Glossary · Distribution
TuneCore
TuneCore is a music distributor offering both annual subscriptions and pay-per-release pricing, delivering to 150+ stores while artists retain 100% ownership. As of August 2026 its subscriptions are Rising Artist $24.99/yr, Breakout $44.99/yr and Professional $54.99/yr.
TuneCore is one of the longest-running independent distributors and the main structural alternative to DistroKid at a similar price point. Per tunecore.com/pricing, retrieved August 2026:
| Option | Price |
|---|---|
| Rising Artist subscription | $24.99/yr, unlimited releases |
| Breakout Artist subscription | $44.99/yr, adds Store Automator, Cover Art Creator, 2-business-day support |
| Professional subscription | $54.99/yr, adds multi-artist management, custom label name, advance products, 1-business-day priority support |
| Pay-per-release single | $24.99/yr |
| Pay-per-release album | $44.99 initial, $56.49/yr renewal |
TuneCore distributes to more than 150 stores and streaming services, and artists retain 100% ownership of their recordings. The Professional tier includes access to TuneCore's advance funding, which pays money up front against expected future royalties and recoups from what the catalogue earns — useful in some situations, and a decision to make with the recoupment terms in front of you rather than the headline number.
The comparison people actually want is TuneCore against DistroKid. At the entry tier they are identically priced at $24.99 a year, both are subscriptions, and both stop distributing if you stop paying. The differences are in tier features, store count and support, not in the fundamental model.
The misunderstanding: assuming an annual per-release renewal is the same product as an unlimited subscription. On TuneCore's pay-per-release path an album renews at $56.49 a year, per release. A catalogue of ten albums on that path costs far more than the $54.99 unlimited subscription.
Compare current prices at the source before deciding — mine are as of August 2026.
Related terms
- Music distributorA music distributor delivers recordings to streaming services and stores on an artist's behalf and collects the recording…
- DistroKidDistroKid is a subscription music distributor that delivers unlimited releases to streaming services for an annual fee and passes…
- CD BabyCD Baby is a music distributor that charges a one-time fee per release instead of an annual subscription — $9.99 for a single and…
- AdvanceAn advance is money paid to an artist or songwriter up front against royalties they are expected to earn later.
Answers that use this term
- How Much Does It Actually Cost to Release a Song Independently?Releasing a song independently costs between $9.99 and $24.99. CD Baby charges $9.99 once per single with no annual fee…
- DistroKid vs TuneCore vs CD Baby: The Real Five-Year CostDistroKid Musician and TuneCore Rising Artist both cost $24.99 a year for unlimited releases and take no commission.
- ISRC vs ISWC: The Two Codes Your Song NeedsAn ISRC identifies a specific sound recording and is issued when you distribute — DistroKid, TuneCore and CD Baby assign one…
- How Long Does It Take to Get Paid Music Royalties?The MLC pays mechanical royalties about 75 days after the end of each monthly usage period, so January streams pay in mid-April.
Definitions on this site describe the United States system. I am an artist who has been through this, not a lawyer.
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