Bandcamp acquired by Fortnite developer Epic Games
CEO Ethan Diamond has called Epic "champions of a fair and open internet"
Epic Games, the developer and publisher behind Fortnite, has acquired Bandcamp for an undisclosed sum.
Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond announced the news via the Bandcamp Updates blog, declaring his excitement in the acquisition - labelling the developer "champions for a fair and open Internet."
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Epic Games is known for games such as Fortnite, Gears of War, Rocket League and its development of the Unreal Engine — an engine that powers many modern console games.
Diamond assured Bandcamp users that the deal would not mean that Bandcamp would be changing operation: "We will keep operating as a standalone marketplace and music community, and I will continue to lead our team. The products and services you depend on aren’t going anywhere."
He continued that the music marketplace's "artist-first revenue model" would remain, with artists looking to take home an average of 82% on sales. Diamond also promised the continuation of Bandcamp Fridays — an initiative that gives artists the ability to take home 100% of their sales on the last Friday of every month.
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However, behind the scenes we’re working with Epic to expand internationally and push development forward across Bandcamp, " he said in the statement.
"From basics like our album pages, mobile apps, merch tools, payment system, and search and discovery features, to newer initiatives like our vinyl pressing and live streaming services."
In a statement released by Epic, the developer praised Bandcamp's "fair and open platform."
"Epic and Bandcamp share a mission of building the most artist-friendly platform that enables creators to keep the majority of their hard-earned money. Bandcamp will play an important role in Epic’s vision to build out a creator marketplace ecosystem for content, technology, games, art, music and more."
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter