So many independent artists struggle with so many things, from getting their name out there to eventually finding the right record deal. Even some of the biggest selling artists in the world have had this problem and had to file for bankruptcy as a result (TLC, Toni Braxton, MC Hammer). One of their biggest problems is earning the most amount of money for the creative work that they produce. Enter in Tunecore. What does Tunecore actually do? Bottom line, they help you out. When you work with Tunecore, they will put your music on the biggest music downloading services out there, from iTunes to Spotify. They make it sure that you collect 100 percent of all the money you make from those sales. What do you need for this? It is simple. Music you have made and have the right to distribute it, cover art, a valid Paypal and high quality digital formatting music. It couldn’t get any easier than this. I had the great opportunity to speak with Chris Mooney, one of the senior directors at Tunecore, about the evolution of this great service and where he sees it going next.
How was Tunecore discovered?
About six years ago. It was founded by people with a record label background. We all knew how difficult it was for the artists to get their money. The way we did it was to skip the middle man, and simply distribute your music for a small fee. We maintain the accounting, and you get to keep the money. So far this formula has really worked.
Why do you think this is the best service for artists?
There are a number of factors as to why this is the best. For one, we want the artists to have an amazing experience. 60-70 percent of people come back, which is a great statistic. The big thing is that we don’t take any of your sales. There are also a ton of great things that we offer such as media players, exporting and so much more. These factors and others are just some of the reasons why we feel like we are the best.
How did it feel to get J-Dash’s song “Wop” certified gold (500,000 units)?
Amazing. We knew it was having incredible sales. We sent him a congratulations after we received the news. He’s still a top ten Tunecore seller actually. We have been able to harness his popularity in order to have people buy his music. He know has a shiny gold plaque as a result of all of this.
How many artists have Tunecore gotten certified at least gold?
I would say at least a dozen. Artists like Colt Ford and Lloyd Banks come to mind as some that have reached that pinnacle of success.
Is your primary focus hip-hop or are you open to any kind of music?
We take anybody from any background. We have so many genres from rock, singer-songwriters and even K-Pop (Korea) and J-Pop (Japan) are getting big as well. We even work with exercise videos. Native currency is very important when it comes to our international reach, so we make sure they are taken care of just as well as our domestic artists.
What other up and coming hip-hop artists are you working with in 2013?
We have an artist called Hoodie Allen, who actually made it to number one on iTunes with “AllAmerican”. Other artists like Wax, who was on a major label but now works independently, and Ab Soul who is part of Kendrick Lamar’s crew. Even Bubba Sparxx is making a big comeback this year and we are working with him as well.
This seems like a really great service for any artists out there that really want to keep the sales they make while making it big in the industry. For more information on Tunecore, log onto their site. Who knows, you might be the next big thing thanks to them.