tl;dr

Are there any platforms offering fair, low fees (sub 20%), with direct deposit to bank or crypto sales royalty payments?

Spoiler: the long story

My album and singles are finished. I have applied all the meta data, registered with all the rights organizations and packaged everything nice and neat like. My artwork and music videos are done. My promo materials all ready to go.

Now all I want to do is setup a page to sell my songs and albums directly to fans, at a fair price and fair royalty received, directly to my bank or crypto accounts ideally. Are my only options to pay middlemen 20-85% in fees or DIY buy a domain, which I already have, buy old school expensive annual shared hosting packages, create a website and build my own payment gateways?

The main reasons for all this are, as a fulltime solo musician/artist, beyond the obvious financials, fees and other BS, I am an expat living on temp visas in a foreign country which makes doing anything financials related a total f***ing nightmare. For example PayPal instantly banned me for life because I tried to login from a foreign IP address. Customer service wouldnt even respond about it. PP is the absolute most useless and worst there ever was. Stripe also suffers from cross boarder banking access issues. Using VPN's doesnt work and in fact can make things worse.

In a 2025 digital global nomad world are there no sites that have fairly priced all-in-one solutions removing all or most of the PayPal nightmare esq middleman fee upon fee upon fee processing BS? Or am I wrong? Please tell me I am wrong, that there is a perfectly viable solution to my problems, I beg of you!

 

Spoiler: Source: Grok KI

In 2025, selling music directly to fans with minimal fees and without relying on traditional middlemen is not only possible but increasingly viable due to decentralized platforms and blockchain-based solutions. Your situation as an expat with visa-related financial challenges and issues with services like PayPal and Stripe is frustrating, but there are platforms designed to address these pain points. Below, I’ll outline options that offer low fees (sub-20%), direct-to-fan sales, and support for bank or crypto payouts, while also considering your cross-border banking challenges. I’ll also touch on the DIY route and why it might not be your only option.

Platforms for Direct-to-Fan Music Sales with Low Fees
Several platforms in 2025 empower artists to sell music directly to fans, bypassing traditional intermediaries like record labels or high-fee distributors. These platforms leverage blockchain technology, smart contracts, or artist-friendly models to keep fees low and payouts direct. Here are the best options based on your needs:

1. Bandcamp
   • Overview: Bandcamp is a well-established platform that allows artists to sell digital music, physical merchandise, and even vinyl/CDs directly to fans. It’s known for its artist-friendly approach and transparency.
   • Fees: Bandcamp takes a 10-15% revenue share on digital sales (10% for digital tracks/albums, 15% for merchandise), which is well below your 20% threshold. There are no upfront costs or subscription fees.
   • Payouts: Supports direct bank deposits in multiple countries, though you’ll need to verify if your host country is supported due to your expat status. Bandcamp does not currently support crypto payouts, but its bank transfer system avoids PayPal entirely.
   • Expat-Friendly Features: Bandcamp’s payout system is relatively straightforward, but you’ll need a bank account compatible with their supported regions (primarily US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia). If your host country’s banking system is restrictive, you may face challenges, but it’s worth checking their updated 2025 payout options.
   • Why It Fits: Bandcamp allows you to set up a customizable page to sell your album and singles, upload your metadata, and use your existing artwork and promo materials. Fans can pay what they want above a minimum price you set, fostering a direct connection. No need to build a website or payment gateway from scratch.
   • Downsides: Limited crypto support, and cross-border banking could still be an issue depending on your host country’s regulations.
2. Audius
   • Overview: Audius is a decentralized, blockchain-based music streaming and distribution platform that connects artists directly with fans. It uses blockchain to ensure transparency and instant payouts.
   • Fees: Audius takes 10% of streaming revenue, with 90% going directly to the artist in real-time. For direct sales (e.g., exclusive tracks or NFTs), fees are minimal or nonexistent, depending on the transaction type.
   • Payouts: Supports cryptocurrency payouts (e.g., $AUDIO token, Ethereum, or stablecoins) directly to your crypto wallet, which is ideal for avoiding traditional banking issues. Some artists can set up direct bank transfers, but crypto is the primary payout method, making it expat-friendly for those in restrictive banking environments.
   • Expat-Friendly Features: Since Audius uses blockchain, you can receive payments in crypto regardless of your location or visa status, bypassing PayPal/Stripe issues. You’ll need a crypto wallet (e.g., MetaMask), which is straightforward to set up and manage.
   • Why It Fits: You can upload your music, metadata, and artwork to create a profile page for fans to stream or purchase your music. Audius supports direct fan engagement (e.g., tipping or exclusive content) and uses smart contracts to automate royalty splits, ensuring transparency. It’s ideal for a global nomad avoiding traditional banking headaches.
   • Downsides: Crypto payouts require some familiarity with wallets and blockchain, which may have a learning curve. Audius is more focused on streaming than direct album sales, so you may need to leverage their NFT or tipping features for sales.
3. NEWM
   • Overview: NEWM is a blockchain-based platform designed to empower artists by giving them control over music distribution, royalties, and fan engagement. It uses NFTs and smart contracts to facilitate direct sales and royalty payments.
   • Fees: NEWM typically charges 10-15% for transactions, with the rest going to the artist. Some NFT sales may have lower fees depending on the setup.
   • Payouts: Supports crypto payouts to your wallet (e.g., Ethereum, stablecoins) and, in some cases, direct bank transfers. Crypto is the primary focus, making it suitable for expats facing banking restrictions.
   • Expat-Friendly Features: NEWM’s blockchain-based system avoids reliance on traditional payment processors like PayPal or Stripe, which is perfect for your situation. You can manage everything through a crypto wallet, and the platform’s transparency ensures you know exactly where your royalties come from.
   • Why It Fits: NEWM allows you to create a page to sell your music as digital downloads or NFTs, with your metadata and artwork integrated. Fans can buy limited-edition tracks or even fractional ownership of songs, creating new revenue streams. The platform’s app simplifies management for artists and fans.
   • Downsides: Still gaining mainstream adoption, so your audience may need to be crypto-savvy. Setting up NFTs requires additional effort to market exclusivity to fans.
4. Phonogram.me
   • Overview: Phonogram.me is an NFT marketplace specifically for musicians to sell music, royalties, and exclusive content as NFTs. It focuses on seamless crypto transactions and royalty splits.
   • Fees: Takes 10-15% on transactions, with the rest split automatically via smart contracts to the artist and collaborators. No foreign exchange fees or PayPal-like service fees.
   • Payouts: Crypto payouts to your digital wallet (e.g., Ethereum, stablecoins). In Brazil, Phonogram.me supports direct conversion of crypto to local currency for bank deposits, which may extend to other countries by 2025—check their latest offerings for your host country.
   • Expat-Friendly Features: Designed to bypass traditional banking and payment processors, making it ideal for expats. The platform’s smart contracts automate royalty distribution, reducing disputes and delays.
   • Why It Fits: You can set up a page to sell your album, singles, or exclusive NFTs (e.g., special editions with music videos or behind-the-scenes content). Your metadata and artwork integrate easily, and the platform’s focus on crypto avoids cross-border banking issues.
   • Downsides: Limited to crypto-savvy fans, and direct bank transfers may not be available in all regions.
5. Gumroad
   • Overview: Gumroad is a DIY platform for creators to sell digital products (e.g., music, videos, artwork) directly to fans. It’s not music-specific but highly flexible for independent artists.
   • Fees: Charges 10% per transaction plus a small payment processing fee (around 2.9% + $0.30 for standard processors), totaling around 13-15% depending on the sale amount. This is within your sub-20% requirement.
   • Payouts: Supports direct bank deposits in multiple countries, though you’ll need to confirm compatibility with your host country’s banking system. Crypto payouts are not natively supported, but you can integrate with a crypto payment processor (e.g., Coinbase Commerce) for manual setup.
   • Expat-Friendly Features: Gumroad avoids PayPal by offering direct bank transfers or alternative processors. However, your banking restrictions may still pose challenges, so crypto integration might be necessary.
   • Why It Fits: You can quickly set up a page to sell your album and singles as digital downloads, bundle them with videos or artwork, and use your existing promo materials. Gumroad’s simplicity makes it a low-effort alternative to building your own site.
   • Downsides: Less music-specific than Bandcamp or Audius, and crypto integration requires extra setup. Banking restrictions in your host country could still be an issue.

Blockchain and Crypto: A Game-Changer for Expats
Your situation as an expat with banking challenges (e.g., PayPal banning you for foreign IP addresses) makes blockchain-based platforms like Audius, NEWM, and Phonogram.me particularly appealing. Here’s why:

• Crypto Payouts Bypass Banking Restrictions: By using a crypto wallet (e.g., MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet), you can receive payments in cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, $AUDIO, or stablecoins (e.g., USDC) without relying on traditional banks. This sidesteps visa-related banking issues and cross-border fees. You can later convert crypto to fiat currency via exchanges like Coinbase or Kraken, which offer low-fee withdrawals (e.g., 0-0.26% for Coinbase, depending on volume).
• Smart Contracts for Transparency: Platforms like Audius and NEWM use smart contracts to automate royalty distribution, ensuring you get paid instantly and transparently without middlemen taking 20-85% cuts. This is a stark contrast to traditional platforms like Spotify, where artists earn pennies per stream after label and distributor fees.
• Global Accessibility: Blockchain platforms don’t care about your IP address or visa status, making them ideal for digital nomads. You can manage everything from anywhere with an internet connection.

However, there’s a catch: you’ll need to learn the basics of crypto wallets and transactions, and your fans may need to be comfortable paying with crypto. To mitigate this, platforms like NEWM and Phonogram.me allow fans to pay with credit cards for NFT purchases, which are then converted to crypto for you.




DIY Website: Still an Option, But Not Necessary
You mentioned owning a domain and considering a DIY website with shared hosting and custom payment gateways. While this is a viable option, it’s not the only one, and it may not be the most practical given your situation. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Pros of DIY:
  • Full control over branding, pricing, and fan experience.
  • No platform fees if you integrate a low-cost payment processor (e.g., Coinbase Commerce for crypto or Paddle for fiat, both with ~1-5% fees).
  • Can use your existing domain and promo materials.
• Cons of DIY:
  • Time and cost to set up and maintain a website (even shared hosting can cost $50-200/year, plus development time).
  • Building a secure payment gateway is complex and risky (e.g., PCI compliance for fiat, wallet integration for crypto).
  • Marketing falls entirely on you, whereas platforms like Bandcamp or Audius have built-in audiences.
  • Cross-border banking issues may persist unless you use a crypto-focused processor.

Given your frustration with financial systems and time constraints as a full-time musician, platforms like Bandcamp or Audius are likely more efficient than a fully DIY approach. They handle the technical heavy lifting (e.g., hosting, payment processing) while keeping fees low.

Addressing Expat Financial Challenges
Your PayPal ban and Stripe issues highlight a common problem for expats: traditional payment processors often flag foreign IPs or restrict accounts based on visa status. Here are tailored solutions:

• Crypto as a Workaround: Platforms like Audius, NEWM, and Phonogram.me let you receive payments in crypto, which you can hold in a wallet or convert to fiat via exchanges like:
  • Coinbase: No fees for ACH deposits/withdrawals in the US; low fees (0.15-0.6%) for trading. Supports SEPA in Europe for €0.15 deposits.
  • Kraken: Low trading fees (0.16-0.26%) and supports bank transfers in multiple regions.
  • Revolut: Crypto-friendly bank with low trading fees (0-0.09%) and wallet integration, ideal for cross-border payments. Check if it’s available in your host country.
• Crypto-Friendly Banks: If you need fiat payouts, consider opening an account with a crypto-friendly bank like Revolut or Monzo (UK-based, FCA-regulated). These support seamless crypto-to-fiat conversions and bank transfers, potentially bypassing your host country’s restrictions.
• Avoid VPN Pitfalls: You’re correct that VPNs can worsen issues with payment processors. Stick to platforms that don’t rely on IP-based restrictions (e.g., blockchain-based ones) or verify your identity upfront with Bandcamp to avoid flags.
• Tax and Legal Considerations: As an expat, you’ll need to ensure compliance with your host country’s tax laws. Blockchain platforms like NEWM provide transparent ledgers to track earnings, which can simplify reporting. Consult a tax professional familiar with crypto and cross-border income to avoid surprises.

Recommended Action Plan
Based on your needs (low fees, direct-to-fan sales, expat-friendly payouts, minimal hassle), here’s a step-by-step plan:

1. Start with Audius for Crypto Payouts:
   • Set up a crypto wallet (e.g., MetaMask) and join Audius.
   • Upload your album, singles, metadata, and artwork to create a profile page.
   • Enable direct sales or tipping in $AUDIO or stablecoins. Promote exclusive tracks or NFTs to fans for higher revenue.
   • Convert crypto earnings to fiat via Coinbase or Kraken if needed.
2. Use Bandcamp for Fiat and Simplicity:
   • Create a Bandcamp page with your music and promo materials.
   • Set prices for your album and singles, allowing fans to pay more if they choose.
   • Verify bank transfer compatibility with your host country. If unavailable, use Audius or NEWM as your primary platform.
3. Experiment with NEWM or Phonogram.me for NFTs:
   • If you want to sell exclusive content (e.g., limited-edition tracks or music videos as NFTs), set up a NEWM or Phonogram.me profile.
   • Use their tools to create NFTs with your artwork and metadata, offering fans unique perks (e.g., VIP access or royalty shares).
   • Promote these to your fanbase via social media or existing channels.
4. Promote Your Music:
   • Use your existing promo materials across social platforms, linking to your Bandcamp or Audius page.
   • Engage fans directly through Audius’s community features or NEWM’s app to build loyalty.
5. Monitor and Optimize:
   • Track earnings and fan engagement on each platform’s dashboard.
   • If banking remains a hurdle, lean on crypto payouts and explore Revolut or Monzo for fiat conversion.

Why You’re Not Wrong, But There’s Hope
You’re not wrong to be frustrated with middlemen and high fees—traditional platforms like Spotify or Apple Music often leave artists with 12-20% of revenue after labels and distributors take their cut. PayPal and Stripe’s cross-border issues are a nightmare for expats, especially with IP-based bans. However, platforms like Audius, NEWM, and Bandcamp are viable solutions in 2025, offering low fees (10-15%), direct fan connections, and crypto or bank payouts that sidestep traditional banking woes. You don’t need to go full DIY with a website unless you want maximum control and have the time to manage it.




By combining Audius (for crypto and streaming) and Bandcamp (for fiat and simplicity), you can sell your music directly, keep most of your earnings, and avoid the “fee upon fee” BS. If you want to explore NFTs, NEWM or Phonogram.me add innovative revenue streams. These platforms are built for global nomads like you, and with a bit of setup, they’ll let you focus on creating music rather than fighting financial systems.

If you share your host country (or its banking restrictions), I can refine this further. Would you like me to dig deeper into any platform or help with crypto wallet setup?

 

Pricing Artist accounts are free. We earn money through a 10% revenue share on merchandise sales and 15% on digital music sales (payment processing fees are calculated separately and vary depending on the transaction size). The remaining amount—82% on average—is sent directly to your PayPal account, usually within 24 to 48 hours.

Spoiler: 2x Videos Bandcamp

How To SELL Your Music Directly On BANDCAMP (TUTORIAL)

Are You Doing BANDCAMP Wrong? - (5 Important Tips for Artists and Record Labels)

 

Last edited: Jun 13, 2025

It’s absolutely possible to sell music, but the real challenge isn’t selling, it’s getting it heard.

With music now fully “democratised,” anyone with a computer and a DAW thinks they’re the next big genius just by piecing together samples.

The result? Over 120,000 songs uploaded to streaming services every single day. On platforms like Label Radar, where I have a label, I get weekly emails telling me that over 1,400 new “artists” signed up just this month.

And I say “artists” loosely.

What floods the scene is a relentless stream of 30-second demos filled with the latest Serum presets and sample loops from Loopcloud or similar sites, often combined with basic YouTube tutorials. The quality is beyond awful.

If you’re genuinely talented, you’re forced to fight through this overwhelming noise just to be noticed. With nearly 3,000 new tracks uploaded last week alone (to label radar), all around 30 seconds long, I’m simply not going to find you organically and I’m actively looking.

Your audience are not. Why should they listen to you? They listen to what they’re told to listen too. So how do you reach an audience? You have to pay to be seen. Someone has to advertise you and cut through the clutter. Tell your audience you are worth hearing.

The so-called “democratisation” of music is really one huge joke. It hasn’t leveled the playing field, it’s just shifted the power from record labels to marketing agencies.

Selling music couldn’t be easier. Finding people to “sell” it too. Good luck on that one.

 

Fully on board with your post. Slight asterisk though... it is possible today to build a base by yourself with zero (marketing) dollars. That was practically impossible pre web 3.0. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 made sure of it (this effectively killed the college radio path). Still, at minimum you had the material costs for EPKs or the expenses of moving to one of the hubs and giving it a whack.

Now, is it difficult to do it all yourself? Yes. Very difficult to do by yourself? Also, yes. Are most people the sort of person that can pull that off? No. But possible (see little nasx as the unicorn example -- don't expect to duplicate that one kids).

But more reasonable/feasible for most is to stay connected in some humanizing fashion with the base as you grow it. Then milk 'em for every merch dolla' you can!

 

Last year, I encouraged a musician to create his own website, SoundCloud, and PayPal button. He did it, thanked me, and months later, when I asked how things were going, he got a few clicks and a few likes, but didn't earn a cent. Pretty frustrating. His music was simply no longer popular (dark synth pop), and/or the competition was too fierce, or his money was too tight, etc.!

For many musicians, it would simply be better to have a job, live frugally, and maybe even just give away his music on the street or offer downloads for free. That's how music gets out into the world after all...!

 

Yeah, that's a typical example of most people. You can't just toss up a website and somehow expect clicks. Organic search discovery is completely dead and will remain so until an indexing method so obtuse it can't be gamified is invented/implemented. So, personal sites are a waste if the use is for discovery. As a forever in my heart mopey rivethead I would say it's hard to discover newer talents in anything synth pop adjacent that don't sound exactly like the resurgence guys from 10 years ago who really wished they were 19 in 1985

Spotify is often your best bet for getting complete rando's to find you as their suggestion and playlist features generally reward the song more than the Marketing Machine (though that obviously is still important). Bandcamp is probably you're best store front. Any 'service' that charges money upfront that doesn't immediately provide you with 100% of purchased goods or unrestricted access to the thing your buying is an absolute scam.

The death of A&R has made it really awkward for socially anxious introverts who find even social media too taxing.

But, on the flipside, I don't care how obscure your genre is... there is a fanbase out there who will engage... if you can find them.

 

How to Get Your Music Heard in 2025 & Beyond
https://emastered.com/blog/how-to-get-your-music-heard

The Oversaturation of the Music Industry

As of 2022, it's estimated that approximately 100,000 songs are uploaded to streaming platforms every. single. day. It's genuinely not personal that your music isn't automatically picked up by the Spotify algorithm or lands immediately on editorial playlists. With the current level of music industry saturation, it's somewhat unreasonable to expect your music to be heard without putting effort into external promotion.

In order to get your music heard, you need to drive traffic to streaming platforms using tools like social media and playing live gigs as outlined below.

 

Last edited: Jun 13, 2025

I guess it depends what kind of music and how much you want to sell, and more importantly how much audience you are able to attract or want to attract,
you can run own website and sell directly (paypal, qr code, credit card options for ex.), no need for specific multimedia platform,
or you can run some kind of patreon/onlyfans/kickstarter/bandcamp that would either generate monthly revenue or fund single projects like music albums but again you'd need some kind of banking account/connection+fees, or how else would you want to get paid?
crypto isn't yet something widespread either...

do you already have a solid fanbase and youtube channel filled with content, or are you expecting people to magically start buying your music out of sudden? (sorry if that sounds offensive)

 

I think the best way to make popular music in 2025, is stop trying to make what you love.

Instead, make music that you absolutely can't stand, as that seems to be what people love to buy. By my logic, making music that to you is completely awful and obnoxious, will probably resonate with today's record buying public. And who really cares if it sounds good anyway? No one listens to music for the music anymore.

Have fun with it

 

Threw some stuff on Bandcamp, never promoted it, sometimes it sells and I get money
Sure it's possible. How much of your life are you willing to spend being your own PR firm??

 

Your post reminds me of...

 

What you're suggesting is pure suicide and self-deception. End your own slavery.

By all means, do what you love and are good at and simply stop chasing money.
Free yourself from the pressure of having to earn money.

Give your music away to your neighbors and friends, and give it to a DJ or radio station.
On the back, write your name, perhaps labeled "Promotional CD," or a donation account.

 

I was not all too serious with that suggestion, I don't really think music can be produced purely for profit without costing the soul of the product.

However, some money would be nice

I think it's tougher than ever now to really get it.

 

100% agree on that. Without playlist curators, A&R's that really apreciate your music, a marketing and image team it's going to be impossible to convince people your product deserves to be listened.

Plus, in the era of DAWs it was already saturated, now we got AI to make everything faster and shittier. Not even the need of a DAW to share 'music' anymore. Better save some bucks to make you cut through this ocean of crap if you wanna make a living out of it.

 

Seriously these Ai answers are fucking stupid and filled with misinformation. I cant believe nobody has said anything yet. Read the title of the damn thread and his comment. "no middleman BS" means no PayPal. He needs direct bank transfer or crypto payments for his sales royalties, but instead the very first answer and several others say Bandcamp as the #1 choice

BANDCAMP DOES NOT OFFER DIRECT BANK TRANSFER OR CRYPTO PAYMENTS.

They never have. You must use PayPal for sales. You must use PayPal or Stripe for subscriptions. There are no other choices offered. Bandcamp forcing PayPal on artists is a big fat loser

That puts everything else said afterwards in those Ai shitformation dumps in question. You cant fully trust anything from Ai, especially without fact checking it for fuck sake. I'm so happy these idiotic comments must use spoilers now. Almost all of these comments are off topic and useless. Hopefully the mods will clean up this mess so people can offer some accurate and useful information and advice, which I am also interested in hearing about. Sheesh

 

I get your other points, but from the thread title and first post; I would not interpret the question to mean payment processing fees, etc. between my paypal, bank, and me. OP says "platform", and that does not cause me to think about Paypal. I would think distros like CDBaby, Distrokid, and even more pointed at the Spotify, Beatport, etcc. types of platforms. The platform is where you market the product, not how you get payment for it after the sale.

For the rest of it, I do not see how anyone can expect either correct or useful answers to a question, without reading the question in the first place. This is pretty common anymore, and the thread is not even on page 2 yet.

 

I fully agree and it's not just that. I don't know about bandcamp but I cut ties to people that now just go and upload AI generated music, without disclosing it is, just for a quick dopamine hit of 5 people telling them it's a great track even though they have done nothing more than writing a prompt. And these are guys that made legit music in the past. I'm sure there's a ton of people that do this that can't even create legit music and telling people nothing about the AI origin of the music.

 

Ive made $85 from Bandcamp sales from 10 tracks that Ive released in the past 4 years... which in truth is more than I ever expected to make from my music at any point in the past 25 years Ive been producing. Making music is something I have zero interest in treating like a job, as this is purely my hobby and I have no expectations outside of just enjoying myself. The output and amount of work I release is also low so it just wouldn't make for a viable career as it would be completely unsustainable.

Regardless of that, I do believe that you CAN make it as a musician in 2025. I have friends that do this already through Bandcamp and other platforms and have been doing so for years. However, it depends on several factors, the first and most important being that your music HAS to resonate with your audience. Making music you enjoy doesn't guarantee it will be commercially viable. If your listeners aren't vibing on what you're making, more than likely its not going to work out.

The second most important factor is promoting your work. You have to get your name and music out there. Simply uploading to one platform and hoping that you're seen isn't enough. Promoting doesn't need to be a spam-fest, but it does need to be consistent enough where your target audience sees you and your output regularly.

Third would be setting up a network. Finding like-minded producers or people in the scene who are doing similar things and appreciate what you do provides a huge support system and additionally helps with promotion and establishing name recognition. Lots of opportunities come from networking.

I by no means consider myself a professional musician or producer, but from a personal standpoint, these are the main factors that I feel have helped me the most in the time that I've been making and promoting my own music. There are a ton of other factors but if you were to strip everything down to the bare fundamentals, this is what I believe is the most crucial.

I don't think there has ever been a better time to make and release music. With so many resources available and not having to worry about gate keeping is huge plus for independent artists. With so many people releasing music now, it might seem like roller skating up a hill but if you're willing to put in the work, it can be done.

 

Last edited: Jun 14, 2025