[sspiff]

I was wondering why noone had started a bandcamp alternative as I read this article. Bandcamp isn't a complicated product. It's the people and content that define its value.

If trust and goodwill are eroded, then the platform loses its value.

Glad to see an independent initiative in this space.

[JohnFen]

> It's the people and content that define its value.

That's exactly what makes developing a replacement difficult. It's not the software. I'm sure that a very large majority of people here could write that in a reasonable amount of time.

But the software isn't really the main value that Bandcamp provides. For a service to replace Bandcamp, it needs to be trustworthy and have a track record of doing right by both artists (and mostly small indie artists) and audiences. That takes time.

[sspiff]

That's my point though, bandcamp is alienating the people that give it its place in the music business, and creating an opening for competitors.

Saying bandcamp isn't complicated isn't the same as saying it's easy to replace. I'm just saying it's feasible to try with a small team and small amount of capital.

[IBCNU]

As someone who has been lucky to work on some large-scale apps that are household names with very very small teams, I find it fascinating/hilarious that comments from the Y Combinator peanut gallery often reduce acquired companies to 'isn't a complicated product, let's just rebuild over a weekend.'

While the core technology may not be as 'complicated' as quantum computing, the unique challenges in execution, user engagement, and market fit should not be underestimated, simple is hard ya'll... The real value and are far from trivial to replicate and come from the people.... no offense just sayin' this is a funny pattern around here.

[JohnFen]

There's a strong tendency for devs to underestimate how long it takes to develop software. My hypothesis is because devs tend to focus on the core functionality and are really estimating how long it would take to do that. But in most projects, that's only about 20% of the work required.

I'm also reminded of the old saying that "nothing is impossible for the person who doesn't have to do it."

[internetsamurai]

There are quite a few alternatives - Resonate, focused on streaming (https://resonate.coop/) and Formaviva, focused on independent electronic music (https://formaviva.com/)

[DHPersonal]

Rob Dougan (you'd know him from The Matrix soundtrack) started selling his music on Gumroad a while ago. https://robdougan.gumroad.com/

[whyoh]

IndieHD (https://indiehd.com/) has been around for almost as long as Bandcamp.