Bandhug Open House – Unlimited Collaborations & Pro Features FREE Through January 1st!
Hello Bandhug Family,
When I started Bandhug, my goal was simple: to create a place where musicians from around the world could come together, collaborate, and enjoy making music.
For the first four years, Bandhug operated entirely on voluntary donations. Thanks to the generosity of our members, we were able to keep the website running and provide a place where musicians could collaborate freely.
A couple of years ago, we introduced subscription memberships for a specific reason. Our server was getting older, and although it was still operating well, we knew it was time to plan for its replacement. We wanted to ensure Bandhug would remain reliable for years to come rather than wait for hardware failures or unexpected problems.
Thanks to the incredible support of our paid members, we accomplished that goal!
Our new server has been installed, is fully paid for, and is now running in our data center.
However, I also recognize that introducing subscriptions changed our community. Some longtime members stopped participating, fewer collaborations were being started, and some of the activity that made Bandhug special began to fade.
I would really like to change that.
Introducing the Bandhug Open House!
Starting today and continuing through January 1, 2027, we're opening Bandhug's Pro features to everyone, completely FREE!
During this period, all Free and Basic members will automatically have access to the same unlimited collaboration features and tools available to Pro members.
No upgrades, no credit cards, and no additional steps required.
Just log in, start a collaboration, join others, and enjoy making music!
***A Special Thank You to Our Paid Members***
I want to personally thank everyone who has supported Bandhug through a paid subscription.
Your contributions made our server replacement possible. Without your support, we would not have the reliable infrastructure we have today.
Although the new hardware is paid for, Bandhug still has ongoing monthly expenses, including data center hosting, bandwidth, and maintenance. Your continued support helps keep Bandhug online and available to musicians everywhere.
Existing paid subscriptions will continue unchanged.
My hope is that opening Bandhug to everyone will bring back old friends, attract new musicians, and create more opportunities for everyone to collaborate.
My Hope for Bandhug's Future
I want to make something clear.
Bandhug was never created to make money. It was created for the love of music and collaboration.
I started this website because I enjoyed collaborating with musicians from around the world, and I wanted others to have that same opportunity.
When we introduced paid memberships, it wasn't because I wanted to turn Bandhug into a business. We needed to prepare for the replacement of our aging server and ensure the long-term reliability of the website.
Now that we've accomplished that goal, I would love nothing more than to remove all membership restrictions permanently and return Bandhug to a completely open collaboration platform.
But I also have to be realistic. Even though the server is paid for, there are still ongoing expenses to keep the website running. I don't want to make changes that could put Bandhug's future at risk.
That's why we're trying this Open House.
I want to see whether removing the restrictions will encourage more musicians to return, more collaborations to begin, and more activity throughout the community.
If we can maintain enough financial support through voluntary contributions and existing supporting members to cover our ongoing expenses, I would love to make this change permanent.
I don't need Bandhug to make money. I just need Bandhug to be able to support itself.
That's what I'm hoping we can accomplish together.
What Happens After January 1st?
This Open House is an opportunity to see whether a more open Bandhug can thrive again.
If participation increases and we can maintain the financial support needed to keep the site running, we will look at extending free access on a month-to-month basis, with the ultimate goal of making it permanent.
If the activity or financial support isn't sufficient, we may need to return to our previous subscription model.
I want to find the right balance between keeping Bandhug financially sustainable and making it accessible to as many musicians as possible.
Let's Bring the Music Back!
If you haven't visited Bandhug in a while, I invite you to come back.
If you've been waiting to start a collaboration, now is the time.
And if you know musicians who might enjoy collaborating with others around the world, please invite them to join us.
The more musicians we have participating, the more opportunities we all have to make music together.
Bandhug has always been about the music and the people who make it.
Let's bring back the collaborations, the friendships, and the community that made Bandhug special.
Welcome back, and happy jamming!
Dennis King
Founder, Bandhug.com
