(Hypebot) — Bandcamp changed default pricing for digital music to bring them in line with new industry standards for Luminate, Billboard and other chart reporting eligibility.
Bandcamp changed default pricing:
- Albums: increasing from $7 to $9
- Tracks: increasing from $1 to $1.50
Bandcamp made the change because it says it reflects what fans are already choosing to pay and brings Bandcamp’s defaults in line with updated industry standards for chart reporting eligibility.
Artists and labels still have full control over prices and can override the defaults.
“We’ve seen it again and again: fans willingly pay more to directly support the artists they care about,” says Bandcamp. “Nearly 20% of fans add extra when albums are priced between $7–10, and albums at that price point generate the highest revenue per release across the platform.
Charting Eligibility: What You Need to Know
New Bandcamp default pricing matches updated requirements from Luminate, the data company behind the Billboard charts in the U.S. and Canada.
If charting is part of your release goals, the music needs to meet these minimum prices to be eligible for reporting:
- $7.99 for digital albums
- $1.50 for digital tracks
- $7.99 for CDs and cassettes
- $15.99 for vinyl
- $0.69 for digital singles
In the UK and Ireland, Official Charts require a minimum of £3.75 for albums and £0.40 for tracks. ARIA (Australia) and NZ charts don’t have minimums but still require proper metadata for reporting.
Equivalent prices apply in your local currency.
For physical items to count, they must also be marked as shipped in your Merch Orders page. Bandcamp also need a valid UPC for albums and an ISRC for each track. You can find more details and chart reporting guidance in our Help Center.
Bandcamp has created a bulk update tool to make the transition easier.
Next Bandcamp Friday is May 2
This Friday May 2 is the next Bandcamp Friday. During every Bandcamp Friday, the platform waives their revenue share.
This has resulted in millions of fans paying over $1.46 billion to artists and labels including $191 million in the last year.
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor and founder of the Skyline Artists Agency
