TuneCore

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. 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.

In 2008, TuneCore was utilized by Nine Inch Nails to deliver the music from their album, Ghosts I–IV, to the Amazon MP3 store.

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.

Acquisition by Believe to present

TuneCore was acquired by Denis Ladegaillerie's Believe in April 2015. 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.

Also in 2015, TuneCore expanded its presence in the UK and Australia announcing dedicated websites, including localized currency and content for each region. It also introduced its YouTube Sound Recording service to collect revenue for artists when their sound recordings are used anywhere on YouTube.

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.

On July 7, 2020, TuneCore expanded its presence in India announcing dedicated website including localized currency and content.

In 2021, Andreea Gleeson became the company's Chief Executive Officer.

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.

TuneCore has garnered media attention from ABC's World News Tonight, The Daily Mirror, and Pitchfork.

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. In 2020, TuneCore was sued by Round Hill Music for uploading and collecting revenue from iTunes for compositions owned by Round Hill. TuneCore and Round Hill Music later settled out of court. 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.

References

References

1. (30 September 2020). "TuneCore’s new leadership: Andreea Gleeson and Matt Barrington to jointly run company following departure of CEO". Music Business Worldwide.
2. (25 August 2021). "TuneCore Promotes Andreea Gleeson to CEO". [[Billboard (magazine).
3. (7 December 2023). "Brian Miller Appointed Chief Revenue Officer at TuneCore". [[Music Business Worldwide]].
4. (19 November 2024). "Lucy Huang Appointed Chief Technology & Product Officer at TuneCore". [[Music Business Worldwide]].
5. "TuneCore Names Jamie Purpora President of Music Publishing Administration". TuneCore.
6. "Company Overview of TuneCore, Inc.".
7. (8 October 2011). "What stores does TuneCore distribute music to and where in the world are they available?". TuneCore.
8. (2023-04-26). "TuneCore and Beatport strike partnership to extend self-releasing artists’ reach to DJs, dance music producers".
9. (2013-01-28). "TuneCore and Sub-Publisher Agreements For Songwriters - Music Connection Magazine".
10. (January 19, 2006). "New Service Brings iTunes to Indie Artists".
11. Bruno, Antony. (2009-07-09). "TuneCore, UMG Ink Services Deal".
12. (March 2, 2008). "New Nine Inch Nails Album Hits The Web".
13. "Inside Former CEO Jeff Price's Ouster from TuneCore: 'A Tale of Betrayal and Ego'". Billboard.
14. "Believe Digital Acquires TuneCore...". Digital Music News.
15. Flanagan, Andrew. (16 April 2015). "TuneCore and Believe Digital Partner to Argue for Better Streaming Rates, Offer Clients a Wider World". [[Billboard (magazine).
16. (September 2015). "TuneCore Expands To UK". Hypebot.com.
17. (November 2015). "Tunecore launches in Australia". Hypebot.com.
18. Peoples, Glenn. (1 September 2015). "TuneCore Launches in the U.K.". [[Billboard (magazine).
19. Hassan, Charlotte. (15 February 2016). "YouTube Royalties Exploded 370% Last Year, Tunecore Reports". Digital Music News.
20. "INSIDE TUNECORE'S INDIE ARTIST FORUM".
21. "Overheard @ The Tunecore Indie Artist Forum". Hypebot.com.
22. (3 September 2015). "TuneCore Hosts Inaugural Indie Artist Forum With Peter Asher, Bonnie McKee". Allaccess.com.
23. (July 7, 2020). "TuneCore Launches in India".
24. (2021-08-25). "TuneCore, which paid out over $400m to indie artists last year, has a new CEO: Andreea Gleeson".
25. SISARIO, BEN. (May 6, 2012). "Out to Shake Up Music, Often With Sharp Words". [[The New York Times]].
26. (November 25, 2007). "Brooklyn-based Web business helps sell music in the digital world". [[Daily News (New York).
27. "TuneCore and the Music Revolution". [[American Broadcasting Company.
28. "DOES TUNECORE SOUND THE END FOR LABELS?". [[The Daily Mirror]].
29. Solarski, Matthew. (April 13, 2006). "TuneCore Helps Indie Acts Go Digital for Cheap". pitchforkmedia.
30. Yoo, Noah. (21 August 2019). "How Artist Imposters and Fake Songs Sneak Onto Streaming Services". [[Pitchfork (website).
31. Ingham, Tim. (3 August 2020). "Round Hill sues TuneCore and Parent Believe in $32.8M US Lawsuit, Alleging Copyright Infringement". [[Music Business Worldwide]].
32. Maddaus, Gene. (2024-11-05). "Universal Music Accuses Rival of Rampant Piracy Via Knockoff Tracks by ‘Kendrik Laamar’ and ‘Llady Gaga’".
33. (5 November 2024). "UMG sues Believe and TuneCore for $500 million, alleging ‘industrial-scale copyright infringement’". Music Business Worldwide.