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Bandcamp's new service is like Kickstarter for vinyl

The soundtrack for video game 'Below' is one of its first releases.

Bandcamp is launching a Kickstarter-style vinyl crowdfunding service for artists. Once a musician's campaign hits its funding goal, Bandcamp will press the records, print the packaging, and handle shipping to boot. Artists will be able to set the price of their release and have full control of its design.

Bandcamp's first four vinyl campaigns include Jim Guthrie's soundtrack for rogue-like indie game Below, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah's Ancestral Recall, Juliette Jade's Constellation, and Mesarthim's Ghost Condensate. Vinyl crowdfunding will open to all artists and labels later this year. Bandcamp says it "streamlines the financing, production, and fulfillment of vinyl records."

The service marks Bandcamp's latest step into the realm of physical music sales, following the opening of its first record store in Oakland, California in February. It's also a shrewd business move: while streaming may have killed off the CD, it's reinforced the growth of vinyl. According to the RIAA, vinyl enjoyed a 7.2 percent increase to 16.7 million units in 2018, raking in more than $419 million in revenue. That's music to the ears of the indie artist struggling with below-par streaming royalty payments. Plus, nothing screams cool like a limited edition vinyl.