{{Short description|American independent digital music service}} {{Infobox company | name = TuneCore | logo = Tunecore Logo.svg | type = Public subsidiary | genre = Digital distribution<br>Music publishing<ref name=purpora/> | foundation = 2006 | founder = Jeff Price, Gary Burke, Peter Wells | location_city = New York City | location_country = U.S. | location = | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = Matt Barrington (COO),<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ingham |first1=Tim |title=TuneCore’s new leadership: Andreea Gleeson and Matt Barrington to jointly run company following departure of CEO |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/tunecores-new-leadership-andreea-gleeson-and-matt-barrington-to-jointly-run-company-following-departure-of-ceo/ |access-date=4 February 2025 |work=Music Business Worldwide |date=30 September 2020}}</ref><br>Andreea Gleeson (CEO),<ref name="andreeapromoted">{{cite news |last1=Singleton |first1=Micah |title=TuneCore Promotes Andreea Gleeson to CEO |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/tunecore-andreea-gleeson-ceo/ |access-date=4 February 2025 |work=Billboard |date=25 August 2021}}</ref><br>Brian Miller (CRO),<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stassen |first1=Murray |title=Brian Miller Appointed Chief Revenue Officer at TuneCore |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/brian-miller-appointed-chief-revenue-officer-at-tunecore/ |access-date=18 January 2025 |work=Music Business Worldwide |date=7 December 2023}}</ref><br>Lucy Huang (CTO & CPO)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stassen |first1=Murray |title=Lucy Huang Appointed Chief Technology & Product Officer at TuneCore |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/lucy-huang-appointed-chief-technology-product-officer-at-tunecore/ |access-date=18 January 2025 |work=Music Business Worldwide |date=19 November 2024}}</ref> | industry = Music | products = Online Music Distribution<br>Music Publishing Administration<ref name=purpora>{{cite web|url=http://www.tunecore.com/press/documents/201103_Purpora.pdf|title=TuneCore Names Jamie Purpora President of Music Publishing Administration|publisher=TuneCore|access-date=13 February 2016}}</ref> | services = Open platform music distribution and publishing administration. | parent = Believe Music | num_employees = | subsid = | homepage = {{URL|https://www.tunecore.com/}} | footnotes = | intl = }} '''TuneCore''' is a New York City–based digital music distribution, publishing and licensing service founded in 2006.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=32508104 | title=Company Overview of TuneCore, Inc. | magazine=Bloomberg}}</ref> It has been a part of the French music company Believe Music since April 2015.
TuneCore distributes music through online retailers such as Deezer, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Google Play, Tidal, Beatport and others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://help.tunecore.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/48|title=What stores does TuneCore distribute music to and where in the world are they available?|publisher=TuneCore|date=8 October 2011|access-date=13 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-26 |title=TuneCore and Beatport strike partnership to extend self-releasing artists’ reach to DJs, dance music producers |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/tunecore-and-beatport-strike-partnership-to-extend-self-releasing-artists-reach-to-djs-dance-music-producers/ |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}}</ref> TuneCore also offers music publishing administration services, helping songwriters record their compositions and earn royalties internationally.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-01-28 |title=TuneCore and Sub-Publisher Agreements For Songwriters - Music Connection Magazine |url=https://www.musicconnection.com/songwriters-collect-royalties-digital-stores-societies-worldwide/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=www.musicconnection.com |language=en-US}}</ref> TuneCore has been sued twice for copyright infringement; the first lawsuit was settled out of court, and the second is ongoing.<ref name="mbwsuit2"/>
==History==
=== Founding to 2014 === TuneCore was founded in 2006 by Jeff Price, Gary Burke, and Peter Wells.
TuneCore's first customer was Frank Black, lead singer of the Pixies.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.spin.com/features/news/2006/01/060119_tunecore/ |title=New Service Brings iTunes to Indie Artists|access-date=2006-08-11|magazine=Spin|date=January 19, 2006}}</ref> In December 2006, music instrument and equipment retailer Guitar Center bought a stake in TuneCore, giving the company access to the music retailer's customers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bruno |first=Antony |date=2009-07-09 |title=TuneCore, UMG Ink Services Deal |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/tunecore-umg-ink-services-deal-1268194/ |access-date=2023-12-10 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2008, TuneCore was utilized by Nine Inch Nails to deliver the music from their album, ''Ghosts I–IV'', to the Amazon MP3 store.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Harding |first1=Cortney |last2=Cohen |first2=Jonathan |date=March 2, 2008 |title=New Nine Inch Nails Album Hits The Web |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046383/new-nine-inch-nails-album-hits-the-web |access-date=March 10, 2008 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
TuneCore fired Jeff Price, a co-founder and then-CEO, after the company faced a "cash-flow" crisis in 2012. Price has sued TuneCore for severance compensation and alleged that the company may have been insolvent, an accusation that the company appears to dispute.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6480277/tunecore-former-ceo-jeff-price-ouster-lawsuit|title=Inside Former CEO Jeff Price's Ouster from TuneCore: 'A Tale of Betrayal and Ego'|work=Billboard|access-date=3 November 2015}}</ref>
===Acquisition by Believe to present=== TuneCore was acquired by Denis Ladegaillerie's Believe in April 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2015/04/16/believe-digital-acquires-tunecore |title=Believe Digital Acquires TuneCore...|work=Digital Music News|access-date=3 November 2015}}</ref> The acquisition opened up artists' access to Believe Digital's wider distribution network and label services. Both of the companies remained operationally separate, while jointly claiming to represent 25 to 30 percent of the new music uploaded to iTunes each day. After the acquisition, TuneCore and Believe used their newly increased leverage in negotiations with digital services including Spotify and Tidal to improve their services for their artists.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6538483/tunecore-and-believe-digital-partner-to-argue-for-better-streaming-rates-offer | title=TuneCore and Believe Digital Partner to Argue for Better Streaming Rates, Offer Clients a Wider World |work=Billboard | date=16 April 2015 | first=Andrew| last=Flanagan}}</ref>
Also in 2015, TuneCore expanded its presence in the UK<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/09/tunecore-expands-to-uk.html|title=TuneCore Expands To UK|publisher=Hypebot.com|date=September 2015|access-date=13 February 2016}}</ref> and Australia<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/11/tunecore-launches-in-australia.html|title=Tunecore launches in Australia|publisher=Hypebot.com|date=November 2015|access-date=13 February 2016}}</ref> announcing dedicated websites, including localized currency and content for each region.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6678891/tunecore-launches-in-the-uk | title=TuneCore Launches in the U.K. |work=Billboard | date=1 September 2015 | first=Glenn| last=Peoples}}</ref> It also introduced its YouTube Sound Recording service to collect revenue for artists when their sound recordings are used anywhere on YouTube.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2016/02/15/youtube-is-growing-at-a-ridiculous-rate/ | title=YouTube Royalties Exploded 370% Last Year, Tunecore Reports | publisher=Digital Music News | date=15 February 2016 | first=Charlotte| last=Hassan}}</ref>
In September 2015, TuneCore stepped up its live event offerings, throwing LA's independent music community its first ever Indie Artist Forum, focusing on educating and fostering collaboration amongst aspiring professional musicians while engaging on a dialog around the ins and outs of the current landscape of the independent music business.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=297763 | title=INSIDE TUNECORE'S INDIE ARTIST FORUM}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/09/overheard-the-tunecore-indie-artist-forum.html | title=Overheard @ The Tunecore Indie Artist Forum | publisher=Hypebot.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/145221/tunecore-hosts-inaugural-indie-artist-forum-with-p | title=TuneCore Hosts Inaugural Indie Artist Forum With Peter Asher, Bonnie McKee | publisher=Allaccess.com | date=3 September 2015}}</ref>
On July 7, 2020, TuneCore expanded its presence in India announcing dedicated website including localized currency and content.<ref>{{cite web|date=July 7, 2020|url=https://www.tunecore.com/blog/2020/07/tunecore-launches-in-india.html|title=TuneCore Launches in India|website=TuneCore|access-date=October 6, 2023}}</ref>
In 2021, Andreea Gleeson became the company's Chief Executive Officer.<ref name="andreeapromoted"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-25 |title=TuneCore, which paid out over $400m to indie artists last year, has a new CEO: Andreea Gleeson |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/tunecore-which-paid-out-over-400m-to-indie-artists-last-year-has-a-new-ceo-andreea-gleeson/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}}</ref>
In the United States, TuneCore represents approximately 10 percent of the 20 million songs on iTunes, and it accounts for almost 4 percent of all digital sales.<ref>{{cite news |last=SISARIO |first=BEN |date=May 6, 2012 |title=Out to Shake Up Music, Often With Sharp Words |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/07/business/tunecore-chief-shakes-up-music-with-his-own-words.html?hp |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lazarowitz |first1=Elizabeth |date=November 25, 2007 |title=Brooklyn-based Web business helps sell music in the digital world |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2007/11/26/2007-11-26_brooklynbased_web_business_helps_sell_mu.html |access-date=November 27, 2007 |newspaper=Daily News}}</ref>
TuneCore has garnered media attention from ABC's ''World News Tonight'',<ref>{{cite web |title=TuneCore and the Music Revolution |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=1533847 |access-date=2006-08-04 |publisher=ABC |format=video}}</ref> ''The Daily Mirror'',<ref>{{cite web |title=DOES TUNECORE SOUND THE END FOR LABELS? |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/archive/web-gadets/2006/01/30/does-tunecore-sound-the-end-for-labels-115875-16631728/ |access-date=2006-08-03 |work=The Daily Mirror}}</ref> and ''Pitchfork''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Solarski |first=Matthew |date=April 13, 2006 |title=TuneCore Helps Indie Acts Go Digital for Cheap |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/36208-tunecore-helps-indie-acts-go-digital-for-cheap |access-date=3 January 2009 |publisher=pitchforkmedia<!-- dead link -->}}</ref>
==Copyright fraud allegations==
In multiple instances, TuneCore's services have been used to commit copyright fraud through online services like iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube. In 2019, ''Pitchfork'' reported that people had used independent distribution companies, including TuneCore, to upload unreleased tracks by Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert to Spotify. Plays of these tracks resulted in revenue going to the uploaders rather than the original owners of the music.<ref>{{cite news|last=Yoo|first=Noah|title=How Artist Imposters and Fake Songs Sneak Onto Streaming Services|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/article/how-artist-imposters-and-fake-songs-sneak-onto-streaming-services/|work=Pitchfork|date=21 August 2019}}</ref> In 2020, TuneCore was sued by Round Hill Music for uploading and collecting revenue from iTunes for compositions owned by Round Hill.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ingham|first=Tim|title=Round Hill sues TuneCore and Parent Believe in $32.8M US Lawsuit, Alleging Copyright Infringement|url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/round-hill-sues-tunecore-and-parent-believe-in-33m-us-lawsuit-alleging-copyright-infringement/|work=Music Business Worldwide|date=3 August 2020}}</ref> TuneCore and Round Hill Music later settled out of court.<ref name="mbwsuit2"/> In November 2024, Universal Music Group, ABKCO Records, and Concord Music filed a lawsuit seeking $500 million in damages for TuneCore's distribution of copyright-infringing remixes of popular tracks.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maddaus |first=Gene |date=2024-11-05 |title=Universal Music Accuses Rival of Rampant Piracy Via Knockoff Tracks by ‘Kendrik Laamar’ and ‘Llady Gaga’ |url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/universal-music-believe-lawsuit-piracy-fake-artists-1236200612/ |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="mbwsuit2">{{cite news |last1=Dalugdug |first1=Mandy |title=UMG sues Believe and TuneCore for $500 million, alleging ‘industrial-scale copyright infringement’ |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/umg-sues-believe-and-tunecore-for-500-million-alleging-industrial-scale-copyright-infringement/ |access-date=5 February 2025 |work=Music Business Worldwide |date=5 November 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.tunecore.com/}}
{{Portal bar|Internet|Music}}
{{Music digital distribution platforms}} {{Music streaming services}} {{Authority control|state=expanded}}
Category:Companies based in New York City Category:Internet properties established in 2005 Category:Online music stores of the United States Category:Digital audio distributors