Bandcamp will waive its cut of sales for one day to support musicians during coronavirus pandemic

With all live performances and tours cancelled or postponed indefinitely for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus, bands and artists have lost a major source of income.

To help raise awareness of the pandemic’s impact on musicians, as well as put some money directly into artists’ pockets, online music company Bandcamp has announced it will waive its cut of all purchases made via the site on Friday, March 20.

The company generally takes 15% from digital music sales and 10% from merchandise, but for 24 hours – midnight to midnight, PST – it will forgo its revenue share.

“For many artists, a single day of boosted sales can mean the difference between being able to pay rent or not,” said Bandcamp cofounder and CEO Ethan Diamond in a statement.

“Still, we consider this just a starting point. Musicians will continue to feel the effects of lost touring income for many months to come, so we’re also sharing some ideas below on how fans can support the artists they love and how artists can give fans new, creative ways to provide support.

“It may sound simple, but the best way to help artists is with your direct financial support, and we hope you’ll join us on Friday and through the coming months as we work to support artists in this challenging time.”

For more information, head to Bandcamp.