Bandcamp, the much-loved music-sharing website headquartered in Oakland, has cut half of its staff.
A company spokesperson confirmed the layoffs to The Standard Monday afternoon, explaining that operating costs for the company had “significantly increased” in recent years.
These layoffs come weeks after Bandcamp was sold off by Epic Games to music licensing company Songtradr as part of a broader cost-cutting measure that also included mass layoffs.
Epic Games, the makers of the hugely popular video games Fortnite and Valorant, purchased Bandcamp in March 2022.
“After a comprehensive evaluation, including the importance of roles for smooth business operations and pre-existing functions at Songtradr, 50% of Bandcamp employees have accepted offers to join Songtradr,” Lindsay Nahmiache, a Songtradr spokesperson, said in a statement.
Nahmiache said that these layoffs were a part of the Epic Games cuts.
The news first circulated among laid-off workers on X, formerly Twitter, to widespread furor among music journalists and musicians.
JJ Skolnik, a longtime editor for the website’s editorial section Bandcamp Daily, said on X that only three workers on its editorial staff remain. Skolnik was among those affected by the layoffs. It is not clear how many workers are still employed in other parts of the company. The Songtradr spokesperson did not provide further comment.
Bandcamp, unlike other music streaming and sale services, focuses on independent and emerging music acts, creating artist-friendly revenue deals. It launched a popular program called Bandcamp Fridays during the pandemic, where the company waives its typical fees on the first Friday of every month.
The spokesperson emphasized that Bandcamp Fridays, as well as Bandcamp Daily, will stick around, although to what end is not clear.
Bandcamp United, the union representing Bandcamp employees, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.