How Insound compares
The independent music space has changed a lot since Bandcamp was sold to Songtradr. Here's how Insound compares to the main alternatives, with the actual numbers - not headline marketing.
Platform comparison
| Insound | Bandcamp | Ampwall | Artcore | Subscription platforms | Invite-only platforms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 10% | 15% digital (10% after $5k), 10% physical | 5% | 15-20% (default 20%) | 0% commission | Negotiated per release |
| Annual cost | Free | Free | $10/year per 5hrs of uploads | Free | $10-30 per month | Free, but invite-only |
| Payment processing fees | Absorbed by Insound | Passed to artist | Passed to artist | Passed to artist, plus ~2% payout fee | Passed to artist | Passed to artist |
| Payment infrastructure | Stripe Connect (direct charges) | Stripe / PayPal | PayPal | PayPal | Stripe | Stripe |
| Holds artist funds? | No - direct from fan to artist | Yes (via PayPal) | Yes (via PayPal) | Yes (via PayPal) | Varies | Yes |
| Payout frequency | Daily, after ~7-day Stripe clearing | 24-48 hours (PayPal), or monthly by choice | PayPal-dependent | PayPal-dependent | Varies | Per release cycle |
| AI-generated music | Not permitted | Permitted | Mostly prohibited | Unspecified | Varies | Curated |
| Subscription required | No | No | Yes ($10/year per 5hrs) | No | Yes | No |
| Currency | GBP, shown in your local currency | USD primary | USD | Multi | Multi | USD |
| Who it suits | Independent artists and labels | Everyone, including majors | Heavy PayPal users | Broad or niche scenes | High-volume sellers with physical stock | Established, household-name artists |
Insound vs Bandcamp
Platform fee
Annual cost
Payment processing fees
Payment infrastructure
Holds artist funds?
Payout frequency
AI-generated music
Subscription required
Currency
Who it suits
Insound vs Ampwall
Platform fee
Annual cost
Payment processing fees
Payment infrastructure
Holds artist funds?
Payout frequency
AI-generated music
Subscription required
Currency
Who it suits
Insound vs Artcore
Platform fee
Annual cost
Payment processing fees
Payment infrastructure
Holds artist funds?
Payout frequency
AI-generated music
Subscription required
Currency
Who it suits
Insound vs Subscription platforms
Platform fee
Annual cost
Payment processing fees
Payment infrastructure
Holds artist funds?
Payout frequency
AI-generated music
Subscription required
Currency
Who it suits
Insound vs Invite-only platforms
Platform fee
Annual cost
Payment processing fees
Payment infrastructure
Holds artist funds?
Payout frequency
AI-generated music
Subscription required
Currency
Who it suits
Worked example: artist earnings on a £10 sale
Fees checked against each platform's own published pricing on 1 September 2026. The £10 example assumes a digital sale at each platform's standard rate: Insound 10% with processing absorbed; Ampwall 5% plus PayPal; Bandcamp 15% plus card processing; Artcore 20% plus PayPal processing and its ~2% payout fee. Bandcamp's digital rate drops to 10% after $5,000 of sales, which would raise its figure. Processor fees vary by transaction value, method and currency, and they bite hardest on low-value sales.
The honest take
Where Insound wins clearly
The combination of direct charges, absorbed processing fees, daily payouts, and no subscription isn't matched by any single competitor. On lower-value sales (under £5), Insound nets artists more than even Ampwall's 5% fee, because we absorb Stripe's fixed per-transaction cost.
Where competitors might suit you better
If you sell a lot of physical stock, a flat-subscription platform with 0% commission could net you more once your volume covers the monthly fee. If you're already deep in PayPal and don't want to switch, Ampwall or Artcore may feel familiar. If you're a household name, the invite-only platforms are built for you, and we aren't.
What we're not pretending
We're new. Our catalogue is small. We're not trying to be Bandcamp with better paint. We're trying to be the platform that's simple, fair, transparent, and built for UK and US artists who want their money to flow without intermediaries.
Free to join. 90% to the rights-holder. Daily payouts.
Sign up as an artist