How to upload your own music to Bandcamp, and start making money selling albums and tracks

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How to upload your own music to Bandcamp, and start making money selling albums and tracks
Once you've set up an artist account, you can begin uploading your music.Richard Drury/Getty Images
  • To upload music to Bandcamp, and start making money off of sales, you'll first have to create an artist account.
  • You can create a free Bandcamp artist account via the website, or sign up for a premium Bandcamp Pro subscription with additional features.
  • Bandcamp only takes a small cut of what you make — most merch sales and digital downloads go right to your pocket.
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Bandcamp is a beloved website where independent musicians share and sell their music. If you love and support a band, there isn't a much better place to buy their music than on Bandcamp.

On a normal day, the majority of sales go directly to artists (Bandcamp takes 15% of digital sales and 10% of merch sales), but on the first Friday of every month, 100% go to bands. That's a big difference compared to what most streaming services are paying musicians.

If you're a musician, starting your own Bandcamp is free and uploading your music is easy. Here's how to set up an artist account and how to upload your tracks.

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How to create an artist account on Bandcamp

Before you upload your music, you'll have to make an artist account. It's free, but a paid tier does exist. Bandcamp Pro is $10 a month and includes features like private streaming, the option to upload multiple tracks at once, and replacing the default Bandcamp URL with your own domain name.

1. Visit the Bandcamp for Artists webpage.

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2. Click "Sign Up Now."

How to upload your own music to Bandcamp, and start making money selling albums and tracks
Click "Sign Up Now" to begin setting up your artist account.Vivian McCall/Business Insider

3. Enter a band name, username, password, and email address, and agree to the Terms of Use. Once done, click "Sign Up."

How to upload your own music to Bandcamp, and start making money selling albums and tracks
Enter your information, select the checkbox, and click "Sign up."Vivian McCall/Business Insider

4. Select your genre, add genre tags, set your location, and click "Next."

How to upload your own music to Bandcamp, and start making money selling albums and tracks
Enter your information and hit "Next."Vivian McCall/Business Insider

5. Finally, pick your URL. This is the URL that people will go to when they find your music.

How to upload music to Bandcamp

Once you've created an account, you'll be able to upload your songs to the website. You can upload a single song or an album of tracks. You can make your music available for free download, set a minimum price, or allow your friends and fans to pay whatever they want.

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Keep in mind that you can only give away a certain number of free downloads each month. And you'll need a Pro account to make some songs on an album free, with others locked to buying the album.

1. Log in and visit your dashboard.

2. On your dashboard, click either "Add an album" or "add a track."

How to upload your own music to Bandcamp, and start making money selling albums and tracks
Select "Add an album" or "add a track."Vivian McCall/Business Insider

3. Add a track name.

4. Set a price (You can set the price to $0). You can also check the box to let fans pay more if they want.

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5. Add info about the track, lyrics, and credits (this is all optional).

How to upload your own music to Bandcamp, and start making money selling albums and tracks
Add all relevant info like song title, description, etc.Vivian McCall/Business Insider

6. Upload track art (if you want).

7. Add tags, which will help people find your music.

8. Select what kind of license your song is under. If you're independent, select "All Rights Reserved."

9. If registered, add an IRSC code.

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10. Add a release date.

11. Go back to the top of the back and click "Save Draft."

How to upload your own music to Bandcamp, and start making money selling albums and tracks
Before you can publish, click "Save Draft."Vivian McCall/Business Insider

12. Click "Publish."

How to upload your own music to Bandcamp, and start making money selling albums and tracks
Click "Publish" to complete the process.Vivian McCall/Business Insider

Your song or album will be published on your official Bandcamp page, for people to stream or download.

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