MBW’s Stat Of The Week is a series in which we highlight a data point that deserves the attention of the global music industry. Stat Of the Week is supported by music data analytics firm Chartmetric.
Believe-owned DIY distribution platform TuneCore, a prominent player in the global DIY music distribution space, revealed on Monday (June 10) that self-releasing artists have earned more than $4 billion via its platform since it was founded in 2006.
TuneCore’s updated payout figure arrives just a year and a half after the company announced (in December 2022) that it had surpassed the milestone of $3 billion earned by self-releasing artists uploading music via its platform.
That means that TuneCore has paid out a $1 billion since December 2022.
TuneCore says that the $4 billion payout figure “is aided” by parent company Believe’s direct deals with digital service providers and streaming platforms, as well as TuneCore’s newly expanded TuneCore Publishing product, and the TuneCore Accelerator program.
TuneCore first began offering publishing administration services in 2012 and said in April that it has since paid out more than $125 million in publishing revenue to independent songwriters.
In January, TuneCore reported that more than 80,000 independent artists are enrolled in TuneCore Accelerator marketing programs across multiple DSPs.
“Independent artists stand at the forefront of innovation in music, both as pioneers of experimentation and as the trailblazers forging new paths to success in the music industry.”
Andreea Gleeson, TuneCore
Commenting on the news, TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson, said: “It has been less than a year and a half since we announced that TuneCore artists had surpassed $3 billion earned, and already our thriving pool of self-releasing artists has earned yet another billion dollars.
“Independent artists stand at the forefront of innovation in music, both as pioneers of experimentation and as the trailblazers forging new paths to success in the music industry.
“Whether artists are recording and releasing their first songs through TuneCore or selling out stadiums internationally, we are proud to provide artists with a distribution and career development platform that puts more money in their pockets and lets them focus on creating the music that moves us.”
TuneCore charges artists a flat annual fee to upload their music to DSPs like Spotify, and it pays those artists 100% of the royalties earned from their music.
Alongside the new payout figure, TuneCore has revealed that 77% of new artists and labels joining the platform in 2024 were from outside of the United States.
India is one of TuneCore’s top three global markets and the company’s fastest-growing emerging market.
The company cites Delhi-based folktronic duo Tech Panda & Kenzani as having “carve[d] a nontraditional path to success” via TuneCore.
Tech Panda & Kenzani have released more than one hundred singles, finding success on the Spotify India charts.
They were tapped to record the official Hindi rendition of Post Malone and Swae Lee’s Sunflower for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Photo credit: Paul David Martin
“This indie music moment has been very important worldwide.”
Kenzani
Kenzani said: “When I started making music it was just for fun, but I gained a lot of appreciation for it and before I knew it I was putting all of my energy and time into music and started pursuing it professionally.
“The journey was enriching, it was exciting, it was challenging, it was sometimes frustrating, but extremely rewarding and definitely life-changing. This indie music moment has been very important worldwide because over the last five years, there’s been so much musical evolution from independent artists who are pushing our industry forward.”
TuneCore also cites Mexican-American rapper and singer Snow Tha Product has having “found immense success” as a TuneCore artist.
Over the course of her career, Snow Tha Product has earned nominations for Latin Grammy’s, MTV VMA’s, and more, has sold out multiple headlining US tours, and has entered the Top 10 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. TuneCore says that Snow Tha Product has established herself “as a prime example of independent success”.
“Being an artist in the age of streaming brings new, exciting challenges every day and has redefined what it means to be an independent artist,” said Snow Tha Product.
“We have total control over both the artistry and backend music decisions, and new technologies to add into the creative process have been a game-changer. With streaming services, social media, and digital distributors like TuneCore, independent artists can now retain control and reap the financial benefits of our work.”
Elsewhere, TuneCore’s roster of international artists also includes Mexican indie-rock group Odisseo, who the platform says have “cultivated a substantial regional fanbase and are continuing to grow and find new audiences”.
In the first quarter following the launch of TuneCore Accelerator, Odisseo experienced overall streaming growth of 58%, with streams for their song Los Imanes growing by nearly 94.
Photo credit: Eddy Espinoza
“We feel very proud to be a part of this wave of independent artists, not only in Mexico or Latin America, but all over the world.”
Juan Pablo López and Daniel León, Odisseo
Odisseo members Juan Pablo López (vocals) and Daniel León (guitar), said: “When we first started earning money from our music it was very exciting because we have invested in music for years, and when you start, earning it’s like crossing to the other side. It was like ‘This is actually a job now and I can dedicate myself to it for the rest of my life.’
“We feel very proud to be a part of this wave of independent artists, not only in Mexico or Latin America, but all over the world. Thanks to the time we’re living in right now, we realized that we can make a living out of music through independent efforts.”
Revenues generated by self-releasing artists made a significant contribution to global music industry revenues in 2023.
According to estimates published by MIDiA Research in March, the ‘artists direct’ (i.e., self-releasing artists) sector generated $1.8 billion last year.
That works out to an average of $150 million generated by self-releasing artists every month of last year, according to MIDiA’s estimated figure for the entire ‘artists direct’ segment.
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