01/22/2026
Bandcamp Just Banned AI Music…
…and honestly? Indie artists everywhere just let out a collective sigh of relief.
Bandcamp is now the first major music platform to officially say:
No AI-generated music. Not here.
Not “we’re thinking about it.”
Not “we’re experimenting.”
Not “we’ll label it.”
Just… no.
Here’s what the new policy says (in plain English):
🚫 AI music is banned if it’s made “wholly or in substantial part” using generative AI
🚫 AI impersonation is forbidden (no copying artist voices, styles, vibes, etc.)
🚫 No scraping Bandcamp to train AI models
👀 Fans can report AI content (community moderation is part of enforcement)
Why this is HUGE for independent musicians
Bandcamp has always been the platform where fans go to support artists directly.
And now they’re basically saying:
If a fan buys music, merch, or vinyl… it should go to a human being.
Not a prompt.
Not a bot farm.
Not a fake “artist” uploading 300 tracks a week.
The bigger point
While other platforms are trying to figure out how to monetize AI music…
Bandcamp is doubling down on being the anti-algorithm, artist-first corner of the internet.
AKA: keeping music human.
👇 Question for artists:
Do you think Spotify/Apple should follow Bandcamp’s lead… or is AI music here to stay?