FAQs

Putumayo is a river that begins in the South American country of Colombia and flows along the border of Ecuador and Peru until it reaches the Amazon in Brazil. Putumayo's founder, Dan Storper, was traveling through the region in 1974, and was so enamored with its beauty, he decided to name his new handicraft shop after it. The etymological origins of the word Putumayo in Quechua (indigenous Indian language) are as follows: Mayu (or Mayo) means "River" and Putu can mean either a gourd for drinking chicha, which is a homemade corn/maize liquor, or "nace" (birth) or "sale" (leaves). Therefore, the Quechuan origins of the Putumayo word could be understood to mean either a gourd river or "birth of the river." Another literal meaning of the word Putumayo is a heron (type of bird).

Yes! Our active albums are available for digital download on Bandcamp and iTunes as well as streaming on Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora and other streaming services. Putumayo now offers a monthly subscription series. You’ll receive two new digital albums each month for $9.95 (50% off the regular price).

Q: What download formats are offered on Bandcamp? A: Bandcamp offers an array of digital download formats: MP3 V0, MP3 320, FLAC, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, ALAC, WAV, AIFF. The default download format for Bandcamp is MP3. These files also include high quality cover art, artist and track names, and booklets. You can also download in FLAC, ALAC (Apple Lossless), AAC, Ogg Vorbis, WAV and AIFF formats. These are high quality options, favored by audiophiles and those invested in higher quality streaming. Q: How do I gift a digital album on Bandcamp? A: There are two ways to send digital album gifts on Bandcamp. Individual Album Gifts: On each album page, there is a line that says “Send as Gift” in blue underneath the “Digital Album” heading and album description. Click on the “Send as Gift” text and a pop-up window will appear. Fill out as directed. If issues arise, visit this Bandcamp article or contact us at: info@putumayo.com: Digital Gift Cards: With a digital gift card, the recipient can choose the Putumayo album/albums of their choice. To send a digital gift card, scroll to the bottom of the Bandcamp home page and click “Gift Cards” underneath “About” or visit: https://bandcamp.com/gift_cards. Choose a desired value, add your name and message. You have the option to email the digital gift card or print out a version of the gift card to use. If issues arise, visit: https://get.bandcamp.help/hc/en-us/articles/23006354764439-Gift-cards or contact us at: info@putumayo.com. Q: How do I subscribe to Putumayo’s Bandcamp Subscription service? A: Visit our Bandcamp page, https://putumayo.bandcamp.com/ and click on the “Subscription” tab. From there you will see a blue button that reads, “Join Now.” Click that and you will be taken to a page where you enter your card information and an email confirmation once everything is filled out! Q: How do I unsubscribe from Putumayo’s Bandcamp Subscription service? A: Go to your settings and on the left-hand side, there should be a menu with a “Subscriptions” option. Click on that tab, you will see a page with the headers “Subscription” that shows Putumayo and “Payment Method” with the card you used for the payment. Click on “cancel” next to your card info and you should be all set! If you have any issues, visit this Bandcamp FAQ page or contact us at: info@putumayo.com Q: Where do I find the music I purchased via Bandcamp? A: To download music onto a computer, go to your Bandcamp profile page. You will see all of your album purchases. Find the album you’re looking for and “download” will appear in light gray underneath the text “appears in …” Press “download” and pick the format of your choice. If you can’t find your Bandcamp profile page, you can also download music onto a computer as follows. Log into your account. On your home page you will see a circle on the top right corner. Click on the circle and a drop-down menu will appear. Click on “Purchases.” You will be shown a full list of albums you have purchased. On the top right corner, click on the “download album” and select the format of your choice. You can also access any Putumayo music you’ve purchased on the Bandcamp app through their streaming service. If you have any issues, visit these Bandcamp pages below or contact us at: info@putumayo.com: For computer / desktop: https://get.bandcamp.help/hc/en-us/articles/23020707010199-Where-do-I-download-my-purchase IOS/Apple Mobile Devices: https://get.bandcamp.help/hc/en-us/articles/23020630031511-Can-I-download-directly-to-my-iOS-device Android Mobile Devices: https://get.bandcamp.help/hc/en-us/articles/23020692020887-Can-I-download-my-purchases-directly-from-the-app

Putumayo now has an online shop with a variety of t-shirts and other merchandise for adults and children.

Putumayo decided to stop selling physical CDs on December, 31st, 2025. Going forward we will be offering digital-only albums through the Putumayo Discovery label. You may be able to find out of print CDs through eBay, Amazon and Discogs, although we have no direct affiliation with those outlets.

There are a number of factors that go into Putumayo's decisions regarding what compilations to release. We try to select themes that will have broad appeal and that cover an area of particular musical and cultural interest. We also try to balance out our annual release schedule with a diverse mix of titles that cover a wide range of musical genres. Putumayo's goal is to introduce people to other cultures through melodic, upbeat music from around the world.

Putumayo has a database of more than 80,000 songs we have collected over the years. Jacob Edgar, an ethnomusicologist and longtime Putumayo researcher, reviews thousands of new releases every week in order to make the final selections for each album and playlist. Once a song has been identified as being a good fit for Putumayo, we contact the rights holders to obtain permission to feature the song on our albums.

We are always interested in receiving music that fits the Putumayo aesthetic. The best way make sure we listen to your songs quickly and to get direct and personal feedback is to submit your music using our official profiles on the music pitching platforms Groover, SubmitHub and Playlist Push. Or you can send an email to submissions@putumayo.com with streaming links to your music (no attachments or downloads, please). Please do not follow up asking if we have received your submission, listened to it or for feedback. We listen to everything that comes in as long as it is appropriate for Putumayo. If one or more of your songs works for an upcoming project or playlist we will get in touch. This could happen very quickly or it could be years in the future, it really depends on the projects we have in the works, whether your song fits with a particular project or playlist and if the song has made it through our rigorous selection process.   Thanks again for thinking of Putumayo and letting us hear your music!