Hi developpers, are there any requests and work done or to be done to support Bandcamp streaming? That would be very interesting and support independent music creators, don’t you think?
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I don’t stream Bandcamp as I believe the streams are mp3 quality. I have found the best way to support artists and for me to enjoy the music is to purchase it, download to Local Storage and play the Flac files on Studio in lossless quality as provided by the artists.
Killing two birds with one stone, support of artists and enjoyment of their music.
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Hi ChiiliHot, in fact they are mostly in 24bits 44,1… but respect your thinking! Cheers
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@sd49300 Totally agree that downloads are that quality without a doubt, and many many more are up to 24/192 kHz, but streaming quality is mp3 as per their website.
As long as you enjoy the music the rest is irrelevant. 
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Bandcamp is a good source to get exposed to music and audition prior to purchase… There is also the issue of exposure to viruses, trojan horses, etc, because of a lack of curation… this holds true with downloads.
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That’s too bad - because of the artist support (they’re not all small indie artists, a fair number of somewhat famous ones there too) I’d be all over their streaming service and pushing for Audirvana to work with it if they had RedBook and hi-res streaming. I don’t know how much such a service might cost, though, if they’d want to give a fair chunk to artists.
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You are absolutely correct @Jud that there is a massive range of artists on there from the never heard of to the big guns. Same also goes for Labels that may have a couple of artists to massive labels with some of the world’s best acts.
I can only assume that they have chosen what works best for them and their content makers (The Artists) and that perhaps having a competing streaming service is not for them. I should note that they do have their own app from which you can listen to your own purchases etc but to be honest I don’t believe I have ever listened to a full song on it, let alone a full album.
I have purchased a lot of music from Bandcamp and never had any major issues with their service or downloads. I have had to remind some Bands that their releases are late and the nice part is that your email actually gets put through to the Band or their management.
I will also say that they are not always the cheapest option for purchasing downloadable music, but sometimes it is the only place that has that music.
To me it’s an incredibly important part of how I collect my library, along with Qobuz Sublime (but they are not being used at the moment) and a half dozen or more other HD and DSD Services and Artists own WebStores.
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hi guys, interesting discussion. Here’s an other interesting aspect when you type a security information request based about Bandcamp to ChatGPT.
“Here’s a clear, fact-based look at whether there have been virus / malware / security-related issues on the music platform Bandcamp — especially in terms of downloads, streaming, or general use:
Overall Safety of the Official Bandcamp Site
- The official Bandcamp platform itself is widely regarded as a legitimate and secure music marketplace. It uses HTTPS encryption for payments and user logins, and there are no widespread reports of the site routinely distributing malware or viruses as a part of normal operation.
Types of Security or Abuse Issues That Have Been Reported
Even though the main platform is safe, there are some security-related problems reported by users in the wild — typically not caused by Bandcamp itself but by malicious actors trying to exploit it:
• Malware via fake messages:
There have been reports on community forums (like Reddit) of potential ransomware/malware links sent through Bandcamp’s contact system or impersonating communication associated with Bandcamp. These came from scammers trying to get users to click harmful links — not from Bandcamp’s servers distributing a virus.
• Scammer pages/ fake listings:
Third parties have, in the past, created fake Bandcamp artist pages, scamming users into buying music that either doesn’t exist or is removed later. This isn’t a virus but can lead to phishing / tricking users into unsafe downloads or links. Bandcamp usually removes such pages once discovered.
• Hacked artist profiles:
There are occasional anecdotal reports (e.g., via social posts) of some artist accounts being hacked or locked out, which can be a security concern for creators — but it’s not evidence of widespread malware distribution.
Important: Safe Usage Best Practices
Because viruses and malware distribution typically occur through malicious links or fake sites rather than the official Bandcamp service:
Always ensure the URL is exactly bandcamp.com before downloading anything.
Avoid clicking on emailed links unless you’re certain it’s legitimately from Bandcamp.
Do not download files from third-party sites that claim to be Bandcamp content unless confirmed safe (e.g., not pirated or unofficial).
Keep your browser and antivirus software up to date for protection against drive-by downloads and phishing.
In Summary
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Bandcamp itself is not known for distributing viruses or malware.
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Most security problems reported by users involve external scams — phishing emails, fake pages, malicious links that appear to be associated with Bandcamp but are not part of the platform’s legitimate download/streaming service.
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Practicing basic browser security and verifying URLs vastly reduces any risk.
If you want tips on how to safely verify a file’s integrity before opening (e.g., via virus scanning services or checksums), I can walk you through that too.”
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Hi @sd49300 A really good post with lots of pertinent information for the Virus and Trojan Doomsayers, which in the end is normal safe online practices for users. Bandcamp, i believe does not suffer from a lack of curation as may have been suggested as it is in all parties interests to be vigilant and aware.
With a bit of luck your initial inquiry might one day eventuate, if some of the more well known Streaming Services are unable to survive.
I’ve purchased just under 5,500 Albums from Bandcamp which is about half of all my Local Files and would recommend it to anybody, except anyone that is OCD about Metadata, as it can be a bit lax, but then again I have Box Sets purchased from Qobuz Sublime that took a long time to get right just working at it bit by bit.
Enjoy your listening and let us know if there is any gems you find and want to share.
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