Your music deserves more than
$0.003 per stream.
VeloCMS is a publishing platform for independent musicians that handles native multi-format audio upload, paid digital releases and beat licenses via BYOK Stripe, tour date posts, and a fan email list — all in one place with zero platform fee on sales. The Podcast theme — audio-first design, native player, episode-archive pattern — ships free on every plan and fits a music release catalogue out of the box.
Why independent musicians keep hitting the same walls
Three different platforms, three different revenue cuts, one root cause — none of them were built for musicians who want to own their audience, their catalogue, and their income.
Spotify pays $0.003 per stream — you need 333,000 streams to make $1,000
Run the actual math. A song streamed 10,000 times in a month earns you roughly $30 in royalties. On Bandcamp, 100 album sales at $10 a pop brings in $850 after fees — from a fraction of the audience. The economics aren't even close. Spotify's payout rate has barely moved in a decade, and "playlist placement" is a lottery you don't control. Building your primary revenue strategy around a platform that pays less than a fraction of a cent per play means you need millions of streams just to cover rent, let alone studio time, gear, or touring costs. The artists winning on Spotify are either on major labels with marketing budgets, or they've already built their own audience elsewhere first.
Bandcamp takes 15% per sale and you're at their mercy every time it changes hands
Bandcamp was the indie musician's safe harbour for years — fair fees, direct fan connection, Bandcamp Fridays where they waived their cut. Then Epic Games acquired them. Then Epic sold them to Songtradr. Then Songtradr laid off most of the staff. Three ownership changes in four years, each one shifting the product priorities away from the artists who built the platform's reputation. Your back catalogue, your release pages, your fan comments, your subscriber emails — all of it lives inside infrastructure someone else owns and can sell again tomorrow. The 15% commission isn't the only cost. The real cost is building your entire music business on land you don't own and can't take with you.
Linktree is your homepage but you don't own it
Most independent musicians' "website" is a Linktree bio: Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, SoundCloud, merch store, mailing list signup — all rented real estate on a link-in-bio platform that decides what features you get and charges $9–$24 a month for the privilege of a slightly more customised URL. You have no SEO. You have no content archive. You have no domain that builds authority over time. When a journalist, booking agent, or label rep looks you up and lands on your Linktree, they see a list of other platforms' links, not your story. You need a home that belongs to you — not a forwarding address for platforms that will all eventually change their terms.
What a musician-first platform gives you
Native multi-format audio, paid releases via BYOK Stripe, tour dates with iCal export, fan email list, and the Podcast theme — bundled in one platform with no plugin stack and nobody taking a cut of every sale you make.
Native multi-format audio upload — FLAC, MP3, and WAV
Upload audio in FLAC for the audiophiles and MP3 for the streamers — both live on the same release page, both hosted on Cloudflare R2, both playing in the native Podcast theme player. No SoundCloud embed, no Bandcamp widget, no third-party player brand overlaid on your release. High-res FLAC downloads for paying fans, compressed MP3 for free previews — access gating is per-file, per-post, or per-membership tier. Your sound files on your infrastructure.
Tour date posts with map integration and calendar export
Publish tour dates as structured posts — venue, date, city, ticket link — and let fans export the full run to their Google Calendar via an automatic iCal feed. One-off shows and recurring residencies both work. Tag by city or region so local fans can filter for dates near them. The tour archive stays on your domain and accretes SEO over time — past shows contribute to your authority as a touring artist, rather than disappearing from a third-party listings site when the show is over.
Paid digital releases and beat licenses via BYOK Stripe — 0% platform fee
Connect your own Stripe account in Admin → Settings → Membership. Mark any release, beat pack, or sample library as members-only or one-time purchase. When a fan or producer lands on your paid content, they check out on your domain via your Stripe account. Revenue goes directly to your bank. VeloCMS charges zero platform fee — Stripe's standard 2.9% + 30¢ processing is the only cut anyone takes. A $20 beat license sold 50 times a month is $970 in your pocket, not $850 after someone else's platform fee.
Fan email list — you own it, Spotify algorithm changes don't touch it
When Spotify's algorithm stops promoting you — because it decided to push a different genre, or because a playlist curator moved on, or because you released on a Tuesday instead of a Friday — the fans who signed up for your newsletter still get the email. An email list is the only distribution channel that doesn't have a feed algorithm between you and your audience. VeloCMS captures fan emails at signup, lets you blast to your full list from the admin, and keeps your subscriber data in your account, not inside a platform's CRM you can't export from.
Audio-first Podcast theme — episode archive pattern fits release archives
The Podcast theme was designed for audio-first publishing: large waveform-style player, episode archive grid, streaming-optimised type scale. That same architecture maps perfectly onto a music release catalogue — albums and singles instead of episodes, tracklist instead of show notes, release date instead of air date. The distinction is semantic; the design intent is identical. Ships free on every plan, zero configuration required, and it makes your music page look like it was designed specifically for how musicians actually publish.
Features musicians actually need
Multi-format audio upload, BYOK Stripe paid releases, tour date posts with iCal feed, beat license tiers, fan newsletter, and merch links — all in one place without a plugin in sight.
Multi-format audio — FLAC + MP3 dual upload per release
The TipTap editor's Audio block accepts FLAC, MP3, and WAV uploads direct to Cloudflare R2. Attach multiple formats to the same release post: the lossless FLAC for paying fans who want archival quality, the 320kbps MP3 for streaming convenience. Access to each format can be gated independently — free preview in MP3, FLAC download for paid members only. Storage is opaque-URL R2, not a guessable file path.
Paid digital releases — BYOK Stripe checkout, instant access
Connect your Stripe account once. From then on, any post, download, or audio file marked as paid routes fans to your Stripe checkout on payment and returns them with access granted. No Gumroad middleman, no Bandcamp widget, no manual fulfilment email. Beat licenses, sample packs, album downloads, and Stem files all handled the same way. Zero platform fee. You set the price, you receive the money, you keep the customer email.
Tour date posts — structured venue + date + iCal export
Create a post for each date with structured venue, city, ticket URL, and door time fields. VeloCMS generates a valid iCal feed from your tour posts automatically — fans click Subscribe to Calendar and the full tour loads into their Google Calendar or Apple Calendar. Past shows stay indexed on your domain with their original dates, building a touring history archive that feeds your artist profile SEO for years after the show.
Beat license posts — tiered access, PDF license doc delivery
Publish a beat with a free listening preview (MP3), a tagged WAV for lease, and an untagged FLAC for exclusive rights — each tier priced separately via Stripe products. Attach a PDF license agreement to each tier using the File block. On purchase, the buyer receives the audio download and the licence document in one flow. No manual email follow-up, no separate Dropbox folder to manage, no Gumroad account with its own fees on top of Stripe.
Fan newsletter — release announcements, tour previews, exclusive tracks
Send HTML newsletters to your full fan email list from Admin → Newsletter. Announce new releases, share tour date bundles, drop an exclusive acoustic version as a thank-you to subscribers. The newsletter blast uses your Resend or SMTP credentials — your sender reputation, not a platform's shared IP. Every subscriber opted in on your domain, not a third-party platform's signup flow, which means import and export are always available without special requests.
Merch link integration — one post, every storefront
Add a Merch block to any release post or your site sidebar linking to your Printful, Shopify, or Bandcamp merch store. The block is a styled CTA — not an iframe, not an embed — so it loads instantly and doesn't affect your LCP score. Multiple merch links per page (physical album, tee, poster) with custom label text. No plugin required, no API key setup — just paste the URL and pick the button label.
From Bandcamp to your own music platform in five steps
No developer, no multi-tool stack, no ongoing platform commission. Get your releases, tour dates, and fan signup live in an afternoon.
Export your Bandcamp or SoundCloud track metadata
From Bandcamp, go to Fan Account → Account Settings → Data Export to download your releases and fan data as CSV. Your track audio files are accessible from each release's edit page — download each one individually. SoundCloud doesn't offer a bulk download for your own tracks; use a download-your-tracks browser tool or download each track from your profile's track settings. Neither platform gives you your follower emails — you'll need to manually export any mailing list you've built through Bandcamp's fan messaging or a separate email tool.
Upload audio files in FLAC and MP3 dual format
Create a post in VeloCMS for each release — album, EP, or single. In the TipTap editor, add an Audio block and upload your MP3 as the free preview version. Add a second Audio block and upload the FLAC as the paid download, then set its visibility to members-only. Add your album art via the Image block, write your release notes, tag with genre and release year. Hit publish. The release is now live with native audio playback on your domain and a FLAC download gate behind your Stripe paywall.
Set up your first paid release via BYOK Stripe
In Admin → Settings → Membership, click Connect Stripe and complete the OAuth flow. In about 60 seconds your Stripe account is linked — no webhook setup, no API key copying, the connection is automatic. Go back to your release post, set the FLAC Audio block to members-only, and set your price. VeloCMS creates the Stripe product automatically from the post title and price you configure. A fan landing on the post sees the MP3 preview playing freely, a paywall prompt for the FLAC, and a Stripe checkout that completes in under 30 seconds.
Activate tour date posts
Create a post tagged with `tour-date`, add the venue name, city, date, and ticket URL in the post body or as structured custom fields. Publish. VeloCMS automatically includes tour-date tagged posts in the iCal feed at `/feed.ics` — fans subscribe once and all future tour dates appear in their calendar automatically. Past tour dates stay on your site and are indexed by Google, building your touring profile for booking agents and press who look you up.
Activate Podcast theme and open fan mailing list signup
In Admin → Themes, click Podcast → Apply. Your site instantly switches to the audio-first layout — episode archive grid, large player, streaming-optimised typography. In Admin → Settings → Newsletter, enable the fan email signup form. Add a Newsletter Signup block to your home page and release pages. Fans enter their email, you capture it in your subscriber list, and you're set to send your first release announcement newsletter from Admin → Newsletter. Custom domain CNAME is one DNS change away when you're ready to fully leave Bandcamp as your homepage.
VeloCMS vs Bandcamp vs Linktree vs Spotify+Artist
| Feature | VeloCMS | Bandcamp | Linktree | Spotify+Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom domain | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Platform fee on sales | 0% | 15% | N/A | 30% via distributor |
| Native audio player | Yes | Yes | Embed only | Yes |
| Tour date posts | Yes | Yes | Manual links | Limited |
| Fan email list | Yes | Limited | No | No |
| Time to first release (mins) | 10 | 30 | 5 | Days via distributor |
| Cost per year ($) | 0–348 | Free + 15% | 108 | 0 + distribution |
Free for 100 releases, audio upload, Podcast theme, and tour dates. Pro when you need a custom domain and paid releases.
Free
$0
Forever
- Up to 100 releases + audio upload
- Native audio player (FLAC/MP3/WAV)
- Podcast theme included
- Tour date posts + iCal feed
- Fan email list + newsletter
- velocms.org subdomain
Pro
$9
per month
- 1,000 releases + audio files
- Custom domain + SSL
- BYOK Stripe paid releases (0% fee)
- Beat licenses + sample packs
- Member-gated audio + downloads
- AI writing assistant
Business
$29
per month
- Unlimited releases + audio
- Multi-artist or band team accounts
- White-label branding
- Priority support
- Advanced fan analytics
- Team collaboration
Questions musicians ask before switching
Honest answers — no Bandcamp upsell.
Can I upload FLAC and WAV audio files, not just MP3?
Yes. The TipTap editor's Audio block accepts FLAC, WAV, and MP3 uploads directly to Cloudflare R2. You can attach multiple audio blocks to the same release post — a 320kbps MP3 as a free streaming preview and a lossless FLAC as a gated download for paying fans. File storage uses opaque Cloudflare R2 URLs, not guessable paths, and each file's access is managed independently through the post's visibility settings and your Stripe paywall configuration.
How does BYOK Stripe work for paid digital releases or beat licenses?
In Admin → Settings → Membership, connect your own Stripe account via a one-click OAuth flow. Once connected, mark any audio file, download post, or release page as members-only or as a one-time purchase. When a fan or producer lands on your gated content, they see a Stripe checkout branded with your account details — not VeloCMS branding. On successful payment, VeloCMS grants access automatically. For beat licenses, you can create tiered products: tagged MP3 lease, untagged WAV license, exclusive rights FLAC — each at a different price point, each with its own Stripe product created from the post configuration. VeloCMS takes 0% platform fee. Stripe charges its standard 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction.
Why is Podcast the recommended theme for musicians?
The Podcast theme was designed around audio-first publishing: a prominent native player, an episode archive grid layout, streaming-optimised type scale, and clean whitespace that puts the audio front and centre. A music release catalogue maps directly onto this architecture — albums and singles instead of podcast episodes, tracklists instead of show notes, release dates instead of air dates. The visual design intent is identical. You get a professional-looking music site without any custom CSS or theme modifications, and it ships free on every VeloCMS plan.
How do I publish tour dates with a calendar export feed?
Create a post for each tour date with the venue, city, date, and ticket URL in the post body. Tag each post with `tour-date`. VeloCMS generates a valid iCal feed at `/feed.ics` that aggregates all tour-date tagged posts. Fans subscribe once — the feed URL goes into their Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook — and all future tour dates you publish appear in their calendar automatically without them having to check your website. Past tour dates stay on your site, indexed by Google, building your touring history archive which feeds your artist authority for booking agents and press.
Can I migrate my Bandcamp archive to VeloCMS?
Partially. Bandcamp's Data Export tool (Fan Account → Account Settings) gives you release metadata and fan data in CSV format. Your audio files are downloadable per-release from each release's edit page. Fan emails are accessible if you've been collecting them via Bandcamp's built-in fan messaging or a linked email provider. The practical migration path: download your audio files and release metadata from Bandcamp, create posts in VeloCMS's editor for each release, upload audio via the Audio block, set pricing via Stripe, and publish. Your existing Bandcamp page can remain live during the transition — you're not forced to delete it immediately. Use a free download or exclusive track as a lead magnet to move your Bandcamp followers to your own email list before you reduce your Bandcamp presence.
How do I capture fan emails — a replacement for Bandcamp follow and Spotify follow?
Enable the fan newsletter signup form in Admin → Settings → Newsletter. Add a Newsletter Signup block to your home page, release pages, and tour date posts. When a fan enters their email, they're added to your VeloCMS subscriber list — a list you own and can export at any time. Unlike Bandcamp follow (which stores fan contact in Bandcamp's database, not yours) or Spotify follow (which gives you zero fan contact data), VeloCMS subscriber emails belong to your account. From Admin → Newsletter, you can blast release announcements, pre-save links, exclusive tracks, and tour previews to your entire list at any time.
Does VeloCMS take a cut of my paid music releases or beat sales?
No. VeloCMS takes 0% platform fee on all digital sales made through your connected Stripe account. The only fee is Stripe's standard processing rate: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction in the US (rates vary slightly by country). On a $20 beat license, you receive $19.12 after Stripe's cut — compared to $17 after Bandcamp's 15% cut. On a $10 album, you receive $9.41 versus $8.50 on Bandcamp. At volume, that difference adds up. And unlike Bandcamp's commission model, your VeloCMS subscription fee is flat — a fixed $9 or $29 per month regardless of how many sales you make.
Can I still distribute to Spotify and Apple Music while running my own site here?
Yes, and running both in parallel is actually the recommended approach. Use a distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby) to get your music on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music as you do today. Use VeloCMS as your actual homepage — the place where fans buy directly, sign up for your email list, find tour dates, and access exclusive content. The streaming platforms are discovery channels that funnel people to your owned properties. Your VeloCMS site is where the economics work in your favour: direct sales at 0% platform fee, email list you own, merch links, beat licenses. The two coexist — you're not choosing one over the other, you're adding a direct revenue channel to supplement the streaming income.
Stop renting your music's homepage. Start free with Podcast.
Native audio upload, paid digital releases, tour dates with iCal export, fan email list, and the audio-first aesthetic your music deserves — all on a platform where you own the audience, not Bandcamp or Spotify.
Start free with Podcast