Bandcamp AI policy upload checklistbefore you upload a release to Bandcamp

Why this came up in autumn 2026

On 13 January 2026 Bandcamp published its approach to generative AI. The post says music and audio generated wholly or in substantial part by AI is not permitted on Bandcamp, and that any use of AI tools to impersonate other artists or styles is strictly prohibited under its existing impersonation and intellectual property policies. It asks people to report music that appears to be made entirely or with heavy reliance on generative AI, and says Bandcamp reserves the right to remove music on suspicion of being AI-generated. The Acceptable Use and Moderation Policy separately says users agree not to train any machine learning or AI model using content on the site.

The question has come back in the last month because other platforms are choosing different answers. Posts on X in late October and early November 2026 contrast Bandcamp’s ban with Deezer’s plan for an AI filter and with SoundCloud letting ElevenLabs users publish AI tracks with an AI label. Those are descriptions in social posts, not official statements, and this page relies on Bandcamp’s own wording.

Measured demand is current. Autocomplete checked on 12 November 2026, about 11:40 PM Australia/Brisbane, returned ten suggestions for “bandcamp ai”, including “bandcamp ai policy”, “bandcamp ai music policy” and “bandcamp ai ban”. A dated YouTube sample the same evening found three videos from 3 November 2026 about selling AI music after Bandcamp’s ban (57, 36 and 9 views at the check), which is thin. An X search of the same window, first page of 21 posts as a lower bound, was mostly short, with a 31 October 2026 post about platforms filtering AI music reaching 950 impressions and 22 likes at the check. Counts and suggestions will keep moving.

The checks are written for the next time you are about to upload. Always read the current guidelines first, since Bandcamp says it will communicate updates.

Sources: Bandcamp’s post of 13 January 2026 and the Bandcamp Acceptable Use and Moderation Policy.

If a session or master is one you may need to stand behind later

Before you upload a release to Bandcamp:

1. Keep a dated copy of the project file, stems or session export, the masters, the artwork and your notes on how AI was or was not used.
2. Make a TimeBind of each exact file you already hold. The fingerprint is made in your browser and the file stays on your device. You can later download a Proof of Time Certificate.
3. Read the current guidelines first, and store the files, a capture of the guidelines you relied on and the certificate together, with a copy outside Bandcamp.

A TimeBind shows the exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches. It cannot show how a track was made or that Bandcamp will accept it.

What a TimeBind shows, and what it does not. It shows that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and that a copy shown later still matches its fingerprint. It does not show who made the file, who owns it, that its contents are true, or whether AI was used to make or edit it. This is general information, not legal advice.