The Bandcamp Math: Why Independent Artists Are Paying Too Much
If you sell $100/month in music on Bandcamp, you're handing $15 of it back to the platform. Here's what that adds up to over a year, and what a flat fee looks like instead.
The commission nobody talks about
Bandcamp charges 15% on digital sales (10% on physical). That sounds small until you run the numbers.
An artist selling $100/month in digital releases pays $15/month to Bandcamp. Over a year, that's $180 gone to the platform.
At $200/month in sales, it's $360/year.
At $500/month, it's $900/year. That's real money leaving your pocket and going to a platform that, as of 2024, replaced most of its human support with automated systems.
The flat-fee alternative
Indemusic charges $9/month flat. You keep 100% of every sale.
If you sell $60/month in music, you break even versus Bandcamp's commission model. Above that, every dollar you earn stays yours.
| Monthly sales | Bandcamp (15%) | Indemusic ($9 flat) | You keep more with Indemusic |
|---|---|---|---|
| $60 | $9 | $9 | Break even |
| $100 | $15 | $9 | $6/month more |
| $200 | $30 | $9 | $21/month more |
| $500 | $75 | $9 | $66/month more |
What the platform owes you
You built the audience. You made the music. The platform's job is to get out of your way and process payments cleanly.
Indemusic is built on that principle: flat fee, zero commission, direct fan relationship. Join the early access list.
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