Bandcamp, an online music store and community, announced that it has been acquired by Fortnite creator Epic Games. The music company also confirmed that initiatives such as Bandcamp Fridays, where the platform waives its revenue share so artists receive all sales for a 24 hour period, and its online publication, Bandcamp Daily, will continue to operate as they currently are.
Bandcamp says that joining Epic Games will allow it to expand internationally and push forward development across the platform, including working on mobile apps and merch tools, as well as search and discovery features. Additionally, Epic Games notes that Bandcamp will contribute to its vision of a "creator marketplace ecosystem" for content, technology, games, art, and music.
Bandcamp is joining Epic Games! Read more here: https://t.co/dvLEhURZYG pic.twitter.com/4t1MRvugmG
— bandcamp (@Bandcamp) March 2, 2022
“Bandcamp’s mission is to help spread the healing power of music by building a community where artists thrive through the direct support of their fans,” said Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond in a statement. “In Epic, we’ve found a partner who believes as deeply as we do that the future of music, and art itself, depends on the creation of equitable and inclusive communities like the one our fans and artists have helped to build."
Steve Allison, Vice President and General Store Manager at Epic Games chimed in as well, saying, "Bandcamp has built an incredible community and business where up and coming artists can succeed thanks to the direct support of their fans, with one of the best revenue models and terms in music. This aligns closely with Epic’s approach to supporting creators across all media and enabling them to connect directly with their fans.”
This isn't the first time Epic Games purchased a music-based company. Back in November, Epic Games acquired Harmonix, a studio best known for titles such as Rock Band and Dance Central. Epic sought interest in Harmonix because it could help develop "musical journeys and gameplay for Fortnite."
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey