Ampwall: The responsible music platform
I heard about Ampwall from YouTube. It launched in 2024 as an artist-friendly and responsible alternative to the current platforms. Their model is like Bandcamp, where users can buy DRM-free downloads from the site.
The company is run by musicians, is registered as a public benefit company, and staying independent is a core part of their mission. Unlike SoundCloud or Bandcamp, they do not have a free tier for artists, but the subscription is $10 per year and they take a 5% cut from the sales.
I made a fan account and checked it out. Unfortunately, I could not find many artists I listen to on other platforms, but at least ambient and synthwave genres are present. This is an opportunity to find new artists. The platform is new, and hopefully more artists will jump ship in the future.
The site feels much modern than Bandcamp, which I mainly use for downloadable music. Importantly, browsing the site does not interrupt the player.
Since the artist subscription is not expensive, I plan on uploading my music to the platform. AI-generated music or images are not allowed, and need to prepare a couple of new covers before I release all my older tracks.
For a new artist, the lack of existing artists on the platform can be good. I hope my discoverability will be better than on platforms where established acts dominate.
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