Industry Insider: Aly Gillani Discusses Bandcamp and Modern Artist Development

When it comes to the modern online music industry, there is perhaps no better friend to independent artists than Bandcamp. In its 17 years of existence, the platform has been responsible for helping to expose millions of listeners to thousands of talented artists they might have otherwise never discovered. Unlike paid platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, Bandcamp has always provided listeners a space where they can discover new music for free.

For nearly a decade, Aly Gillani has been with Bandcamp. He previously worked as a Label Representative until earlier this year when he took on the position of Artist & Label Relations Lead. Gillani’s new role is focused on managing a wide team of industry representatives to serve Bandcamp’s global community of artists, labels, and distributors. His team manages existing relationships while also growing the platform’s catalogue. Gillani also acts as a spokesperson for the company for the press and media.

Gillani joins us today for our Industry Insider interview series to discuss the evolution of artist-fan relationships, the challenges inherent in today’s music market, where he sees the industry going, and more.

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How do you think the artist-fan relationship will evolve over the next few years as direct-to-fan models become more prevalent?

Aly Gillani: “In the past decade or so, social media has broken down the boundaries between artists and their fans. However, as those social media platforms fracture and algorithms make genuine connections harder, artists find themselves in a difficult position. As a result, places like Bandcamp have become crucial in maintaining those relationships with fans. The ability for listeners to easily and directly support the artists that they love is essential for those creators to survive in such a challenging and competitive environment.

“It feels like a lot of musicians are waking up to the potential of offering more to their fans, in lieu of just financial transactions between them. The power of exclusive or advanced access, discussion forums, limited merch, or even just sharing their creative journey not only provides a steady source of income but also deepens the trust and bond with fans in ways that were previously not possible.”

Have you seen any changes in how artists approach building their fan base, given the rise of niche communities online?

“It’s been really interesting to see artists talk to their fans in smaller online spaces. Social media and livestreaming allowed that access, but they could frequently become negative ecosystems with random people firing abuse at artists they don’t even like. Features like Bandcamp’s Listening Parties or Discord servers allow artists to really be themselves with fans who genuinely love them. These safe spaces are as vital for fans as they are for artists, and seeing talent tap into these condensed but dedicated communities all over the wild West of the broader internet is fascinating. Artists who prioritize genuine connection over just chasing numbers are seeing real results.”

What’s the most overlooked aspect of an artist’s development?

“From an industry point of view, we spend so much time talking about metrics, data, and social media strategy, and not enough time talking about the actual music! Few artists arrive fully formed from a music creation standpoint. It would be a positive step for the industry at large to spend a little more focus on providing artists the time and space to be themselves, and most importantly, actualize the songs they want to make.”

Aly Gillani (aka DJ Gilla), photo courtesy Bandcamp

What’s the biggest challenge in breaking through the noise of today’s saturated music market?

“There are so many challenges! It’s currently both the best and worst time to be an artist. There are infinite options in how you get your music to your audience, and artists don’t have to rely on labels anymore to release their music. The caveat here is that someone still needs to do all those jobs that labels traditionally do. Artists now feel a pressure to not only make great music but also be a business manager, social media creator, and metadata wizard.

“The hard part for emerging talent is picking the right partners to work with. There are great labels, managers, and distributors out there, but the huge range of choices can be overwhelming. As someone who runs a label myself, I see this decision fatigue on a daily basis.”

What do you think will be the most significant shift in music consumption over the next decade?

“Predicting the future is a fool’s game! Though if I had to pick something, I think a backlash to streaming, particularly in scenes rooted in DIY, is a possibility. Fans are starting to understand that the infinite choice of streaming is actually limiting their choices of how they can support the artists they love. Sustainability and ethics are becoming more and more important to fans, and history has told us that fans don’t like being told what to do.”

Do you think the traditional idea of an ‘album cycle’ is still relevant, or has the way artists release music completely changed?

“I think we’ve got something of a two-tiered system. The bigger artists can still operate in the traditional ways, but for emerging artists, it’s much tougher. It’s not impossible, of course, it’s just more critical for developing acts to think outside the box in terms of a release strategy. On Bandcamp, 70 percent of our sales are of brand-new releases, so we still see the power of the album to engage fans in a very particular and intentional way.”

Do you believe the rise of vinyl and other physical formats is a passing trend or a permanent shift in consumer behaviour?

“I think there will always be a subset of fans who value having a physical product to demonstrate their love for their favourite artists. Whilst specific formats may rise and fall in popularity, the urge to own something from bands you love will never go away. We even see it with digital albums. Last year on Bandcamp, fans spent almost 55 million dollars on digital downloads, something that would have seemed fanciful when streaming first really started to take hold. In terms of physical product, I’d encourage artists to get creative. Limited edition or bespoke merch is really popular with fans on Bandcamp.”

How do you balance the commercial side of the industry with your passion for the music itself?

“I’m very lucky that part of my job is hosting one of our radio shows, ‘Bandcamp Selects.’ It focuses on jazz, soul and electronica, whilst we also have specialist metal and hip-hop shows. Having that time to listen to an album in full, before interviewing our featured artist and then sorting through all the amazing new music released on Bandcamp, is a weekly and rewarding reminder of why I got into this business in the first place.”