TuneCore Goes Live With Digital Distribution/Collection Service

On January 25, TuneCore went live with a revolution. For the first time, artists can get their own original or cover music for sale on iTunes while keeping control of all of their rights, their masters and 100% of the money from the sale of their music. TuneCore lets artists upload their songs, liner notes, even album cover art or design one themselves using the TuneCore Album Art Creator tool. With TuneCore, artists can monitor how their music is selling and get their money the moment it becomes available. It's a whole new way to distribute and collect money from the sale of music.

Until now, record labels and middle-man distributors controlled access to digital shelves, demanding artists sign exclusive contracts giving up rights to the music and sometimes ownership of their masters. In addition, artists had to give up a significant percentage of whatever money their music made.

"In the past, if you wanted a career in music, you had to give up your rights, your freedom and your money," says founder and CEO Jeff Price. "TuneCore changes all that."

One of the first major artists to take advantage of the service is Frank Black and the Catholics, who have already signed up to release two new compilations through the service. "I'm happy to have Frank Black be the first to take advantage of TuneCore," says Ken Goes, manager of Frank Black as well as The Pixies. "The great thing about TuneCore is that anyone can now have their music distributed; just like Frank Black, or, for that matter, any other artist. Thanks to TuneCore, there's no need for record companies anymore. Where the hell were you 20 years ago?"

Price explains, "With TuneCore, musicians new or established gain access to all digital distribution channels while giving up none of their rights or ownership, enjoy a non-exclusive arrangement and get all of the money from the sale of their music. Whatever iTunes, Rhapsody, Yahoo!, Napster, EMusic, MSN, Download Punk—any of the stores and services we offer now or ever will—pay out from the sale the music is what the artist gets."

Price is a leader in the independent label movement. Fifteen years ago he co-founded spinART Records, shepherding it into one of the largest and most successful independent labels, the home to such popular artists as Frank Black, The Apples in Stereo, Clem Snide, Richard Thompson, The Dears and The Pixes. Price was the first label owner to recognize the importance of the Internet and had his entire catalog up for sale as legal digital downloads as early as 1998.

Advertisement

"With TuneCore," says Price, "all artists have equal access to the exact same digital distribution and retailers as Usher, 50 Cent, U2, Radiohead and so on, without having to give up any rights or money, and at a cost even a garage band can afford."

Like so many independents, Price abhors the stranglehold industry insiders keep on distribution. "We built TuneCore to break the lock of digital 'aggregators' who required artists and small indie labels to give up a percentage of the money generated from the sales of each and every copy. This makes no sense to me. The band and label work hard to promote their music, spending the money, taking the risk, sleeping on floors, eating Taco Bell, maxing out their credit cards. Why should they give up even a penny of their earnings just to have the chance to sell their music in the first place?"

Price feels a lot more is promised than actually delivered. "In the end, aggregators are merely a shipping service, like Fed Ex or UPS. They deliver a package, and that's how they should be paid. Here is your fee for the delivery, thank you. TuneCore doesn't pretend to be more than it is: we deliver your music and you take whatever it makes, and that's all we get paid for."

TuneCore has also implemented a radical new payment structure for the artist by allowing them to get their money on demand. "With most aggregators and labels," says Price, "artists are paid on a schedule: once every three or six months, etc. With TuneCore, artists can take any or all of their money the moment it becomes available, completely at their own discretion. All they need to do is log in and withdraw from their TuneCore account. The money will be paid to them immediately, however they like: direct deposit to their bank account, PayPal or paper check. It's up to them. This is true freedom of choice."

Best of all is the price. Artists pay a one-time delivery charge of $0.99 per song. Songs (even if it's just one song) are grouped onto albums artists create. There is a yearly maintenance fee of $7.98 per album. The iTunes U.S. store is always included, and currently an artist can choose to place their album in International iTunes stores (Canada, U.K./Europe, Japan and Australia) or on the Rhapsody service, for a one-time delivery charge of $0.99 per store/service per album. TuneCore will soon be offering more stores and services.

"This is a price anyone can afford, and nothing is hidden." Price is adamant. "TuneCore has no membership, you don't have to slap down a bundle to make your album a 'member' either. If you decide you want to take your album down, we'll take it down. Combined with our iron-clad policy of non-exclusivity, letting artists keep their rights and masters and our refusal to skim off any money their music makes, TuneCore becomes the obvious choice for anyone who wants to regain control of their music career or start one."

For more information, visit their web site at www.tunecore.com.