Bandcamp Bans AI Music. bitsound Labels It Instead.
Since 13 January 2026, Bandcamp's terms prohibit AI-generated music. That is one way to handle a question many artists now face: what belongs on a music store, and who decides? bitsound answers it differently. AI-assisted releases are allowed, but the artist has to declare how much AI was involved, and that declaration is public.
What Bandcamp's rule means for artists
Bandcamp's policy is a clear line: if a release contains AI-generated music, it cannot be sold there. For artists who use AI only for parts of their work, the line is harder to draw, and they have to decide where their music fits best.
How bitsound handles AI-assisted releases
bitsound accepts AI-assisted music under one condition: it is labeled openly. Each release states whether it is no, partly or mostly AI-generated. That label appears on the release page, so buyers can see it before they pay. The artist has to make sure the information is correct, and the license of the AI tool used must allow commercial sale.
The idea is simple: the listener decides what matters to them, based on accurate information.
Why the difference matters beyond the policy
The policy question sits next to a more practical one: who gets paid, and what does the buyer get?
- Revenue: bitsound pays the artist 90% of the net price. Bandcamp keeps 15% of digital sales (10% above 5,000 USD in a year) plus payment fees.
- Ownership: You buy the files and keep them. There is no DRM and no subscription.
- Quality: Lossless downloads go up to 24-bit/192 kHz, depending on the release. Previews and in-browser streaming are not lossless. The higher quality is only in the purchased download.
Where things stand
If you are an artist and want to hear when you can join, the artist page has a notification list.
For now, the most useful step is to read the policy pages yourself, compare them with what you actually release, and decide where your music fits best.