The community-based platform will now list Black creatives from all fields, alongside artists and DJs.
Black Bandcamp has relaunched. As of today (5 May) the community-driven platform will be known as Black Artist Database (aka B.A.D.). The team behind the crowd-sourced database state that the aim of the relaunch is to “expand the project’s scale and scope, and bring cultural and material support to the Black community.”
Following its relaunch, Black Artist Database will continue to highlight, promote and directly support Black artists, DJs and labels from around the world via their Bandcamp links – something it’s been dedicated to since its inception last summer – while expanding into new areas in order to include Black creatives, writers, editors and more. At present, Black Artist Database lists over 3,500 online profiles, with the new platform offering direct links to Bandcamp, Mixcloud and individual’s personal sites through their profiles. The team describes the database as a “continuous work-in-progress” which is maintained by a mix of volunteers and paid administrators. Black creatives from across the industry can apply here to be part of the database.
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The B.A.D. team has also launched a new initiative entitled [pause]. Through this, they aim to support and encourage businesses within the music industry and help them to create more equitable workspaces.
“The [pause] partnership is not intended to be an all-encompassing fix, but rather to be a positive and proactive step in the right direction, by developing strategies to prioritise Black racial equity within industry organisations,” state the team on the B.A.D. website. “This will be facilitated via the development of realistic, actionable goals, a mutually agreed-upon roadmap, and regular check-ins.”
Elsewhere, the relaunched platform will continue to showcase talent and art via its editorial content: ranging from written features to mixes to its mixed media interview series Voices. Visit the Black Artist Database website here.
