Selling music on iTunes

Martin Brinkmann
Apr 10, 2007
Updated • Nov 7, 2017
Music and Video
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15

The Tunecore online service offers an incredible opportunity for anyone who is creating music. You can use Tunecore to upload your music to the company's site, and publish it on well known online music stores such as Apple iTunes, eMusic, Sony Connect or Rhapsody.

It is possible to upload single songs, albums, cover art and anything else that is related to music. Tunecore gets non exclusive rights to submit the songs and albums to the stores that you select during the process, and to collect the money that these songs generate on the stores and sites.

They claim no other rights, for instance merchandise rights or master recording copyrights.

You may wonder how the service makes money? This is easy to answer: Tunecore charges fees for certain activities.You pay $9.99 each year for sending a single song to all supported stores, or $29.99 in the first year and $49.99 all following years for music albums.

You can also use Tunecore to distribute ringtones for $19.99 per year, or hire them to administrate the publishing of your music.

The process to upload songs to Tunecore is relatively easy:

  1. Start with a free, no-obligation account
  2. Add an album at your My Discography page
  3. Choose your stores. (iTunes etc)
  4. Add album cover art
  5. Add songs
  6. Upload your album
  7. Get your money from your My Account page.

I suggest you take a close look at the faq which answers many questions that you might have right now and at the how it works page. It is also possible to get CDs pressed or airplay for your songs.

I really can't say much about the prices for the CDs, if anyone knows more about this please comment on this. New bands should take a look at the marketing and promotion tips which is a must read if you are serious about using the service.

So why would you want to use Tunecore if you can do it all by yourself? The core reasons are that it is a lot cheaper and faster for you to set everything up.

Tunecore has certainly its appeal. You pay them less than $100 to get your album or single on major music stores, and earn all the revenue that your music creates from it (apart from what the company takes who operates the store).  The main appeal is that it is fast and straightforward, and that you do not pay a lot of money upfront to be listed in those stores.

Summary
Selling music on iTunes
Article Name
Selling music on iTunes
Description
Tunecore is a service that musicians and artists can use to sell music on iTunes and other online music stores.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Anonymous said on October 19, 2011 at 5:07 pm
    Reply

    this is dope

  2. Rocky Shaw 1 said on September 20, 2010 at 8:46 pm
    Reply

    I hope that my music will be enjoyable to millions of people.

  3. Rocky Shaw 1 said on September 20, 2010 at 7:56 pm
    Reply

    Rocky Shaw 1 is the best rock artist that has ever lived.

  4. sandile said on April 7, 2010 at 1:17 pm
    Reply

    got music hot than on boil even getting tired of gettinn props fans crazy on every beat got to spread my music out there!

  5. Steven Finch said on April 5, 2010 at 11:43 pm
    Reply

    If your in a band and want to get your music onto iTunes then check out RouteNote (http://routenote.com). They are already the leaders in the UK for digital music distribution.

  6. CanMusic said on March 26, 2010 at 6:39 am
    Reply

    more questions continue:

    After a “single” song is uploaded to tunecore, it can be processed
    to “all” the “stores” of itune (u.s., canada, japan, … .) AND
    napster, amazon, … etc. ?

    1. Pastor Leslie Rapheal Davis said on January 16, 2011 at 5:51 am
      Reply

      hi; Thank you SOOOOOOOOOO very much for your insitful information; i was thrilled to see it.I have a HIT song and look to make it thru the many site that you made mentioned;it’s called ALWAYS ON MY MIND by.HIM AND THEM…it’s already a city wide and radio sinsation and I must get it out there.Please walk me thru it PLEASE!!!!!!!! or call me personally I pay thru my proceeds if nessessary 773/656-5309

  7. CanMusic said on March 26, 2010 at 3:49 am
    Reply

    TO: ghacks.net / itune / tunecore staff

    Below are my questions:

    Is TuneCore part of itune or ghacks.net ??

    Is “My account page” using the Paypal to get our money ?

    Thanks for answering them for me.

  8. girm said on January 22, 2010 at 1:13 am
    Reply

    it mad

  9. kilian guntner said on October 26, 2009 at 10:35 pm
    Reply

    thanks for the step by step instruction :)

  10. Patricia A. McLendon said on January 6, 2009 at 7:22 pm
    Reply

    Dear iTunes representative,

    Thank you for making your services available. I apologize; but I would love to post my work on iTunes; however, I would like to know if there is any way you might be able to explain to me how to upload my work onto iTunes, please! I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but I would really appreciate your help.

    Thank you so very much!!!

  11. Patricia A. McLendon said on January 6, 2009 at 7:18 pm
    Reply

    Dear iTunes representative,

    Thank you for making your services available. I apologize; but I would love to post a few of my own work on iTunes; however, I would like to know if there is any way to explain to me how to upload my work onto iTunes, please! I sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but I would really appreciate your help.

    Thank you so very much!!!

    Patricia A. McLendon (aka: Patsy)
    215-758-6737

  12. Marcelo said on August 29, 2008 at 11:55 pm
    Reply

    We are a Spanish rockband with metal influenses. We are using Labeltune Music Distribution for getting our music up for sale on iTunes. So there are alternatives. It´s really nice nowdays dont have to go thrue a record company. Rock on …

  13. bryan said on May 24, 2007 at 7:23 am
    Reply

    Loved the post, very helpful. I use tunecore and I can honestly say it’s been better than I first thought by reading this post, my music is already live on iTunes.

    also, i didn’t use their manufacturing but I got a quote and I wish I had, a lot cheaper than the company, who I won’t mention, was

    “diy or die trying!”

    1. Anonymous said on September 1, 2012 at 12:37 pm
      Reply

      Hi Bryan how long after you sent your songs on tunecore did it take for them to be up on iTunes? And is there anyway at all to fastrack this?there doesn’t seem to be a contact number for this sort of thing..only apple support teams for the usual problems!

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