When Should I Upload My Album to Tunecore if I Want to Release It February 9th

Updtaed as of 01/03/2022

Our TuneCore review gives you an inside await at the platform and how they are helping independent musicians.

TuneCore has been effectually for a while and is another staple in music distribution.

With a growing number of artists turning to the company, nosotros assistance you to determine if this feature packed platform is right for you.

Music distribution seems adequately straightforward, right? You just get your music into the right hands, and it will be smooth sailing from there. Easy.

But y'all and I both know that goose egg is as simple as information technology appears in the music industry, particularly when information technology comes to getting your music heard on different streaming platforms and digital storefronts.

Music distribution companies like TuneCore accept been around for over a decade now and are helping the underdog brand major strides in the music distribution game.

TuneCore is one of the strongest music distribution companies that I have had the pleasure of using, and I've relied on the service to release my music for some time now. The all-time function is that I tin count on TuneCore to make my music bachelor to fans across hundreds of dissimilar platforms.

In this review, I want to share some of the many benefits TuneCore has to offer as well as touch on some potential pitfalls to help y'all brand an informed choice about distributing your music online.

Who Is TuneCore For? Quick Summary

TuneCore Disbelieve (25% Off)

TuneCore has a lot of features that are benign to artists of all genres; nevertheless, 1 thing to be aware of upwardly forepart are the fees associated with releasing your music every bit they tin add up quickly.

However, I believe TuneCore's fees are fair, but they may not be in line with all musicians' budgets. The bottom line? If keeping upfront costs very low is your goal, then TuneCore may non exist your all-time option.

With that said, you may detect that TuneCore's features are worth the fees, peculiarly when yous consider the fact that the company does not take a commission on your music.

This model is advantageous for artists who don't want to worry about paying more for selling more than music. When y'all pay an almanac fee, y'all don't have to think almost losing money as your sales climb through the yr because you're ane and done – no commissions with TuneCore except for YouTube.

I've found that TuneCore's fee schedule and sales model works for my needs, and I actually value the strength of the analytics that TuneCore provides. Want access to solid and upwardly-to-date reporting that is arguably the all-time in the manufacture?

Then TuneCore has exactly what you need!

Also, if y'all are actually focused on monetizing your YouTube videos and so TuneCore has a number of features to help you do just that. Yes, there is a commission involved, simply if your music gains traction, that commission can exist balanced out.

Pros

• Distribution to social platforms
• 0% Commission – keep all royalties
• Publishing administration & potential sync opportunities
• YouTube monetization
• Education and rewards program
• Instant verification on streaming profiles
• iTunes pre-release solutions
• Payment splitting if all parties are on TuneCore
• Stiff revenue and analytics reports

Cons

• YouTube committee of 20%
• Annual fees
• Charges a fee for adding new outlets
• linkShare selection for TuneCore Social Pro users merely
• Lacks strong marketing support for things like playlist plugging

What Is In This Guide

TuneCore's Reputation

I of the things I really like almost TuneCore as a company is that they really do seem to intendance about artists.

If you've worked in the music industry, you lot already know that there are plenty of people out at that place merely waiting to take advantage of you.

At TuneCore, the company culture seems focused on serving artists and providing opportunities to elevate independent music as a whole.

An example of this approach tin be found in the visitor'south efforts directed at educational activity and investment in artist development.

TuneCore'southward parent company, Believe Digital, has partnered with Spotify to innovate the "Discovery Mode" tool.

Through this partnership, contained artists have the ability to accomplish new fans and market place new music with no upfront costs.

Additionally, TuneCore has also upstreamed over 340 artists to Believe Digital through the company'due south "Signed Past" program.

This ultimately leads to more exposure, larger opportunities to become heard, and more than ways to brand money from a career in music.

I mention these two examples considering these are the things that speak to artists.

Likewise ofttimes, I run into other music distribution services that promise a lot to artists simply mostly at that place's not much that differentiates them from whatsoever other benefactor.

They also may take a ton of features on their platform, only when the dust settles, these features rarely move the needle for artists in the right way.

With TuneCore, I not only go the features, but I likewise run into the company working toward making information technology easier for independent artists to get a fair shake and get heard.

What TuneCore Does

Although we've already covered a flake most what TuneCore has to offer, I want to have a step back and begin with the basics of what TuneCore really does.

Perhaps you've heard of digital distribution but weren't sure what exactly that means.

In brusk, they serve every bit the middle men between you every bit the independent creative person and music platforms like Spotify, Apple tree Music, Tidal, and more than. Essentially, they help make your music available to the public for consumption.

Platforms like TunCore also have to evolve with technology and changes inside the music industry. The manner music is consumed continues to change and equally an artist you desire to maximize your potentially to exist heard as much as possible.

Which leads us to our side by side bespeak on where TuneCore can distribute your music.

Outlets & Release Options

TuneCore allows you to distribute your releases to over 150 digital stores and streaming services across 100+ countries worldwide. Beyond that, you lot get to pick and choose which stores you lot want your music distributed to.

What this ways is that you don't have to have the time to fill out paperwork, submit files, deal with approving processes, wade through guidelines or deal with all of the other hassles that frequently come up with digital distribution.

Not only does TuneCore handle this for you, but the company knows this side of the manufacture inside and out. This knowledge and feel, combined with close relationships with streaming platforms and digital storefronts, ensures that everything is handled efficiently and professionally.

While TuneCore works with major storefronts and streaming services like iTunes and Spotify, it also provides inroads to go your music listed on lesser-known, just still popular, sites and services.

This can exist a big help when it comes to promoting your music locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Distribution To Social Platforms

Beyond distribution to streaming services and storefronts, yous can as well have TuneCore handle distribution to social platforms for boosted exposure, sharing, and earning potential.

Even if social media platforms aren't going to be your main focus for marketing your music, you can't deny social media'southward influence on viral sharing.

From YouTube Shorts to TikToks to Instagram Stories, there's no shortage of means to leverage social media sharing to spread the word and get your music in forepart of huge numbers of potential fans quickly and without a lot of investment.

TuneCore is ahead of the curve on this in my stance every bit the company offers a number of affordable ways to market music using social media.

Currently, there are no upfront costs to opt for releases with YouTube Content ID or other social options.

Using TuneCore'southward social tools, you can release music to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reels and more than, and you keep lxxx% of the revenue.

Although this differs slightly from other TuneCore services in that you lot do split acquirement, there are no annual subscription costs to utilize these services.

I like to recollect of social through TuneCore every bit an added bonus that generates passive income, despite the split.

More importantly, I see these options as marketing tools. I use social media to gain added exposure and new fans instead of using it to make sales directly.

I want potential fans to see the name of the artists I'yard producing, share posts and tracks with friends, and then funnel these shares into sales in the future.

Something else to consider in all of this is that social sharing encourages fan feedback, and in many cases, this is going to exist as objective as it tin become.

Considering your music has the adventure to reach new audiences who are engaging organically, you have the ability to hear straight from the horse's oral cavity about what people similar and don't like virtually a particular aspect of a track, album, or musical concept.

Release Dates & Pre-Orders

Scheduling and promoting release dates is crucial for building hype around an album or vocal release.

This has become even more important in the digital historic period where social media hype can go viral around the world in a matter of hours.

With the help of TuneCore, yous're able to select a release appointment that aligns with your marketing plans.

You tin also incorporate a pre-release entrada into your marketing strategy while using TuneCore.

The company allows you to brand your album or single available for sale on iTunes before your official release date. This not only helps to build anticipation, but it tin can also give you an idea of your expected sales before release.

Unfortunately, TuneCore only allows you to do this with iTunes and no other shop at the moment.

The company suggests that you provide between 3 and four weeks of planning to execute this properly. Although pre-release services are but bachelor for iTunes at the moment, virtually artists utilize iTunes equally a mainstay for releases anyway, so it shouldn't be a deterrent.

*Delight note: A pre-lodge cannot be added to a release subsequently it has been paid for and distributed to stores. You need to set your pre-order during the upload process to take reward of this feature.

Speed To Stores

TuneCore is very adept at getting your music alive on iTunes and Spotify speedily.

Speed to iTunes is very quick, and releases typically go alive inside 24-48 hours. Spotify, on the other hand, typically takes v business days.

All other stores range between 1 and three weeks depending on the store.

Pro Tip: Keep in mind that these are suggested times under best-example scenarios. Don't rely on the posted timeframes because each case is unique.

Be mindful of this when planning your releases, and try to make your submission at least 3-four weeks alee of your target release date.

Fees & Commissions

TuneCore is similar to the majority of other distribution sites in the fact that it is free to join. There is no fee to sign up.

That said, TuneCore does charge a distribution fee to upload your music.

Now, what some people really dislike about TuneCore is that in that location's an annual fee on every unmarried or album that yous upload. You lot can check current distribution pricing below:

TuneCore Discount (25% Off)

This is where other companies like CD Baby, which doesn't accuse an annual fee, may start to expect superior to TuneCore.

After all, if y'all aren't making whatsoever money from your music, then why should TuneCore profit?

While y'all're certainly justified in wanting to keep as much of your money as possible, companies charging a commission are essentially taking a take a chance on you "now" in hopes of a bigger payout down the road.

TuneCore does not take a commission, and this means y'all get to proceed 100% of what yous earn from your music. The company is putting in the work to distribute your music, and you lot're paying for the service.

CD Baby, on the other hand, doesn't charge you lot those annual fees. Instead, it takes a healthy 9% commission from everything yous make.

On the surface, this may seem ameliorate, but this isn't necessarily the case. This ways that you're going to be paying nine% of each sale for as long equally CD Baby, or a similar service, is handling your distribution. Every sale, every stream, every dollar in near cases.

What information technology truly comes down to is how much y'all're making from your music and where you are in your music career.

If you are making very little coin from your music, small enough to not cover the annual TuneCore fees, and so yes, committee-based services like CD Infant might be the better choice.

Yet, if y'all're making a ton of money from your music or you lot expect to do and then eventually, so CD Infant'southward 9% cut isn't so glamorous anymore equally commissions volition perpetually eat into your profits with each sale.

This is specially the case when you could just pay the fixed annual TuneCore fee and be washed with it, keeping what you lot earn week subsequently week, calendar month after month.

The fact that TuneCore'southward fee is fixed also means y'all can program for information technology rather than CD Baby getting more than money the more your sales grow.

To add to this, I always encourage artists to consider all aspects of a music distribution partner instead of focusing solely on the money.

Yes, your money is important, simply it shouldn't be the only driving cistron in your decision making process.

You need to take into consideration the other benefits and features being provided past each platform and become with what fits your needs the best.

Fee For Adding New Stores

With TuneCore, an added do good is that you lot are able to aggrandize the distribution of your songs to stores you are non currently utilizing via the TuneCore Store Expander.

These are typically platforms that weren't available or that you may have skipped when you lot were originally selecting your list of platforms to distribute to.

In the epitome below, you tin come across that my music isn't being made available to platforms like Peleton.

In this example, there is a small fee to add my music to these specific platforms, merely there are cases where there is zero fees at all.

TuneCore offers a similar characteristic worth noting called the Store Automator.

You lot never know when the next big platform like Spotify or Apple Music may spawn out of thin air.

Look at the rapid impact of TikTok on the music industry and what that has washed for musicians.

The Store Automator feature allows you to have advantage of stores you may take missed when you originally uploaded your music considering they did non exist at the time.

This feature gives you the option of automatically distributing your music to new stores that TuneCore partners with as they come along.

Essentially, this means fewer missed opportunities and wider distribution. It also means yous're more likely to get your music on upwards-and-coming platforms first, giving you the chance to grow organic hype from the start.

Currently, Store Automator costs a i-time flat fee of $12 for each release.

I personally believe that this is a forward-thinking motility on the office of both TuneCore and artists who partner with TuneCore since today'south ever-changing landscape of streaming platforms and digital storefronts tin can be difficult to predict.

Imagine if you had your music on iTunes from day one or that yous were listed on Spotify from the moment the service went alive.

You'd probably have had more opportunities to receive exposure, more opportunities to market your music, and more money in your pocket along with more fan and industry clout behind your name.

Take Downwards Costs

A business concern some musicians have is that they don't want to be striking with penalties for removing their music from platforms.

Subsequently all, things happen in music. Trust me – I get information technology. Mayhap you aren't likewise happy with a song or information technology'southward get outdated and you don't want it accessible to the public.

Perhaps y'all've run into a disagreement with a musical partner and need tracks taken downwardly until matters tin can be resolved.

Whatever the case may be, you tin find comfort in the fact that TuneCore will not charge you a fee to take downwardly whatever music you take uploaded.

Yous merely submit a asking to take down your music and TuneCore will help you through the procedure.

How TuneCore Processes Payouts

So, we've covered quite a chip nearly what TuneCore does overall, but I know what yous really want to learn – how practice I get paid?

Fifty-fifty the most passionate artist out at that place deserves to get compensated for their time and effort, so it's perfectly normal to desire to know when yous're going to make good off of your music.

When it comes to processing payouts, TuneCore has a really good runway tape from everything I've seen.

I'll also add that I have personally never encountered an issue getting paid correctly and on fourth dimension.

Now, I want to exist clear that getting paid royalties from TuneCore can be a lengthy procedure if you lot're not used to working against quarterly sales models.

What this ways is that TuneCore pays out each quarter, and these quarters are divided as follows:

• Q1: January-March (payout in May)
• Q2: April-June (payout in August)
• Q3: July-September (payout in Nov)
• Q4: October-December (payout in February of post-obit twelvemonth)

I bespeak this out considering it's important to know that payments in the music industry can have some fourth dimension.

Y'all're going to be hard-pressed to find a distribution partner that is able to provide faster timelines than quarterly, and some that merits to offer quick payments are going to have a higher percentage for authoritative fees.

Keep in mind that faster payments may besides be considered advances, pregnant if y'all don't brand that coin back in sales during the next quarter, you could exist on the hook downwards the route.

Payouts and Taxes

Something else you need to keep in listen is that TuneCore (and virtually whatever other distribution service) will be required to process tax information pertaining to your personal situation when working out payments.

Your revenue enhancement state of affairs is unique to you, but many artists find themselves classified as sole proprietors or independent contractors for tax purposes.

Your local, state, or national regime requirements may change your filing status, and so I encourage yous to speak with a tax expert, tax attorney, or government taxation representative to sympathise how to handle your personal filing situation.

TuneCore does make it piece of cake to transport in required taxation documents, and yous will receive your own documents annually to submit when filing your own taxes.

One time again, this can differ based on location, but TuneCore's support squad is very helpful if you have questions.

Additionally, you lot shouldn't meet problems with tax withholding blocking you from accessing funds like what happened with DistoKid recently.

Still, again, you're encouraged to be proactive and await into tax laws that pertain to your unique position and location to ensure you lot don't get hit with any subconscious surprises.

Payouts and Splits

TuneCore does offer payment splitting options, but only if all parties are signed up with TuneCore and all fees are current.

This tin be tricky since I've meet situations where I've collaborated with artists who have different distribution plans.

I used TuneCore, they went with their preferred option. We had to piece of work things out independently, and this means extra legal paperwork on everyone'south office, merely it can be done.

Not exactly efficient, and this is one of the drawbacks of partnering with TuneCore. Of course, if you're a solo artist, this isn't going to be a concern.

Also, if you're part of a small group, calculating splits may be a simple multiplication or division equation away.

When I've had the take a chance to split payments with other TuneCore artists, the procedure has been very easy and efficient.

Nosotros worked out the split, and TuneCore handled the processing when funds were dispersed.

Everything was documented for all parties involved, giving a level of transparency that I have a difficult time finding elsewhere in the industry.

Getting Paid

Now permit'southward jump into the fun stuff – actually getting paid!

Once you lot have earnings processed and in your business relationship, you can withdraw your coin at any time and do non demand to worry about a threshold that some platforms impose on you.

TuneCore also provides y'all with three flexible options to withdraw your money from the platform:

• Via bank check
• Via electronic funds transfer (EFT)
• Via PayPal

TuneCore's Direct Advance Program

Before we move on, in that location is 1 more payment feature that I desire to affect which sets TuneCore apart from other services.

TuneCore's Direct Advance program allows y'all to access coin that you oasis't made withal in the class of an advance.

You're probably asking, "Well, where tin I sign upward!?"

Ahh, not then fast – The programme is for select TuneCore artists only.

The selection criteria for artists is based on previous sales history and future forecasted sales. Essentially, you lot volition have to prove that you lot accept a solid track record of sales to be eligible.

It'due south also worth noting that advances are not some type of magic money that comes from sparse air with no strings attached.

An accelerate in the distribution and publishing industries is an advancement of funds with the expectation that the money will be returned in the form of sales.

If you don't generate those sales, you're likely going to be on the hook for the accelerate coin. In most cases, accepting an advance means that repayment will be made through your outset sales, meaning yous won't see a dime until your sales come across and exceed the advance amount.

An advance always sounds nice when companies get-go throwing around dollar signs, just there'due south no such thing equally a free lunch.

Thankfully, TuneCore provides clear wording on what advances are, how they work, what obligations come up along with them, and how disputes are resolved.

This eases my mind, and while some may tend to shy away from advances because they prefer non to hang on contingencies in the music business, they can exist a convenient way to get funding for many artists who need cash at present.

TuneCore Disbelieve (25% Off)

General Features

Although we've already covered some basis regarding what TuneCore has to offer, I recall information technology'due south important to give a broad overview of the visitor's features and benefits.

In a nutshell, TuneCore gets your music listed on streaming platforms and digital audio storefronts.

This allows y'all to earn money from streaming and digital album or unmarried sales, and TuneCore handles all of the background administrative stuff in terms of reporting and payment processing.

Additionally, TuneCore offers a multifariousness of promotional tools to help your fans find your music and share information technology with others.

This has become increasingly important as more music is existence discovered and streamed using social outlets similar Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.

No to mention, social networks like YouTube and Spotify are known for providing outlets to artists who want to stream their music to fans, receive feedback in the class of comments and analytics data, and attain viral status through shares and algorithm promotion.

Nosotros've listed some boosted detailed information virtually some key features and benefits of TuneCore below:

Publishing Administration

Some other aspect of digital distribution is publishing administration. I discover that this function of a distribution partnership often gets overlooked, but it is unremarkably one of the most vital functions in terms of ensuring you get paid for your work wherever it gets published.

Publishing administration is the process of keeping up with when and where your music gets used, streamed and downloaded.

When it comes to digital music, it's far too piece of cake to lose runway of how many streams or downloads a song or album has, and this can mean you're leaving money on the tabular array every single day.

TuneCore provides a Music Publishing Administration service to help artists in this area.

While many of you may be familiar with Songtrust, TuneCore's publishing team leverages Sentric's Rights App Technology to monitor the uses and plays of your music effectually the globe.

This and so allows TuneCore to collect and distribute these royalties to the artists who are entitled to them.

This partnership besides gives TuneCore the flexibility to work with rights collection agencies from around the globe to make sure that no matter where your original music is being played, y'all receive your royalties for information technology.

One time again, digital music can very easily exist shared beyond the Internet, and keeping up with each stream and download tin exist a huge undertaking. Using publishing administration services from TuneCore, yous're more than likely to become paid for each usage of your music and less likely to miss out on acquirement streams.

Another squeamish do good of Publishing Assistants through TuneCore is that you tin can purchase this as a separate service, even if you don't distribute your music through TuneCore.

I personally feel that you're going to see a bigger benefit by utilizing both services through TuneCore, but the choice is available if you but want the company to handle your admin.

In order to utilize Publishing Administration services through TuneCore, yous volition need to assign exclusive sync rights, just this is done to protect your interests every bit TuneCore states that:

"TuneCore maintains exclusive synchronization rights to Compositions but. This is to your advantage equally it avoids confusion in the marketplace and having too many parties representing the same rights tin can result in college licensing fees based on our extensive sync negotiating experience."

At its core, TuneCore's Publishing Assistants Service helps to collect the royalties that Performing Rights Organizations (PRO) like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC or SOCAN can non or practise not collect. See the breakdown of what your PRO will collect on your behalf vs. TuneCore's Publishing Administration Service below:

Sync & Master Licensing

Through TuneCore'south Publishing Administration service, they also avowal that they will get to bat for you and pitch your music to film, Television receiver, commercial media, video games and more.

This is because they have a designated sync team on the basis in Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris working to solicit sync placements. While this sounds great in theory, y'all likewise have to consider how many artists utilise the TuneCore platform.

Everyone's situation will be dissimilar when it comes to landing these kinds of placements. If an artist is hoping to secure a sync placement, and then they should exist providing TuneCore's sync reps with the necessary tools in society to maximize the potential of securing a placement.

For instance, ensuring the music is of high quality, ensuring high resolution files are available, ensuring instrumental versions of songs are available and knowing what the rights moving-picture show looks like (if in that location is outside ownership of publishing rights).

It is entirely possible that your rails could be featured in the next Hollywood blockbuster or viral commercial spot, but competition is strong, and then set your expectations accordingly.

TuneCore Publishing Administration Pricing

Pricing for TuneCore's Publishing Administration service is listed as a 1-fourth dimension $75 setup fee which allows y'all to submit equally many compositions equally you like. This would be pretty good if it weren't for the commission fees.

With any royalties you lot make from publishing, TuneCore takes a cut of the profits. This used to be 10% merely has since increased to 15% as of July 1st, 2018. With regard to whatever sync licensing that yous are able to obtain, TuneCore keeps twenty% of all the revenue you generate.

Note: This is not to be confused with music revenue as TuneCore does not touch that. This only applies to publishing.

YouTube Sound Recording Revenue

As previously mentioned, TuneCore provides yous with opportunities to monetize your music through YouTube.

This is a service TuneCore provides to help yous runway downward and collect revenue when your sound recordings are used anywhere on YouTube.

As yous probably already know, this is incredibly important equally YouTube tin can be a passive income generator if your music finds its fashion onto the right channels and videos.

Through TuneCore, you get to decide which of your tracks you want to collect coin on and monetize.

In one case these tracks are submitted to YouTube, the content ID system identifies where your music is being used on the platform.

If your music is used in a video, YouTube offers the ability to claim copyright, and y'all may be owed a per centum of the ad acquirement from any videos using your music.

Artists pay a quondam setup fee of $12 for the service, and TuneCore takes xx% of any acquirement made.

The setup fee covers all current and futurity releases, which is good, merely the xx% commission needs to be factored in with the fact that you are still simply going to receive a portion of the advertisement revenue from YouTube. YouTube takes its cut as well for supplying the platform for the advertiser.

TuneCore Rewards – Adept Advice

TuneCore also gives artists exposure in the industry as well as access to adept advice through its new rewards plan.

1 example of this is through TuneCore Tuesdays, a feature that showcases artists, and gives you the take chances to let listeners hear new music.

Masterclass education and info sessions are besides offered past TuneCore to assist newcomers learn the truth near some of the music industry'south biggest questions and best-kept secrets.

We really love the investment into artist education that TuneCore provides because the industry as we used to know it was rarely this open to sharing data.

In addition to the instruction artists receive from masterclasses, artists can earn points for participating and fifty-fifty gain access to exclusive VIP sessions where they have a take chances to receive personalized advice from manufacture experts.

All of this is function of the TuneCore Accelerator program, through which mentors are paired with artists to assistance in professional development.

TuneCore Cover Art

Even though music has largely moved from the physical realm into the digital space over the years, encompass fine art remains a key ingredient in marketing an anthology or a single.

Your covert art provides a visual manner to tell a listener what they tin expect from your project, what the story behind your musical journeying has been, and lots of other information that tin can merely be conveyed through visuals.

Even though yous may non be designing cover art for a physical CD or record that will be placed on a retail shop shelf, your digital cover fine art needs to be visually highly-seasoned and must arrange to unlike standards according to where the music is released.

For case, some digital stores do not permit promotional material to be included with encompass art. This means that y'all tin can't put "At present available on iTunes and Spotify" on the cover of your release, especially if the anthology is released elsewhere.

This is to ensure that everything looks professional and standardized, simply it'southward also to protect cross-promotional opportunities.

TuneCore offers guidance for cover art for various stores, but information technology likewise provides tools to design your own encompass art if you lot don't have graphic blueprint options available.

You tin upload your ain images, utilize simple design tools, compare your work against various guidelines and create covert art that not only looks awesome just is also more likely to become accepted without a hassle.

Spotify & iTunes Artist Pages

Apple Music and Spotify are arguably the biggest distribution destinations for modern artists, so TuneCore offers its clients the ability to create iTunes and Spotify Creative person Pages as an added bonus.

Artist Pages on these platforms offer a way to engage in brand reputation direction, marketing, and promotion as well every bit date with fans.

All of this is vital to professional success in the digital historic period, and while the Creative person Page option is currently only bachelor for these two platforms, TuneCore may open upwards more opportunities in the future.

Public Band Page

Having an creative person website is a fantastic promotional tool, merely many up-and-coming artists notice that getting the resource together to craft the perfect site can be challenging.

To help, TuneCore offers all clients a Public Band Page that tin can serve as a website when you want to direct fans to find y'all on the web.

This is a free service offered to all TuneCore clients, and we believe that information technology provides excellent opportunities for artists who don't desire the hassle and expense of website design, development, and maintenance.

TuneCore Social

TuneCore Social offers a characteristic ready similar to other social media management tools on the marketplace like HootSuite or Buffer.

The service provides you with social media analytics and allows you lot to streamline your posting process through mail scheduling.

I've found that this saves time, only information technology as well gives artists the ability to craft marketing campaigns around releases, specific themes, seasonal events, and more.

There is also an app called TuneCore Social Pro that you can use to monitor and mail everything from your telephone. This is available as a Free option, but in that location is also a Pro option for $10.99 a month or $118.99 a year (10% savings).

This app can provide you with convenience depending on your needs, but I should indicate out that at that place are other tools on the market that I believe are superior and you can check them out hither.

TuneCore linkShare

If y'all become a TuneCore Social Pro member, you also proceeds access to the company's exclusive linkShare option.

Using linkShare, you tin can easily create and share a link that serves as a landing folio for your music across all storefronts and services to which TuneCore distributes your work.

This gives y'all the ability to not only promote your music across nigh any web-based application, only it can too increment sales since your linkShare landing page already includes direct admission to stream or purchase your music on all the top sites.

Pro Main & Instant Mastering (Later on Master Audio Labs)

Although TuneCore's main services focus on marketing, distribution, and tracking your music after release, you can likewise take advantage of some production services when you partner with TuneCore.

TuneCore provides two options for artists who need mastering services: Instant Mastering (much cheaper) and Custom Engineering (more than expensive).

Instant Mastering provides you with a technology-based approach to mastering that utilizes sophisticated algorithms and comprehensive sound tools to analyze tracks and brand adjustments to volume and residue. TuneCore boasts top quality, lossless masters available in seconds with its Instant Mastering pick.

The Instant Mastering option as well lets you chose between a diversity of presets, including Powerful, Radio-Ready, Bass Enhanced, or Vocal Enhanced.

These presets have been designed to meet the needs of various genres and employ cases across a variety of mediums.

You get to preview the mastered tracks before purchase, and the price for Instant Mastering starts at $9.95 per track.

Custom Applied science, on the other hand, will offset at $75 and offers a more easily-on arroyo.

Your tracks volition be mastered and quality-checked by a professional person sound engineer, and the turnaround time is typically three business days.

While this option is more expensive, I discover that the deviation in quality tin be massive when comparing a rails mastered by an algorithm to a track mastered by a trained sound engineer.

CD Duplication

Even though the chief focus of a service like TuneCore is digital music distribution, CD duplication is still a very feasible and necessary option for getting your music into more than places for sale.

Fifty-fifty though consumer CD burners are available relatively inexpensive these days, the process of burning your ain CDs is time-consuming, and it can besides get expensive.

This becomes an even bigger ordeal if you lot plan to print onto the CD-R itself and impress your own jackets or jewel case inserts.

TuneCore tin handle your CD duplication needs, unremarkably within a week or ii, and the service provides options for everything from CD-R duplication in unproblematic jacket containers to total 8-page spreads in jewel cases.

Additionally, yous tin can get DVD duplication done through TuneCore as well as vinyl duplication for 12" releases.

Each order comes with a customized quote, and I find that physical merchandise is a neat way to supplement your digital distribution efforts.

TuneCore Fan Reviews

While I believe that music should always be made from the heart for your own enjoyment first, feedback is important if y'all program to make music your career.

To solve this, TuneCore offers several unlike review services that are designed to assistance y'all brand writing and product decisions.

In a nutshell, TuneCore Fan Reviews is a service that allows you to pay for contained feedback on your music.

TuneCore offers iii different packages which provide you with real reviews, analytic comments, and pointers on your music.

Each package includes real reviews and also provides data points that can assist you to meet where a particular track tin can be improved upon.

Distribution Credits

TuneCore's Distribution Credits feature allows you to pre-purchase distribution services for future releases. This could be an selection for someone who knows that they will be releasing a lot of music through the platform or even a label managing multiple artists.

For those who want to save on the single or album fee that TuneCore charges, this is a way to do it by purchasing in bulk and getting a discount. This option doesn't make sense for anybody, and the upfront toll is a lot higher, but over time, you are more likely to save coin.

Analytics & Reporting

The reports and analytics provided by TuneCore are some of the best and most comprehensive in the industry in my stance.

If you lot are not taking advantage of all the analytical information being provided to you lot by the likes of Spotify, your distribution platform, social media and other sources, you're doing yourself a huge disservice.

This is the secret sauce, folks!

Analytics and reports tell you everything from which tracks are selling, or when sure sales trends are taking place, and even what your fan demographics look similar.

All of this information should be driving your music career and guiding your business decisions when it comes to planning releases and looking for new distribution platforms and opportunities.

TuneCore provides you with data on your releases, songs/albums, the stores you're in, and much more every bit can be seen below.

TuneCore as well provides you with data regarding the functioning of your YouTube videos which isn't the example with many other distribution partners.

TuneCore allows you to see how your music is performing on streaming sites equally well every bit the data behind the downloads of your music. This should exist used in combination with the streaming data provided to you past the platforms directly.

Spotify, for example, has an amazing platform that shows you a ton of useful data. This information can be used to make up one's mind where you lot go on your side by side tour, what songs are popular and so much more than.

Customer Support

So when shit hits the fan, how well is TuneCore at coming to the rescue?

Pretty proficient to be honest.

Now, we've all been in that location and experienced unanswered emails, rude customer service assembly, and but simply a lack of care for your concerns.

However, I must admit, my recent encounters with TuneCore's client service team accept been very positive.

Not too long ago, I filed a dispute as I was trying to become one of my singles approved. There was an issue with my artwork that I did not agree with, and TuneCore'southward service team went out of their way to make sure it was resolved.

The support team will commonly go dorsum to you inside a day of contact and are open Monday through Fri, 10 am – 6 pm (EST). I've found your all-time bet is to reach out via email first and begin the conversation that manner.

DistroKid Vs TuneCore

DistroKid is some other music distribution service that I feel adds a lot of value in the industry. While I personally prefer TuneCore for a number of reasons, DistroKid has a lot to offer depending on your needs.

I find that DistroKid is a fleck scaled back in what it offers compared to TuneCore, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing.

If yous're just getting started and y'all're looking for a uncomplicated, affordable way to get your music distributed to peak platforms across the web, DistroKid is an efficient, affordable solution.

If, nonetheless, you're seeking a more robust solution that places a strong emphasis on creative person evolution and promotion, TuneCore is likely going to serve your needs better.

CD baby Vs TuneCore

CD Baby is another option for online distribution, and the company has roots in the industry that extend dorsum to the early days of online CD sales and promotion.

CD Infant was 1 of the original service providers in assuasive artists to independently sell their music online in physical class. Over the years, the service expanded into the digital audio sector and now includes a full suite of distribution services.

The matter with CD Baby is that it charges a 9% commission on distributed works. We touched on this before in the review, only the commission-based model isn't for everyone.

Information technology can work if you like the thought of low or no upfront fees or annual membership fees that accept to be maintained, but commissions likewise cut into your profits each fourth dimension you lot make a auction or earn coin from streaming.

TuneCore has upfront fees, but in near cases, you lot go on everything y'all earn, so in the long run, this is probably going to work out better for artists with large catalogs or artists who expect to put out new music on a regular basis.

United Masters Vs TuneCore

United Masters is a relative newcomer to digital music distribution, so information technology doesn't have a long rails record to speak on.

One thing that sets United Masters apart is that the company provides a free tier and a paid tier for distribution. When we say "gratuitous", however, we're non actually talking well-nigh free.

This is considering the "free" tier ways yous pay a 10% commission on your sales. So, while there aren't any fees to take your work distributed, you are paying a decent clamper for the service.

The paid tier costs $60 per yr, only there are no commissions. The paid tier also includes access to more than platforms and potential placement for your music in various media, but once more, the contest is potent, and so there are no guarantees paying more volition get you any closer to making more money.

TuneCore Testimonials from Artists

Boston Born MC - Michael Christmas

U.S. Based Rapper Russ

Final Verdict On Our TuneCore Review

When it comes to TuneCore, I accept used the platform and retrieve it's solid for distributing your music.

The service excels in so many areas, and what it lacks, I find that information technology more than makes upward for in internet gains.

In my personal experience, TuneCore gets the job washed with minimal hassle on my end, and I can e'er count on TuneCore'southward reporting and back up services to give me directly answers.

I know that pricing tin be a touchy subject considering the annual fee model, merely I think this approach serves a purpose for many artists who prefer to go on more of their earnings based on sales.

Annual fees don't amount to much if you're selling a lot or you're earning elevation dollar through streaming, only once again, this will largely depend on your reach, your audience, and your goals.

TuneCore Discount (25% Off)

TuneCore FAQ

Can I Distribute Cover Songs, Remixes, Mixtapes or Mashups With TuneCore?

Copyright in the music industry is serious concern, so if you're planning to release a cover song, a remix that includes samples from some other creative person'south music, mixtape content that includes work from other artists, or basically anything that is non your 100% original sound, yous demand the appropriate licensing.

Mechanical licenses are usually what you're looking for when releasing encompass songs, only different licenses may utilise to situations where you're but using samples.

This can get complicated and is beyond the scope of this review to become into, but I but want to point out that aye, yous can release comprehend songs and remixes through TuneCore every bit long equally you have the legal authority to do then.

Can I Submit a Work That Contains a Sample or Interpolation of a Copyrighted Limerick?

In keeping with the above answer, you lot can release songs that comprise samples, but you accept to have the correct license to practice so.

Sample licensing is fairly common in the music industry, simply you might also want to look into trounce licenses depending on the source of the crush.

Royalty-gratis content can be used without a copyright, but it's important to draw a distinction between ownership of the sample and ownership of your creation.

If something is royalty-gratuitous, this ways that y'all don't owe whatever royalties if you brand money off of the creation when information technology is included in your original work, only yous practice not own the actual copyright to the sampled content.

Are At that place Any Perks For Using TuneCore?

TuneCore provides a variety of boosted perks on top of the visitor'south great distribution and promotion services.

In item, TuneCore users tin can receive discounts when purchasing products and services from TuneCore partners like Characteristic FM, Bandzoogle, Qrates, and more.

TuneCore is always adding to the listing of partner brands, then I wait to see more perks in the future.

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Source: https://musicwithflavor.com/tunecore-review-the-honest-truth/

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