Epic Games, the video game publisher best known for “Fortnite,” announced plans to acquire independent music storefront Bandcamp.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The music company will use Epic’s resources to assist with international expansion but will “keep operating as a standalone marketplace and music company.”
Epic emphasized Bandcamp’s role in “Epic’s vision to build out a creator marketplace ecosystem for content, technology, games, art, music, and more.”
- Bandcamp’s artists net an average of 82% of every sale.
- Co-founder and CEO Ethan Diamond said Bandcamp’s payments to artists and labels are “closing in on $1 billion.”
The video game publisher isn’t new to the music scene — “Fortnite” has produced a number of musical series, including in-game performances from Travis Scott and Marshmello. Earlier this week, “Fortnite” added four-time Grand Slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka as an in-game character, joining LeBron James and Neymar.
An Epic Expansion
In November, CEO Tim Sweeney called for a single, all-platform app store. Epic has recently battled Google and Apple, avoiding the tech companies’ developer fees for apps and in-app purchases by allowing users to download the game from its website or Samsung’s Galaxy Store.
Reports in October implied that Epic was considering creating an entertainment division to focus on scripted shows and movies, including a “Fortnite” film.
Epic was valued at $28.7 billion as of April 2021.
