Locked Down Media

Bandcamp sent an email this week on the impact of tariffs to bands that sell physical media via the site.

Significant changes are coming to global tariffs (import taxes imposed by a government) that may impact how packages enter the United States.

In practice, this means fees may be applied to some types of merchandise on US-bound shipments, and some Bandcamp sellers may choose to temporarily pause shipments to the US.

Also, several international postal carriers are temporarily suspending delivery to the US. These restrictions do not come from the artists or labels but from global carriers. If you have questions about how an artist or label is handling this for your order, you can contact them directly by clicking the “Contact” link on the right side of their page.

Remember, that while some artists and labels may suspend shipments to the US, you can always support them directly by purchasing digital music.

For more information, head to our help center.

It's a frustrating experience not to be able to purchase music from overseas. Cherry Red Records, a fine UK purveyor of music on physical media, suspended shipping to the U.S., at least temporarily, "WHILST OUR DISTRIBUTION PARTNER GATHERS INFORMATION ON THE CORRECT PROCEDURE TO SHIP ITEMS." In the days of the internet and ubiquitous knowledge at our fingertips, we are in such a confused and chaotic state that European countries don't know how to ship records to what is undoubtedly the biggest market for them.

It creates more than a little resentment for me that my ability to buy music from overseas is being used as a bargaining chip in a trade war. Claiming you live in a free country but can't order a new wave compilation on compact disc from a friendly nation feels a bit farcical.

I guess the official position of the government is that film and music, like automobiles, Game Boys or household commodities, should be made only in the good ol' U.S. of A.