bandcamp-101 September 6, 2026

Bandcamp 101: Download Codes

How Bandcamp download codes work: how artists generate them, how fans redeem them at /yum, which formats to pick, and how to give them away.

A Bandcamp download code is an eight-character key, two groups of four separated by a dash, that a fan types into your Bandcamp page to get a copy of a track or album for free. Bandcamp now calls them track/album codes, but most artists and fans still say "download codes," so we use both names here. This guide covers how you generate them, how many you get, how a fan redeems one, which format they should pick, the rules that trip people up, and six ways to put codes to work. Every fact below was checked against Bandcamp's help center in August 2026.

What a Bandcamp download code is

The code looks like K7PQ-3XWM. When a fan redeems it at your Bandcamp subdomain, they choose a format, download the files, and the release lands in their Bandcamp collection. They also get unlimited streaming of that release in the Bandcamp app, the same as if they had paid for it. From your side, a redemption shows up like any other download, but it does not count as a sale and does not move your sales totals.

That last point matters. Codes are a promotional tool, not a revenue tool. You use them to get music into the hands of people who will listen, follow, and buy the next thing. The content ideas that work best for Bandcamp artists almost all end with "and here is a code."

How to generate codes

Log in to Bandcamp and open your Tools page.
Choose Track/album codes.
Pick a downloadable item. Anything with a digital download attached qualifies, including an album still in pre-order.
Name the batch so you can tell later which codes went where. "Autumn tour merch table" beats "batch 3."
Set the quantity. Batches come in multiples of 100, and 100 is the minimum.
Export. You can download a CSV, or print the batch using Bandcamp's web template, which lays the codes out as a grid with your artwork.

The CSV is what you want for anything digital: a newsletter, a contest, a Discord drop, or an upload to a distribution tool. The print template is for physical use, such as inserts and cards you hand out at shows. Once you have a CSV you can also list a Bandcamp release on GetMusic and let fans claim the codes one at a time, which we cover further down.

How many codes you get

Every artist account starts with 200 codes. That allowance is per account, not per release, so a new album does not reset it. You earn 1,000 more codes for every $500 USD in sales, and you can buy additional codes through the "get more" link on the codes page. Bandcamp does not publish that price, so we will not quote one.

Label accounts start with 3,000 codes and earn 1,000 more per $500 in label sales. If an artist joins a label, the codes they already generated stay on their own account.

One thing people mix up: codes are not download credits. Credits are a separate system. Every artist and label account gets 200 free downloads per month that cover fans taking your free or name-your-price items at $0. Credits reset monthly and you can buy more. Codes do not touch that pool, and giving out a code does not spend a credit.

If you are working out how many to hand out for a given goal, we wrote a separate piece on how many Bandcamp codes to give away.

How fans redeem a code

Redemption happens on your subdomain, never on bandcamp.com itself. The page is:

yourname.bandcamp.com/yum

If you want to save the fan a step, link them straight to a pre-filled form:

yourname.bandcamp.com/yum?code=K7PQ-3XWM

The fan enters the code, picks a format, and downloads. Bandcamp adds the release to their collection and unlocks streaming in the app. They do not need to have bought anything from you before. We walk a fan through it screenshot by screenshot in How to Redeem a Bandcamp Code.

Which format to choose

Bandcamp offers eight download formats. Fans often stall on this screen, so it helps to tell them what to pick.

Format	Best for
MP3 320 or MP3 V0	Works everywhere, smallest files. Bandcamp's own default recommendation for compatibility.
FLAC	Lossless with artwork and tags embedded. The pick for anyone who cares about quality and uses a desktop player.
ALAC	Lossless for Apple Music and iOS libraries.
AAC, Ogg Vorbis	Lossy alternatives for specific players. Only choose these if you know you need them.
WAV, AIFF	Uncompressed audio for burning CDs or importing into a DAW. No tags or artwork, so FLAC is the better archive format.

Our short version for fans: MP3 320 if you are not sure, FLAC if you want the best copy.

Rules: expiry, reuse, and pre-orders

Unused codes never expire. A batch you printed two years ago still works.
Every code is single-use. Once redeemed it is dead. Bandcamp has said there is no timeline for multi-use codes, so a "one code for the whole class" plan will not work.
The download window after redemption is short. The fan gets a few download attempts within a limited window. If they wait a month and come back, the link may have lapsed. The music is still in their collection, but they will need to download from there.
Pre-order codes unlock the whole album. A code for an album still in pre-order gives the fan the full record, not just the preview tracks. This is how you get reviewers, radio, and superfans the album before release day.

When a fan tells you a code failed, it is nearly always one of three things: a typo, a code someone else already used, or that lapsed download window. Have them use the Contact artist link on the release page and send the 8-character code plus the item name, then send a fresh one.

Six ways to distribute codes

Codes are only useful once they leave your account. These are the channels we see working for independent artists, roughly in order of how much effort they take.

At shows. Print the batch with Bandcamp's template, cut the cards, and put a stack on the merch table. A code card costs almost nothing and turns a "maybe I'll look you up" into a download that night.
Inside merch. Slip a code into every shirt, tape, or vinyl order. The physical buyer already likes you; the code gets them the digital copy and puts you in their app.
In your newsletter. Paste codes into a send, or better, into a reply-to-claim message so you learn who is actually reading. Bandcamp has help articles for Mailchimp and Constant Contact if you want the codes merged in per subscriber. Our guide to Bandcamp messaging covers the built-in tool if you have not set up a separate list.
Contests and giveaways. Ask for something small in return: a favorite track, a photo from a show, a friend to tag. Send codes to everyone who answers. The point is the conversation, not the scarcity.
Reviewers and pre-order listeners. Because pre-order codes unlock the full album, they replace the private SoundCloud link. Send one code per writer or station, and name the batch so you can see later how many were actually redeemed.
GetMusic. Upload the CSV, and we list your release where fans who are actively looking for new Bandcamp music can claim one code each. Claims are tracked so a code is never handed out twice, and you can see how many are left. Pair it with a listening party and the codes go to people who just heard the record.

If you have a release and a batch of codes ready, start with one free release on GetMusic. It takes about five minutes.

Where to find free codes as a fan

If you landed here looking for codes rather than giving them out: artists hand them out at shows, in newsletters, and in giveaways, and a lot of them list codes on GetMusic. You can browse releases with codes available by genre, claim one per release, and redeem it on the artist's /yum page. We wrote up the full fan-side process in How to Get Free Bandcamp Download Codes.

Frequently asked questions

Do Bandcamp download codes expire?

No. An unused code never expires. Once a fan redeems it, the download link itself only allows a few download attempts within a limited window, so download right away.

Can one Bandcamp code be used by more than one person?

No. Every code is single-use. Bandcamp has said there is no timeline for multi-use codes, so plan on one code per fan.

Can I generate fewer than 100 codes at a time?

No. Batches are multiples of 100 with a minimum of 100. If you only need 20 codes, generate 100 and keep the rest for later; they do not expire.

A fan says their code is invalid or already redeemed. What now?

Ask them to use the Contact artist link on the release page and send you the 8-character code plus the item name. The usual causes are a typo, a code someone else already used, or a lapsed post-redemption download window. You can send a fresh code.

How do label accounts get codes?

A label account starts with 3,000 codes and earns 1,000 more for every $500 USD in label sales. Codes an artist generated on their own account stay on that account when they join a label.

Are download codes the same as Bandcamp download credits?

No. Credits are a separate monthly allowance of 200 free downloads that covers fans grabbing your free or name-your-price items at $0. Codes are the XXXX-XXXX keys you hand out yourself. Handing out a code does not spend a credit.