What is Bandcamp?

Bandcamp is a music platform where you can purchase and stream music.

When you buy music on Bandcamp, you actually get the files in their highest quality while directly supporting your favorite artists.

Artists receive around 80% of the purchase.

Some tracks and albums are free, some have a minimum price, and the maximum price is unlimited.

The Social Internet

When social networks first started becoming a thing in my hometown, I remember the excitement and social connection of creating a profile for the first time.

You didn’t really know the purpose of it all yet, and you didn’t know the rules. But you had just discovered something genuinely social and deeply connecting for everyone participating in it.

That first evening, I searched for people I knew, sent friend requests and greetings to random people, checked profiles, photo albums, music, and more. It was so much fun.

The Proactive Internet

The internet was initially very social.

What I mean by that is that you had to explore it proactively.

You had to put in effort to find new media:

• visiting your friends’ profiles
• Googling music, videos, and wallpapers
• getting YouTube recommendations IRL in conversations

Feeds were paginated chronological updates from people you actually knew. Updates from your friends’ progress in their favorite Facebook game, relationship status, or the songs they were playing right now.

After midnight, the feed used to become a very quiet place. It gave you an opportunity to get bored, sit in silence, and think.

Algorithms

Around 2011, I started noticing the first algorithmic infinite-scroll feeds.

Algorithms are designed to prevent any moment of silence and solitude. Users have to be entertained every single minute.

Today, consuming media online reminds me of a slot machine or cable TV back in the day. You just keep watching mindlessly, pressing the “next” button and hoping that something interesting finally comes up.

Algorithmic suggestion in music?

Today we’re talking about music, so let’s take a brief look at music recommendation algorithms.

Even in a niche bubble, you’re usually getting the most refined, safe, non-controversial, comfortable version of a suggestion. Algorithms don’t overthink or try to impress.

Algorithms on music platforms give us:

• monoculture
• close-mindedness
• isolation

With the rise of AI-produced content online, you also can’t really be sure whether what you’re being recommended is actual human-made work.

Music discovery guide for Bandcamp

Recently I discovered a surprisingly good way to find music organically.

1. Find and open your favorite niche or semi-niche album or song. I chose the album “Digital-Dance” by the band “Software”.
2. Each track or album has a “Supported by” section. Click on a profile picture you like the most.

3. On that page, you can explore the music taste of a complete stranger.

4. Listen, and purchase items you like.

If you like someone’s music taste, give them a follow. Bandcamp has a great chronological feed, split into two sections: “fan activity” and “new releases from artists you follow”, so those two don’t get mixed together.

The social, the proactive

Real people are involved. You discover music through curiosity instead of optimization.

It feels social again. It feels proactive.

If you don’t know where to start, visit the Favorites page on this website, where you can use my personal picks as a starting point.

Just tap on an album and it will lead you to its Bandcamp page.

Happy listening :)