Track/album codes are unique codes that fans can redeem for a digital track or album, giving them unlimited streaming via the Bandcamp app as well as a high-quality download. You can generate them for any of your tunes on Bandcamp, then send them out via email or print them up (to bundle with your merch or hand out at shows). Your account comes with 200 codes, and you can buy more by clicking the "get more" link on your Tools page. You'll also earn more as you sell your music (we’ll add 1000 codes for every $500 USD in sales).
To create a batch of codes, first head over to the Track/album codes section of your Tools page. Select the downloadable item from the drop-down, then choose a name to identify that batch of codes. The name you choose won't be seen by your fans, nor will it affect the creation of your codes in any way, so it might be helpful to choose a descriptive title that helps you keep track of the batches across venues, events, or different groups of fans. After deciding on a name, enter the number of codes you need (in multiples of 100).
The easiest way to distribute your codes is via email. You might paste one into a message individually (if you are, say, offering an additional release to a special fan), or you might blast out hundreds of codes at once (if you are sending them to your entire mailing list).
To see your list of unique codes, click the export link next to the group you'd like to use. The codes will download as a .csv file ("Comma Separated Values", for you curious types), so you'll need to open it in a spreadsheet program like Excel or Google Docs to view it properly.
If you intend to send codes to hundreds of people or more, consider using an email campaign service that can automatically insert the codes into emails for you. Both MailChimp and ConstantContact offer those services.
Print & hand outWe make it very easy to take your codes out of cyberspace and hand them out in the real world. If you'd like to hand out drop-cards, click the print link next to the group of codes. We'll put the unique codes, along with relevant info and artwork, into a series of grids for you to print out.
If you'd rather not print out the (possibly hundreds of) pages on your home printer, you can take the finished template to your local print & copy shop. Most internet browsers will allow you to save the page as a PDF. Choose "Print" from your browser menu, and look for the "Save as PDF" or "PDF" option in the dialog that pops up. Take that file to the printer, and they'll take care of the rest.
If you have grander designs (literally), you are by no means obligated to use our printable template. Some print shops have the tech to merge data from a spreadsheet into a template of your own design, allowing you to make drop cards that look however you like, printed on whatever kind of material you prefer. You'll need to give the printer folks a call to find out if they can do this sort of thing, and if so, what image and spreadsheet formats they require.
Regardless of how you put the codes in your fans' hands, you'll want to make sure they know where to go to redeem them. Your Bandcamp account has a special URL specifically for redeeming codes. It looks like
example.bandcamp.com/yum
And the page looks a little summin' like this:
Be sure to stick example.bandcamp.com/yum on the back of the printed cards, or make sure it is included somewhere in the emails you send. Fortunately, if you forget to do that the situation isn't hopeless - when we see you have active codes, we'll include a link in the sidebar of your music pages for anyone who might be looking for a place to redeem their code.
If you'd like to save your fans the trouble of seeking out the /yum page or having to endure the nearly unbearable strain of typing their eight-character code, we have a neat trick for you. You can tack ?code=XXXX-XXXX onto the end of your /yum URL (where "XXXX-XXXX" is replaced with an actual track/album code), a la:
example.bandcamp.com/yum?code=br86-b52f
When a fan clicks one of those, the corresponding code will be redeemed and the download automatically served up. This (for obvious reasons) is best suited for inclusion in emails.
We'll keep track of which codes have been redeemed, so if you keep a record of which fan was given which code you can keep an eye on who is happily listening to your tunes (and, conversely, who has yet to tune in). To export a list of redeemed codes, click the blue number in the 'redeemed' column. Visual aid here.
Nope! Unused codes have no expiration date.
Of course! Not only will your codes continue to work, but your changes will be applied to any future downloads.
Indeed they do. This option is great for promotional releases and Japan-only 50-track collector's edition remix bundles.
Because drafts are works-in-progress, they can't be downloaded or streamed. After your album is published you'll be able to generate codes for it.
Fret not - each code is limited to just a few download attempts (within a limited window of time), so it will automatically expire well before nefarious types can do anything unsavory.
In short, no. Track/album codes are unique (to allow you to track which and how many codes have been redeemed), and only work for a limited number of download attempts. We may offer a multi-use code down the road, but there isn't an ETA yet.
No, you just do this (using MailChimp) or do this (using ConstantContact).
No, but that’s on our to-do.
In the codes section of your Tools page, click the blue number in the 'redeemed' column to see a list of every code that's been redeemed to-date. If you keep records of which code was given to which fan you'll be able to know who has already downloaded or streamed your tunes, and who has yet to acquiesce to your greatness.
At the moment, no. Codes must be generated in multiples of one hundred.
Though every new account comes with 200 free track/album codes, only download credits are bumped up every month. If you need more codes you can purchase them (at a very reasonable price) right on your Tools page.
Afraid not. We can only report sales that happen through Bandcamp directly. The downloads will still be counted on your Stats page, though.
Nope. Of course you can still use their services, but you'll need to send your codes & template to them manually.
Still wondering?
