Tomorrow is Bandcamp Friday. It’s the first one of this year.

If you read PopCult regularly and/or listen to Radio Free Charleston on our sister internet station, The AIR, you know that my mantra for RFC is “Support the Local Scene. Support Independent Music. Buy your music in an ethical manner.”

One of the most ethical ways to buy music these days is by using Bandcamp, which on a normal day, passes along a much more equitable amount of the money you spend to the artists who make the music that keeps them in business.

On Bandcamp Friday, they waive their usual fees and the artists get to keep virtually ALL of the money spent on their music and merch that they sell through Bandcamp.

This is why I like to plug Bandcamp Friday. As I just explained, that’s the day when my favored streaming service, Bandcamp, foregoes their usual cut of the money and lets the artists keep all the money spent on their music and merch.

The artists get a much bigger cut of the proceeds.  If you scroll down and check out almost any post about an episode of Radio Free Charleston that has a playlist in this blog since 2023, you will find that the list of artists have links, many of which take you directly to that artist’s Bandcamp page.

I’m talking about the likes of The Settlement, Byzantine, Brian Diller,  Emmalea Deal & The Hot Mess , Corduroy Brown,  Frenchy & The Punk, The M.F.B. , Saycouth , June Swoon, Samuel S.C, Custard Flux and many many others. Plus this is a good time to pick up older releases and merch from your favorite local and indie artists.

You know what to do to support the local scene and independent artists.

Remember, it’s not just digital downloads. You can order vinyl, CDs, Cassettes, T Shirts, hats and all kinds of other cool band merch.

To reiterate, let me quote from their website:

Bandcamp Fridays began in March of 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when the shuttering of venues led to a loss of vital tour revenue for artists. Since then, Bandcamp Fridays—on which we waive our revenue share and pass the funds directly to artists & labels—has resulted in millions of fans paying over $120 million directly to labels and musicians they love. In addition to helping artists pay the rent, or fund album recordings and tours, Bandcamp Fridays have also become a beacon for artists and record labels looking to raise awareness for causes or raise money for charities.

The first Bandcamp Friday of 2026 will be this Friday, February 6th.

Bandcamp Fridays will continue throughout 2026—check out the dates below, and mark your calendars:

March 6th
May 1st
August 7th
September 4th
October 2nd
November 6th
December 4th

So remember, wake up tomorrow and buy some music from Bandcamp. You know you want to!