Money in techno: vinyl, Bandcamp, Beatport and streaming

Vinyl: prestige, not profit

Techno long lived on vinyl, sold in shops such as Berlin's Hard Wax. Vinyl still matters: a release on vinyl signals that a label believes in an artist, and DJs who play vinyl are respected. But pressing is expensive, techno runs are often a few hundred copies, and after paying the pressing plant, distribution and shops, the artist earns little per record.

Beatport: a shop for DJs

Beatport launched in 2004 as a download store for DJs. It has genre sections and charts that many artists see as an important measure of success. A single track usually costs a couple of euros, so even good sales are a bonus rather than a living.

Bandcamp: closest to the artist

Bandcamp, around since 2008, lets artists and labels sell music and merch directly to fans while taking a cut of around 10–15%. Since March 2020 it has run "Bandcamp Fridays", days when all revenue goes to the creators. In 2022 the service was bought by Epic Games, which sold it in 2023 to Songtradr, which let many employees go. For the techno scene Bandcamp is still the best way to pay an artist directly.

Streaming: millions of plays, small sums

Spotify and other services usually pay fractions of a cent per play. Since April 2024 Spotify pays no royalties at all for tracks with fewer than 1,000 plays a year. For many techno artists releasing niche, long club tracks, streaming is more of a calling card than an income.

The real money: gigs

Most DJ and producer income comes from playing parties. Fees vary hugely: from modest local club rates to tens of thousands of euros for festival stars. That is why releasing music is often an investment in a name that later sells tickets. If you want to support your favourite artists, buy their music on Bandcamp, go to their gigs and buy tickets from promoters who pay fairly.