Even vs Bandcamp: The D2C app battle of 2026

[@waynebo248]

I like the freedom of Bandcamp. I can release however I want to. I buy a lot of singles on Bandcamp as a consumer, so releasing singles makes sense if you have people who enjoy your music and want to support. As far as the "noise", you can minimize that by sharing direct links to your project. Also, If someone listens to the songs on my album and decides not to buy, they simply aren't a fan of my music. That's the risk we all gotta take. One of the main goals is to build a fan base. I think it does more damage to charge $10 with no previews and then they only like 3 out of 12 songs. Then your customers feel like they got burned and they definitely won't be back. And they won't be a fan.

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

I agree with you but if you do a great job with promo and 95% of your audience likes it but the other 5% want to issue you a chargeback then that's just collateral damage. Things is it happens to me all the time and people issue chargebacks for the dumbest reasons! If I lost that customer then isn't that more along the lines of your second paragraph. Lastly, back in the day, that's how we found out if the album was good during the first week before comments circulated in the community. I think the try before you buy at the counter separates the men from the boys.

[@secretarchivesofthevatican]

100%.

[@joechapman8208]

These are really weird pros and cons imo. I purchase a lot of digital music and some physical media, and used to purchase a lot of physical media in the past, and these things you're saying are just not recognisable to me. Aside from being a consumer, I'm also a producer and I have lots of successful friends working in the creative and admin side of the industry (international publishers etc). Calling limited discovery a "mechanism" is pretty odd. How can the absence of something be a mechanism? It's a choice (and a bad one imo), but it's not a mechanism. In-store CD previews were a huge driver of sales back in the day, so much so that labels were fighting to get those listening stations, particularly bigger indie labels hustling for those spots versus the majors. The idea that you lose sales that way is not reflected by the facts, and I don't see it being a problem with Bandcamp, 7Digital, Boomkat etc either. I have bought TONS of music I wouldn't have found because of audio previews where I didn't even know what it was, and it helps me to buy the records I think I want to buy, too. Unless you think pissing off a customer with cherry-picked tracks on socmed resulting in a regretted sale is a good idea? There's a good chance that customer will never touch that artist again, so congratulations on your last sale, I guess. How is it unfair to compare the apps? You can't say that Even's missing features are actually good things and then say the app is only young. If the app has no intention of adding the things that make Bandcamp great, then it doesn't matter how old it gets: its limits are already fixed. Bandcamp does have a community system. You can follow customers and music creators whose taste you like, and look at what they're buying. You will also receive regular emails telling you about your follows' purchases. It's not full DMs, but it's still a community system. You can send notes to creators at the point of sale, and creators can create social posts to talk about anything that's on their mind and the other users can reply.

[@UVG212]

excellent points.

[@secretarchivesofthevatican]

The Even site looks terrible, very 90s. It also seems very hip hop orientated and very American, which is fine but Bandcamp is a LOT wider in its scope and seems culturally much broader..

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

EVEN is working on the culture part. However I understand how this can be an accurate perception.

[@mayoryasin]

It's kind of funny because the founder of Even is Mexican

[@jupiter_ki]

bandcamp is like soundcloud , has/had all the potential possible , BUT because they didn’t gain over success and become an apple or spotify , EVEN is going to take the bag because they’re new , fresh and ppl we gave bandcamp way to long to become the company they’d continue to evolve into .

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

FINALLY SOMEBODY GETS IT!!! JESUS CHRIST!

[@YariBeatsMedia]

You don't need to sign in to buy music from Bandcamp.

[@Born_Original]

Sounds like both platforms is a must!! decision moving forward plus im an album type artist

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

Yeah man do your due diligence.

[@joyti_jmg]

Even, is something new to me. I’ll look into it and see what it does

[@beats8498]

Great content bruh all around!

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

Appreciate it!

[@BRowMusic]

so even, gives you publishing royalties and mechanical royalties? the only downside is the fact its less "Discovery" and no previews? also what would you say to an artist that is consistent with good content just low engagement through social media, would this not just be a harder way to get people to listen to your music rather than a spotify/apple music link? Really appreciate your vids man, just want some clarification.

[@musuku15]

I have had Even for a few months now, but I noticed it is more project based! I have been dropping singles since I started not long ago! But my first album is about finished! So I will most likely use them as another resource to support that release. I'm have to link you fam!

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

Yeah man let me help you tighten up that release strategy.

[@LapisStone]

do a singles bundle with "bonus tracks" or B sides.

[@stevelanemusic4463]

I have not been able to check EVEN out in discovery / consumer mode. I only see “Oops, something went wrong” time and time again. I have tried it on 4 different phones, a tablet, and 3 computers. It’s black, partitioned blankness 🤷. I’m able to noodle around the artist Interface, but that’s all. Also, it seems that EVEN is aimed to urban music. Which is great, I’m a rock artist however. I’m not sure of my audience going there for Rock. I’m really digging Bandcamp though. I would be interested in EVEN if I could get into the discovery space.

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

I haven't had that issue and I'm using an iPhone 8. LOL. Right now the platform is geared towards a direct sale. However, to be fair when Bandcamp was started it wasn't geared towards hip hop and urban it was rock and punk rock and then everything else came online. However, EVEN does have other acts than just urban. They have indie pop, bachata, and merengue artists as well as others that I can't currently see but know about due to the lack of a discovery function.

[@stevelanemusic4463]

@@MusicMoneyMakeover

[@Gaven7r]

Since "Even" is a new plataform, is it even worth it for new unknown/upcoming artists? As other comment mentioned, atm it looks very north-american oriented, so is it even worth using if someone isn't north american? Also, this is the first time i've heard about the platform.

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

EVEN isn't as unknown as you think. There are a lot of big artist on the platform already. Secondly, they have artist from Europe and Latin America on the platform right now that have audiences so..... Ya know you kinda gotta dig in a bit. However if you'd like to stand on the sideline and wait until it becomes main stream you can.

[@roberthinrichsmusic]

I've been trying to figure out what to do as the sand has shifted under my feet, and am so pleased to have come across your distillation of what is happening to the music business. I am interested in the business viability/sustainability case for these platforms. We have all heard that Spotify, despite its billions and greed, isn't a stable company at all, and is set to crash at some point (or maybe become a platform for listening to pre-fab AI music, and just let the artists starve). And, what impact will it have that bandcamp was acquired in 2022 and a lot of its staff were let go, and where will its parent company probably take it? Do they "get it" or does it seem they might strategically drop the ball in the new world because it is no longer autonomous? Also, as a new company, how does EVEN hold up in terms if its financial stability, etc.? In terms of investing in the services I use, stability is a factor. That's a lot of questions, sorry! haha

[@MYZTICTRAVLER]

Nawwww.....this wasn't an overt endorsement for EVEN .......EVEN though it turned out to be a overt plug for EVEN.... 😅😅😅

[@crossfireceo]

💯💯💯😂😂😂😂😂

[@LyricsVideo4U]

Nice, keep it up! 🔥🔥

[@jamesmccool503]

Have you checked out NEWM or Audius? I would be very interested in your opinion.

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

I have checked out Audius but I'm also watch publicity and how the money is moving to promote these platforms. When it comes to the consumer branding is everything and Audius is not rolling their product out to the consumer Bandcamp and EVEN are. Great question though because I get it often. You've just got to remember customers buy albums not artists.

[@secretarchivesofthevatican]

@@MusicMoneyMakeover Audius is also very 90s looking but is also a pain to deal with when it comes to uploads. Very non-intuitive and clunky. New platforms need to look at the good aspects of existing platforms, see what people like about them and not ditch those concepts. Make them even better.

[@TJ-bx5px]

AUDIUS is the future. Blockchain streaming technology is the future

[@dr.harmonymusic7766]

I really like this channel, but I was just curious do you have another channel that displays more of your personality Casey because if so, I’m interested in knowing a little more about you and what you do other than music business education.

[@SmokeWitMeTv]

Bandcamp Does have some kind of Community feature

[@bolojean-luc2337]

Hi ! How long "Even" music plateform exist ? Is it something new ?

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

Yes, It's almost 2 years old.

[@bolojean-luc2337]

@@MusicMoneyMakeover okay thanks bro

[@SmokeWitMeTv]

I thought u can stop Previews on Bandcamp

[@Joejoyoyoyo]

Hi, Have people in the UK had success with your course? 🤔 It says you can build a record label in the US…

[@Dan-Tyler-Music]

Too biased towards Even when clearly its not the site to use for the consumer. No previews means you dont know what your buying and less likely to buy, moving newbies to the background just means only big artists will be pushed to the front

[@michaelflomer8348]

Success with BMI application of Publishing Rights LLC, and Sound Exchange, Gonna take last few Steps. The 60 Day record Label Executive Edition step by step is working very well. The most difficult part was me. Never heard of 'Even' until your Video. Will check it our. ISRC/UPC Codes Embed Meta Data into Song, Videos and Graphic a MUST to collect Royalties. Have you, or can you go deeper into the ISRC/UPC Codes Embedment? Don't release without them. Thank you! Cheers!

[@olwalker4]

2 things…1st, do u offer some form of continued consultation for those who purchase ur course?…2nd, d2 c is risky right now for the artist because those other sites still exist so I can see an artist getting lost in the sauce

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

1. No I do not. You'll have to book a call at this link www.musicmoneymakeover.com/bookacall I can talk to you there. My community is under construction. 2. D2c isn't risky its always been available. Most artist who do it run the D2C for a period of time like Movie Theaters to Home movies and then they drop the album on streaming but the D2C album has more value packed in.

[@olwalker4]

@@MusicMoneyMakeover I see it, thanks…I’m looking forward to taking the course soon

[@RealMusicHype]

Nice one! We would like to feature you on our music blog!

[@willnadamusic]

I listen to music a lot. Everytime I hear you say buy music it dosnt even register anymore. I haven’t bought music years. And I used to buy all the time when iTunes was the thing. Who is buying singles or albums.

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

TONS SIR TONSSSSSSSS You just gotta get back in the pool! The movement has been happening.

[@BenedictRoffMarsh]

Thanks for the rundown and comparisons. From their site, Even looks to be very "Homie" in tone. Fine if you are doing that, for that sort of audience. Will people looking for Prog Rock, Space Music, Blues, Trad Jazz, Classical etc feel like "Black Panther Records" is the store they will feel welcome to walk into? Maybe everyone inside is great, but if the whole storefront (from the core site pages/advertising) shows only a very different 'pattern' will it contain anything other than that vibe? I get you say that I drive the traffic there - and I already do to Bandcamp but if when people get there they feel like they are in the wrong place...? Similarly, maybe people feel Bandcamp isn't their clique of peeps?? I know BC is a lot for Hipster than it was when I started and I don't love that for my thing. It is good to see more players in the "online Indie Record Store" space and each should differentiate so while I will look at Even, maybe it is simply not the best store for my buyers (not that I choose who they are). :-)

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

This comment wins the comment section. EVEN did start off in the urban space but they are growing. They are only 22 months old where as Bandcamp is 15 + years old. To be fair they are already hosting multiple forms of music including indie pop and jazz but again it's new and they are making strides to become mainstream.

[@housahaulicrecordstv4310]

20% is not a lot !

[@One_Call_System]

After listening to your explanation on how Even doesnt have any previews, to me that sounds like a horrible idea. So i got to goto your social media to listen now? I have to do all this stupid extra clicking around just so i can preview your track? Sorry im not going to go through the extra effort and have to sift through some bullshit tik tok page to listen to your album lol. I love how bandcamp is set up, i love the recommend system and most importantly, i can go and see what other users are buying which has led me on so many rabbitholes. Maybe Even might get you more sales in the end (i dont know) but this incorporate it into social media idea is shit.

[@elijahtrenton8351]

Tries to use Even *Stripe is NOT available in your region*

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

That's strange. There's always hiccups as you're building.

[@lucianogiordana]

No , BC is not a music discover platform. Is a political aligned platform that curates and highlight only what's ideologically aligned with them.

[@KDMack-qv4wv]

20% 🤔🤔🤔🤔😮‍💨

[@Yfugrooveyy580]

I follow u like a bible

[@BottleneckMoses]

Never heard of even. Better off sticking with a known entity, I think.

[@MusicMoneyMakeover]

You will in due time.

[@1-eye-willy]

ill just stick to puting physical product on shopify or amazon. thats the only way direct to consumer works. you cant sell direct to consumer when you have nothing tangible to sell. all this streaming and shit is only promotion for many different avenues as an artist, and i think you are a schill for even. mark my words it aint going to pan out, maybe when money and ownership becomes old hat for the human race like in startrek, and as long as people want value with their purchases, nobody will migrate to this garbage ass app

[@mariamcamara1833]

You can actually sell merchandise (CDs, Vinyl, Shirts) directly on EVEN + other fan exclusive fan experiences. The music sells of course, but I agree fans always enjoy physical product too.