App of the Week – Bandcamp Apps

Published on December 21, 2017

As anyone who’s ever visited the Geek Chicago office would tell you, our team is passionate about music. We’re totally devoted to our tunes, and not a day goes by that our workplace isn’t filled with somebody’s music, whether it’s wafting from a speaker or contained between two earbuds.

And as serious music fans, we’re all about finding the best way to consume music, anytime, anywhere. For that music fan who’s always looking for the next big thing, Bandcamp is the place to be.

Billing itself as a way to “discover amazing new music and directly support the artists who make it,” Bandcamp is an online platform that allows artists to sell their music directly to listeners, at whatever price they’d like. In recent years, it’s become a haven for indie music labels and their fans, who have flocked to the service for its cheap prices and an incredible roster of artists, including creators from all over the world, working in genres ranging from hip-hop to punk to traditional folk to jazz.

Even better, Bandcamp will work for the music lover or musician on the go, thanks to its suite of handy apps.

For serious indie and alternative music fans, the Bandcamp app is a must-have. Available for free on iOS and Android devices, the app allows users to instantly access their Bandcamp purchases, so that they can stream their hard-to-find favorites from anywhere. The app is also a great way to discover new music and really dive into Bandcamp’s rich community of creators; it features a messages tab that allows you to stay up to date with any updates from artists you follow, aggregates new releases into your customized feed for easy discovery, and lets you listen into the service’s much-lauded radio show, Bandcamp Weekly.

For creators looking to get the most out of the platform, Bandcamp for Artists & Labels is a powerful tool for gauging your success and monitoring your fan’s activity, whether you’re in the recording studio or hanging in the tour bus. With the app – available for free for iOS and Android – artists and mangers can message fans, keep up with their analytics, and even process and fulfill merchandise orders.

Checking out some of Bandcamp’s diverse, talented artists right now? Have any long-time faves you think our team should add to our playlists? Got any other music apps we should try? We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter today to keep the conversation going!