Bandcamp recently added an new feature to the platform, which is called “Listening Parties”! This feature now allows artists to plan and play events with live playthrough of any given album. It also includes a chat that lets fans and artists interact during the play-through to increase participation from both on the platform.

There will also be various merch, art and physical copies of the album that’s being played as a way for fans to get a shout out in the chat room and for fans to get some of their favorite artist’s gear. The “Listening Parties” feature was created to highlight new music before it’s released to increase pre-orders and pre-saves or as a way for artists and fans to celebrate the release of an album together. Though, it can also be used for many other things like bringing attention to older or classic albums, sharing fan favorites and celebrating anniversaries of certain albums. 

NME states that Girl Ray also shared: “We had such fun doing a Bandcamp listening party ahead of our release. It was genuinely so touching to hear people’s reactions to our album as it played, and such a nice way to interact with fans. We were able to share little insights into the record that we wouldn’t have otherwise.”

NME also states, “Burgess began his Listening Parties – in which he invites artists to Tweet along track-by-track to provide insight on new and classic albums – in March 2020. This was in response to the first national lockdown and since then, there have been hundreds of installments and two books about the popular online events.”

This is a very cool new feature that will get a lot of use from Fans and Artists alike. Be sure to check it out on Bandcamp now!