Bandcamp Fridays in 2025 Deliver Over $19 Million to Independent Artists and Labels, Surpassing Last Year's Total

18 December 2025 - Press release

Final Bandcamp Friday of the Year Was the Strongest of the Year – Driving More Than $3.8 Million in 24 Hours

Since Its 2020 Launch, the Initiative Has Routed Over $154 Million Directly to Artists and Labels

 

Bandcamp, the world's largest online music marketplace and community, is closing out 2025 with another powerful milestone. Across this year's Bandcamp Fridays, fans contributed $19 million directly to artists and labels, surpassing 2024's total and underscoring the continued strength of fan-driven support on the platform. Additionally, the final Bandcamp Friday of the year, held in December, was the most successful of 2025, generating more than $3.8 million in just 24 hours.

First introduced in 2020 as touring revenue collapsed during the Covid-19 pandemic, Bandcamp Fridays quickly evolved from an emergency measure into one of the most impactful recurring support programs for independent artists worldwide. On each Bandcamp Friday, the platform waives its revenue share, so that more of the money spent on music and merch goes straight to the creators, a simple idea that has grown into a massive force for creative sustainability.

Now closing out its fifth year, the initiative has routed more than $154 million directly to artists and labels since launch. Outside of Bandcamp Fridays, the platform's artist-first business model means creators receive an average of 82% of every sale, contributing to the more than $1.5 billion Bandcamp has paid out to artists and labels to date.

Looking ahead, Bandcamp Fridays will return in 2026 with eight scheduled dates, giving fans continued opportunities to champion the artists they love and helping ensure that independent music remains vibrant and sustainable. You can find the dates for those here.

"Five years on, Bandcamp Fridays continue to show just how powerful direct fan support can be," said Dan Melnick, General Manager at Bandcamp. "2025 was another brilliant year for artists and labels, capped by our strongest Friday of the year, and we're incredibly excited to bring even more opportunities to the community in 2026, expanding to 8 next year"

As the community reflects on another year of growth, the 2025 Look Back highlights the artists, fans, labels, and scenes that shaped a standout year across the platform. That included the creation of Bandcamp Clubs, a program that will continue into 2026, offering listeners a more intimate, curated path to discovery.