An Untapped Platform for Independent Musicians
As an artist and producer, one of my biggest challenges has been juggling the creative side with the business side of things. While I love producing and composing music, managing the operations of a small record label—both for my own projects and for the artists I work with—can be an exhausting balancing act.
Maximising the reach and sales of our digital and physical releases is often limited by the platforms we rely on. For a long time, Bandcamp has been the go-to for distributing our music, and while it’s a beloved platform by many, sticking to just one outlet constrains potential.
Recently, I’ve decided to expand our horizons by making the label’s catalogue available on Gumroad as well. This move is aimed at diversifying how fans can discover and support our music, giving them more options while hopefully broadening our audience.
SIDE COMMENT ON GUMROAD: For what it’s worth, I find Gumroad to be somewhat clunky and not particularly intuitive when it comes to uploading music and audio-related assets. The store layouts and customisation options feel a bit awkward, making the overall experience less streamlined than I would like.
In October 2024, AudioDefine Records / Same Great Sounds launched an itch.io store.
While audio production-related software and assets are widely available on the platform, my recent experience uploading a few albums to itch.io has sparked my excitement about its potential as an unexpected alternative to Bandcamp. Its flexibility, community-driven approach, and emphasis on supporting creators make it a surprisingly suitable space for music distribution.
itch.io’s Terms of Service do not prohibit the distribution of music (assuming the music complies with content guidelines). In fact, the platform supports a wide range of content, including music. While there is only a dedicated section for ‘soundtracks,’ you are free to upload music that isn’t explicitly tied to a game. As the primary focus is for distribution of gaming-related content, that could unlock some new opportunities (more on that below)
One can easily customise their store and listings by using ‘nouns’
We have classifications for tools, comics, books, soundtracks, assets, and physical games. If that’s not enough, you can even customize the noun by which itch.io refers to your project.
Integrations with Patreon and Kickstarter also make itch.io the ideal platform to distribute your creative goods!
COMPLETE CONTROL OVER MONETISATION AND PRICING
One of Itch.io’s most attractive features for musicians is its flexible pricing structure. Much like Bandcamp, musicians can sell their music directly to fans and offer a “pay what you want” model. However, Itch.io takes it a step further by allowing musicians to:
- Set minimum prices or offer free downloads with optional donations.
- Run sales or discounts and offer bundles with other digital products like artwork, zines, or even game soundtracks.
- Bonus points for the option to hold a “reverse sale” — where your your prices don’t go down, they go up! Mwahaha to be part of the 1% for just a breath!
- Choose revenue share: you can decide how much of a cut itch.io takes from their earnings, with the option to reduce it to the point that the platform doesn’t make a cent off you!
This level of freedom is empowering for independent musicians who want to experiment with different business models or release formats without being tied to rigid fee structures or commission rates.
CREATIVE FREEDOM WITH SOME PRETTY COOL FEATURES
itch.io is designed with creativity in mind, offering musicians total freedom to customize how their content is presented. You can create a store page and product (in my case, album) listings that reflect your brand or the vibe of your project, with full control over layout, colour schemes, and multimedia content.
In addition to uploading your album’s audio files, you can also include PDF liner notes, artwork, and other related materials or bonus content.
Unlike Bandcamp, where you’re restricted to ensuring a store listing contains audio, you can distribute related content alongside your music on this platform. This could be useful for options like videos, graphic novels, notation, or other virtual items.
A decent set of tools are available including analytics and promotional campaigns, sales and bundles. You can even post a job listing. Who knows, maybe there’s room for the platform to become the discovery centre for fellow collaborators?
ONE THING WORTH MENTIONING is that there’s a few file upload limits, so if your tracks are over 1GB each, then you’ll have issues, but this should only be a concern for those of us uploading super high resolution formats or surround sound formats. These ‘soft limits’ can be increased fairly easily (to a maximum of 2GB per file) by contacting itch.io’s support team and explaining your intentions.
A THRIVING COMMUNITY
At first glance, itch.io might seem like a platform strictly for gamers, but the indie spirit driving its community makes it an excellent fit for independent musicians. Many indie game developers are themselves musicians or need original music for their games. This intersection creates a natural marketplace for artists who want to collaborate or cross-promote.
Some key benefits of engaging with itch.io’s community include:
- Cross-promotion opportunities: Many indie developers are on the lookout for music to license for their games. By sharing your music on Itch.io, you increase the chances of connecting with these developers.
- Music and game bundles: If you’re both a musician and a game developer—or collaborate with one—you can offer a bundle featuring both the game and its soundtrack, creating a unique package that appeals to fans of both media.
- Expanding your audience: By tapping into the gaming community, you expose your music to new audiences who may not find you through traditional music channels. Gamers often have a deep appreciation for independent art and might become loyal fans of your work.
- Looking to broaden your opportunities? Check out the “Help Offered” section in the community forums. Offering to score games or contribute your music as a soundtrack for indie projects could open exciting new doors for you!
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN CONTENT DISCOVERY = GOOD PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY?
itch.io places a strong emphasis on community-driven content discovery. Fans and users can leave comments, reviews, and recommendations, which in turn builds a stronger sense of connection between artists and their audience. Additionally, itch.io’s system for community-funded projects, Creator Day—where the platform takes 0% revenue share for a day—can be an opportunity to drive even more sales or donations for musicians releasing new music.
itch.io also has developer logs that musicians could utilise as a blog or update platform, allowing musicians to communicate directly with their audience, giving updates about upcoming releases, tours, or creative processes. It’s always clever to keep your fanbase engaged and excited about your work without annoying them too much.
CONCLUSION:
It’s a Versatile Platform for Musicians and Small Labels!
itch.io may not be the first platform that comes to mind for musicians, but it offers a level of flexibility, creative freedom, and community that few others can match. For independent musicians seeking a direct-to-fan experience, alternative pricing models, and the opportunity to connect with a passionate community, itch.io is an underrated gem.
There are a few caveats as can be expected with a platform that doesn’t focus its attention on music releases – no built-in file conversion to allow your downloaders to pick between MP3, FLAC and other formats.
While Bandcamp remains a go-to for many indie musicians, using itch.io in tandem—or even as a primary distribution channel—could open up new doors for revenue, collaboration, and creative experimentation. If you’re a musician who thrives on independence and originality, it’s worth considering Itch.io as your next musical platform.
SPECIAL MENTION: I recently discovered a tool called Bandcrash (on itch.io, of all places) that simplifies the process of setting up an album for sale or download. It offers additional features like file format encoding and support for album metadata. There’s concise to-the-point documentation available here. Unfortunately, I discovered it only after going through the painstaking process of uploading most of my catalogue but I’m eager to test it out in the future!