The fiercely independent Bandcamp is no longer. Epic Games — owner of the formidable Fortnite and the Unreal gaming engine — consummated the marriage this morning (March 2nd).
Gaming mega-player Epic Games has just acquired longtime indie music platform Bandcamp, according to details confirmed by Bandcamp founder and CEO, Ethan Diamond. In a note sent to Digital Music News this morning, Diamond offered few specifics about the acquisition, but noted that little would change.
“Bandcamp will keep operating as a standalone marketplace and music community, and I will continue to lead our team,” Diamond assured. “The products and services you depend on aren’t going anywhere, we’ll continue to build Bandcamp around our artists-first revenue model (where artists net an average of 82% of every sale), you’ll still have the same control over how you offer your music, Bandcamp Fridays will continue as planned, and the Daily will keep highlighting the diverse, amazing music on the site.”
Of course, that’s typically the promise that founders and CEOs offer immediately after a mega-acquisition. In reality, few companies remain in their pristine, pre-acquisition form once the consolidation gets underway. Taking things a step further, it’s also uncertain how long Diamond and other Bandcamp toppers will remain within the Epic Games fold.
Diamond further praised Epic Games, which owns both Fortnite and the Unreal Engine, as “champions for a fair and open Internet.” That seems to align with the artist-focused, indie-oriented ethic of Bandcamp. “Since our founding in 2008, we’ve been motivated by the pursuit of our mission, which is to help spread the healing power of music by building a community where artists thrive through the direct support of their fans,” Diamond continued.