How to Share a Private Bandcamp Album
On Bandcamp Pro, open your private or draft album and choose Invite listeners, or find Private Streaming in Tools. Select the album, name the link and copy it. Test the link while signed out before sharing it. Keep a record of who gets it so you know which link to revoke if access needs to end.
Lead visual
The Bandcamp storefront loop
Release
lossless audio + story
Offer
price + pay more
Discover
tags + follow path
Evidence
plays + sales + net
complete page → direct support → follower signal → next release decision
Make music. Keep the business in tune.
Invoices, expenses, and music business accounting. Keep the paperwork together.
Check the album before you make the link
Open the private album and play the start and end of every track you plan to share. Check the order against the approved track list. If a reviewer is going to write about track four, the title and sequence in your note should match the player they receive.
Decide who needs a listen and what they should do with it. A reviewer can use a stream and a release date. A collaborator who needs an audio file for an edit needs a separate delivery. If you are making a complimentary copy available to a fan, use the album download code guide.
Write down the access end date before sending anything. Put it beside the release date if access should continue through a review window. The person checking the album on release morning should know which links need to stay open.
Create one link per group you may need to manage
In Tools, open the private streaming section and select the eligible album. Give the link a name you will recognize after launch. If you started on the album page, Invite listeners takes you to the same tool.
| Link name and recipient | Access decision | |
|---|---|---|
| Press review | Salt Orchard review copy, one link for the publication receiving the EP | Keep access through the agreed review window and verify it before the coverage date. |
| Band approval | Salt Orchard band playback, a separate link for the performers | Close the link when approvals are finished, without cutting off the publication. |
| Public pre-order | The public album page, checked separately | Send this to listeners who should hear only the tracks available to the public. |
In the handoff, include the album title, release date and the specific reason you are sending the link. If the destination is Bandcamp Daily, see the pitch checklist for the story and timing around the music.
Test and close the link on your own schedule
Before and after sharing
Check the link as a recipient
- 01
Open
Use a signed-out window
Paste the full invite link. Confirm the album and track order match the version you intend to send.
- 02
Listen
Play across the record
Check that the intended tracks play on desktop and phone. Save the checked link in your handoff notes.
- 03
Review
Revisit the private streaming table
Look at visits for the named link. Treat unusual traffic as a prompt to check where it was shared.
- 04
Close
Revoke access when the window ends
Use the link controls in Tools. Try the old URL in a fresh window to confirm it no longer plays.
Visits tell you that the link was opened. They cannot establish who listened all the way through. If a recipient says the link was forwarded, you can revoke that link and send a new one to the intended group.
Before starting a public Bandcamp pre-order, open the public and private pages in separate windows. Decide whether both should still play. The private link can continue playing the full album even when the public page only offers one track.
Bandcamp instructions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Bandcamp Pro to create the link?+
Yes. Bandcamp lists private streaming as a Pro feature for eligible private or draft releases.
Does opening a public pre-order turn off the private stream?+
No. Bandcamp says existing links can continue to expose the full album after the public pre-order opens. Review the links in Tools before announcing the pre-order.
Can the recipient forward the link?+
Treat the link as shareable. Use a separately named link for each audience you may need to cut off independently, and only send audio you are prepared to make available to whoever receives it.
Is a private stream the same as an album code?+
The private stream is a listening link. Track and album codes are for redemption and downloads. Choose the one that fits what you want the recipient to do.
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