Photo Credit: Bandcamp United
Following the Epic Games announcement that Bandcamp would be sold to Songtradr, the music outlet is seeking guarantees from its new owners.
Epic Games announced it would sell Bandcamp to Songtradr as part of a larger effort of layoffs impacting the company. At the time, Epic Games wrote that Songtradr would be offering positions to some Bandcamp employees, but not all of them. The sale comes in the middle of contract negotiations for Bandcamp’s staff union—Bandcamp United.
The union is seeking employment offers for all of its workers, voluntary severance offers, and immediate union recognition & continuation of its bargaining. Bandcamp says it was built on the idea of serving the community and functions as much more than just a marketplace to purchase music.
“Bandcamp has always stood strong in its beliefs and its place in the community that it has helped foster. As algorithms gradually wrest control of the music industry, Bandcamp has preserved the artist-first, defiantly human attitude. Maintaining the value that Bandcamp places on music is critical for artists everywhere, and it starts with valuing the workers who have built Bandcamp into the beloved platform it is today.”
A call to action petition asks the community to address Songtradr CEO Paul Wiltshire’s comments saying nothing about Bandcamp should change. Songtradr addressed the petition with a statement.
“We have received Bandcamp United’s letter and are reviewing it. Supporting the Bandcamp community will be our number one priority once the purchase is completed. Songtradr does not own or control Bandcamp yet. We are in the process of acquiring Bandcamp from Epic Games and we expect the transaction to close within the next few weeks.”
“Epic has committed to running Bandcamp Friday as planned and will ensure Bandcamp can continue to operate and support artists through this transition. Not all Bandcamp employees will receive offers from Songtradr. Based on its current financials, Bandcamp requires some adjustments to ensure a sustainable and healthy company that can serve its community of artists and fans long into the future.”
“Those that don’t receive offers within the next few weeks will receive severance from Epic as part of their layoffs as communicated on September 28. We will work towards a fair and equitable outcome for the global members of the Bandcamp team. Songtradr is planning to keep all the existing Bandcamp services that fans and artists love include Bandcamp Friday’s, Bandcamp Daily, and its artist-first revenue share.”