In what’s roughly motive No. 4,783 to like the platform, Bandcamp has formally banned the add of AI-generated audio and music to its platform. Suck it, “the longer term.”
The announcement got here Tuesday (January thirteenth) as Bandcamp Help took to reddit to share the information. Having not too long ago launched its 2025 round-up, Bandcamp stated the principles got here because it was noticeably struck by “the sheer amount of human creativity and fervour that artists categorical on Bandcamp each single day.” The platform added that these guidelines come as they search to “defend and preserve” Bandcamp as a “vibrant group of actual folks making unbelievable music.”
And these guidelines for generative AI in music and audio search to do exactly that. All of it boils down to 2 key factors:
- Any music and audio that’s “generated wholly or in substantial half by AI” is outright banned from Bandcamp.
- Using AI instruments to “impersonate different artists or types is strictly prohibited,” which is a continuation of current insurance policies meant to ban “impersonation and mental property infringement.”
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Bandcamp encourages anybody to make use of the platform’s reporting instruments to tag songs/audio for content material evaluate. (It’s value noting that Bandcamp does “reserve the proper to take away any music on suspicion of being AI generated.”) It should additionally “talk any updates because the quickly altering generative AI house develops.”
Not less than judging from the responses on reddit, the transfer is being embraced by artists and customers alike. One redditor wrote, “Bandcamp continues to be the very best place to publish your music.” One other wrote, “Completely thrilled to listen to this. Y’all are my favourite option to assist the artists I really like, and I’m blissful you’ll proceed to be a spot that provides an area not like different music platforms.”
The identical publish additionally made just a few essential clarifications round different points of the generative AI “debate.” That features AI getting used to clean and practice from uploaded Bandcamp music, which the platform then described as being “strictly prohibited.”
Whereas we should always all be overjoyed about Bandcamp’s resolution, it’s a special image elsewhere on the World Extensive Net. Sure, Spotify has rolled out latest artist protections towards AI, the platform has confronted scrutiny over the continued presence of faux tracks throughout its platform. In the meantime, Apple Music has embraced the know-how to a really particular diploma, specializing in using AI to create playlists. And, in fact, we now have to say Xania Monet, the AI-generated artist who appeared on the Billboard charts.
However Bandcamp’s new guidelines are nonetheless worthy of reward/celebration. It’s a smaller transfer, certain, however one which continues to be an funding in actual musicians in all places. And with the platform paying out a big $19 million in 2025 alone, it’s clear that the platform performs a big function within the ever-tenuous, ever-shifting indie music panorama.
Bandcamp Friday (the place all funds go on to artists and labels) returns on February sixth. Within the meantime, a little bit reward music for all of the fantastic people at Bandcamp.
For extra on music and AI, learn Kiana Fitzgerald’s latest piece, “The Grifters, Dreamers, and Robots Behind AI-Generated Music.”
