for many months to come, so we’re also sharing some ideas below on how fans can support the artists they love and how artists can give fans new, creative ways to provide support.”
As more and more of us enter social-distancing, it’s important to recognise just how painfully boring all of this would be without music and the arts. If you have the means, we strongly encourage you to take part in the Bandcamp initiative. Support the artist’s whos work emotionally supports you during this crazy period.
In related news, yesterday Melbourne musician Alex Lahey penned an open letter to Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, seeking support for the music industry in crisis.
““I am in no doubt that people like myself and my peers — artists and musicians who have worked hard enough to make a modest living from their art — are among those most affected by the current health crisis and yet there is no forthcoming assistance pledged by governments for this group in our community,” she wrote.
“I’m wondering whether there can be anything done to bring some immediate relief to this group in our community.”
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