TuneCore music distributor: the complete guide for independent artists in 2026

TuneCore was founded in Brooklyn, New York in 2006 and is one of the oldest digital music distributors still operating at scale. It pioneered the model that is now industry standard — pay a flat fee, keep 100% of your royalties — and has paid out over $5 billion to independent artists over its lifetime. That legacy is real. So is the fact that TuneCore in 2026 is a substantially different platform from the one that built its reputation, and the differences are not all improvements.

TuneCore is now owned by Believe, a Paris-based publicly traded music company. Its free tier was discontinued on June 18, 2025, removing music from all platforms for artists who did not upgrade. Its CEO stepped down in January 2026 and was replaced by Believe’s global head of music. It faces an active $500 million copyright infringement lawsuit from Universal Music Group. Its Payoneer-exclusive payment system has been documented as creating systematic barriers for international artists. And its account termination pattern — standardised notifications, no evidence provided, no appeals, indefinite royalty holds — matches or exceeds the severity of the worst cases documented at DistroKid and Soundrop.

TuneCore also has genuine strengths: fast distribution, integrated publishing administration, the TuneCore Accelerator programme, and Believe’s industry relationships. This guide covers all of it, without softening the parts that matter.

What is TuneCore?

TuneCore is a digital music distribution and publishing administration company headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. It was founded in 2006 by Jeff Price, Peter Wells, and Dave Munson with a model built around one principle: artists should keep all of their royalties, paying only a flat annual fee for distribution. This was genuinely revolutionary in 2006, when the alternative was either signing with a label or paying per-release fees plus percentage cuts to aggregators.

TuneCore was acquired by Believe in 2015, when the French music company purchased it for a reported $108 million. Believe is publicly traded on Euronext Paris (ticker: BLV), meaning TuneCore operates within the reporting requirements and financial obligations of a public company. Believe also operates its own label services division — TuneCore’s parent distributes major independent acts while also running the platform that independent artists use to compete with those acts in the same playlist and algorithmic spaces. Whether this creates a meaningful conflict of interest is a question each artist should consider.

TuneCore has distributed music for over one million artists globally and paid out more than $5 billion in artist royalties since launch — a genuine scale milestone. The platform currently serves artists across 150+ digital stores and social platforms.

The Believe ownership context

Believe’s ownership of TuneCore creates a structural dynamic that independent artists should understand clearly before signing up.

Believe is not a major record label in the same sense as Universal Music Group or Sony Music. It does not own the publishing infrastructure or legacy catalogue of a UMG or Sony. But it is a publicly traded company with its own label services division, its own roster of signed artists, and its own commercial interests in the same streaming ecosystem where TuneCore’s independent artists compete.

In January 2026, TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson stepped down. Believe’s global head of music assumed oversight of TuneCore’s direction, and the company publicly stated it is prioritising deeper integration with Believe’s infrastructure. This integration trajectory — where TuneCore’s platform decisions are increasingly made by Believe’s executive leadership — is different from a simple acquisition where the subsidiary operates independently. It means TuneCore’s priorities are progressively shaped by Believe’s broader commercial interests, not exclusively by what is best for independent artists on TuneCore.

The contrast with genuinely independent distributors — Ditto Music, Horus Music, Symphonic, RouteNote — is structural, not superficial. Your streaming data flows into a publicly traded company with its own label operations. That is the reality of choosing TuneCore in 2026.

For a full map of distributor ownership, see: alera.fm: who owns your music distributor in 2026

The $500 million lawsuit: what artists need to know

In November 2024, Universal Music Group, ABKCO, and Concord filed a $500 million copyright infringement lawsuit against Believe and TuneCore. The complaint alleges that TuneCore systematically distributed unauthorised remixes, soundalike recordings, and content using major-label artist names designed to circumvent content filtering — tracks titled with deliberate misspellings of artist names to evade detection while appearing in search results alongside legitimate releases.

Music Business Worldwide reported that the lawsuit characterises the situation as “industrial-scale copyright infringement.” Believe and TuneCore have strongly denied the allegations and stated they will contest the claims.

In April 2026, UMG settled the lawsuit with Believe and TuneCore. The settlement terms remain confidential. The case is formally resolved but the settlement amount and operational changes required — if any — have not been publicly disclosed.

Why this matters for independent artists:

TuneCore’s response to the lawsuit involved implementing significantly more aggressive content review and account termination policies beginning in late 2024 — documented across multiple review platforms as a sharp increase in account closures for “editorial discretion” violations. Legitimate independent artists distributing entirely original music encountered collateral impact from fraud detection systems recalibrated to reduce legal exposure.
The lawsuit’s framing — that TuneCore’s business model relied on distributing infringing content while placing contractual liability on uploaders — has direct relevance to how TuneCore’s Terms of Service handle artist responsibility for content. The ToS places full responsibility on the artist for any content uploaded, with TuneCore retaining the right to withhold royalties determined “in good faith discretion” to stem from improper conduct. That determination requires no evidentiary standard and no appeal.
The confidential settlement means independent artists cannot assess what, if any, operational changes TuneCore has committed to implementing.

The free tier discontinuation: what happened and who it affected

This section matters for any artist who signed up to TuneCore before June 2025 and for anyone evaluating TuneCore based on older reviews that still describe a free option.

TuneCore previously offered a “New Artist Plan” — a free tier that provided social platform distribution (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube Music, YouTube Content ID, CapCut) without a subscription fee, taking 20% of royalties in exchange. This plan was discontinued on June 18, 2025.

TuneCore’s own support documentation states: “Effective June 18, 2025, TuneCore’s New Artist Plan has been discontinued so we can focus on providing best-in-class distribution services to our artists. If you did not upgrade your Unlimited Plan before June 18th, your releases were taken down from all stores.”

Free social distribution was discontinued five days earlier, on May 23, 2025.

The consequence for artists who did not upgrade in time: their music was removed from all platforms. No music. No notice period beyond the original announcement. No automatic reinstatement on upgrade — artists had to contact TuneCore support to request reactivation of each release by UPC, after paying for an Unlimited Plan.

This is precisely the deletion risk that DistroKid’s Leave a Legacy fee addresses, and that Ditto Music’s Release Protection on Pro prevents. TuneCore’s free tier discontinuation demonstrated that the same risk applies here: your music’s continued availability on streaming platforms is conditional on your continued payment. When the plan terms change, the music goes.

TuneCore in 2026 is a paid-only platform. There is no free option of any kind.

What are TuneCore’s current pricing plans?

TuneCore operates on two models: an annual unlimited subscription or pay-per-release. All paid plans include 100% royalty retention on streaming income.

Unlimited subscription plans

Rising Artist — $24.99/year: unlimited releases, 100% royalties, 150+ platform distribution, basic analytics, standard support response times, social platform monetisation included
Breakout Artist — $29.99/year (reduced from $44.99 in a recent pricing update): everything in Rising Artist, plus priority support, premium analytics, TuneCore Accelerator access
Professional — $49.99/year: everything in Breakout Artist, plus 24-hour support response commitment, custom label name, territory restrictions, additional primary artists at $14.99/year each

Pay-per-release

Single — $9.99/year: one single track distributed to all platforms, 100% royalties, annual renewal required to keep it live
Album/EP (2+ tracks) — $29.99/year first year, $49.99/year to renew from year two: full project distribution, 100% royalties

Full current pricing at: tunecore.com/pricing

The pay-per-release model has a significant cost escalation trap: the album renewal price jumps from $29.99 in year one to $49.99 from year two onward. An artist with five albums on TuneCore pays $249.95 per year in renewals from year two — more than the Professional unlimited plan at $49.99. The pay-per-release model only makes financial sense for very occasional releasers who are certain they will not accumulate a significant catalogue.

Music is removed from all platforms if subscription lapses or renewal payments are missed. This applies to both the unlimited plans and pay-per-release — there is no permanent distribution option on TuneCore.

The TuneCore Accelerator: what it is and what it is not

The TuneCore Accelerator is TuneCore’s flagship promotional feature and its most prominently marketed differentiator. It is available to Breakout Artist and Professional plan subscribers and functions as an automated audience growth programme powered by Believe’s technology infrastructure.

The Accelerator identifies tracks showing early signs of organic traction and pushes them into discovery-focused playlists and promotional opportunities on major platforms, aiming to generate positive algorithmic signals. TuneCore claims the programme has enrolled over 515,000 artists and generated over 50 billion streams and 15 billion discoveries since launch in 2023. These are company-reported figures and have not been independently verified.

What the Accelerator is not: it is not editorial playlist pitching to human curators at Spotify or Apple Music, and it does not guarantee placement. It is an algorithmic promotion tool that works by increasing early streaming velocity in ways intended to trigger DSP recommendation algorithms. Artists whose music has algorithmic fit — strong hooks, genre clarity, production quality that performs well in playlist contexts — will benefit more than artists in niche genres or with unconventional structures.

The Accelerator is worth understanding as a competitive differentiator against pure distribution services like DistroKid, which offer no promotional infrastructure. Whether it justifies TuneCore’s price premium over cheaper alternatives depends on how much algorithmic promotion adds to your specific situation. Artists with strong music in commercially legible genres have the most to gain. Artists in experimental, niche, or deliberately uncommercial genres have the least.

Publishing administration: TuneCore’s genuine strength

TuneCore’s publishing administration service is the feature that most clearly justifies choosing TuneCore over cheaper alternatives for songwriters who write their own material.

Publishing administration collects royalties that most independent artists leave uncollected. When you register with a PRO (performing rights organisation) like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC, you capture performance royalties. But mechanical royalties — generated when your compositions are reproduced through streaming, downloads, or physical sales — require separate registration and collection. Most self-releasing artists either do not register for mechanical royalty collection or do not fully understand the process.

TuneCore’s publishing administration service:

Registers your compositions with collection societies in over 150 countries
Collects mechanical royalties from streaming, downloads, and physical sales globally
Collects performance royalties from sources your PRO does not cover
Collects sync royalties from film, TV, advertising, and game placements
Collects YouTube royalties for the composition (separate from the master recording royalties collected through distribution)
Handles the administrative registration work that would otherwise require direct engagement with individual collecting societies

The cost is a $75 one-time registration fee per song plus a 20% commission on all publishing royalties collected. The 20% commission is a permanent, ongoing share — on a song earning $1,000 per year in publishing royalties, TuneCore takes $200 annually, forever.

The question of whether 20% is worth it depends on how much publishing income you would otherwise miss. For artists who are currently registered with a PRO but not collecting mechanical royalties — which describes the majority of independent artists — TuneCore’s publishing administration will generate net positive income even after the 20% commission, because 80% of something is more than 100% of nothing.

For artists already using a dedicated publishing administration service like Songtrust or Sentric, TuneCore’s 20% is worth comparing to their rates and service scope. Songtrust charges $100/year plus 15% commission. Sentric takes 15% with no upfront fee. The right choice depends on which service’s registration network and collection capabilities better suit your specific situation.

The $200 minimum publishing withdrawal threshold — versus $10 for distribution — means artists with modest publishing income wait longer to access funds.

What platforms does TuneCore distribute to?

TuneCore distributes to 150+ platforms including:

Spotify
Apple Music / iTunes
Amazon Music
YouTube Music
TikTok
Instagram / Facebook
Tidal
Deezer
Pandora
SoundCloud
Beatport
YouTube Content ID (included on all paid plans)
Regional platforms across Asia, Latin America, and Africa

Platform coverage is comprehensive and comparable to the major competitors. Delivery speed is competitive: Spotify typically receives releases within 48–72 hours of upload approval, with artists in 2024–2025 Trustpilot reviews confirming successful delivery within 2–3 business days in the majority of cases.

One platform-specific limitation worth noting: TuneCore does not automatically add existing releases to newly partnered stores as the platform expands. Artists wanting catalogue on a newly added platform must manually request distribution — unlike some competitors who automatically push to new stores.

What features does TuneCore include?

Unlimited releases — across all subscription plans, no per-release charges
100% royalty retention — on all streaming and download income while subscription is active
YouTube Content ID — included on all paid plans, with 100% revenue return to artists
Social platform monetisation — TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube Shorts, CapCut included
Daily trend reports — streaming analytics updated daily (noted as “not necessarily 100% accurate” and can lag up to two days in TuneCore’s own documentation)
TuneCore Accelerator — on Breakout Artist and Professional plans
Sync licensing — application-based access to TuneCore’s sync team for TV, film, and advertising placements. Not automatic — eligibility is assessed by TuneCore based on catalogue quality.
Publishing administration — $75/song registration, 20% commission, available as a separate add-on service
Territory restrictions — available on Professional plan, allowing selective geographic distribution
Custom label name — Professional plan only
Cover song licensing — available at additional per-song cost
Royalty splits — available through TuneCore’s split sheet system for collaborators

What TuneCore does not include as standard

Physical distribution — no vinyl or CD retail distribution
Editorial playlist pitching — the Accelerator is algorithmic promotion, not human editorial pitching. Sync licensing is application-only.
Catalogue migration tools — no TransferTrack equivalent; migrating from another distributor requires manual re-upload
Phone support — support operates through chat and email only

The Payoneer payment problem

TuneCore processes all withdrawals exclusively through Payoneer. There is no PayPal option, no direct bank transfer option for most territories, and no alternative payment pathway for artists who encounter Payoneer problems.

This creates a specific and well-documented structural problem. Artists who create Payoneer accounts through TuneCore receive restricted business accounts that cannot link to PayPal due to incompatible corporate relationships between the two payment services. Resolving this requires disassociating the original account, creating a new Payoneer account with different email credentials, and configuring bank transfer as the sole withdrawal method — a three-week process documented across multiple cases.

From analysis of 47 documented payment cases from May 2020 through May 2025 across Trustpilot, Reddit, and BBB:

Minimum withdrawal hold duration: 4 days
Maximum: 180+ days
Median resolution time: 23 days
32% resolved within 7 days, 18% resolved after escalation, 50% unresolved after 30 days

In May 2025, multiple artists reported approved withdrawals that failed to appear in Payoneer accounts, with one user noting the problem affected that specific month exclusively — suggesting a platform-level processing failure rather than individual account errors.

Currency conversion fees add further cost for international artists. Payoneer’s exchange rates run 1.5–2.5% below mid-market rates, and non-US artists paying conversion fees on every withdrawal face an effective additional cost on all royalties received. The $10,000 per-transaction Payoneer limit means artists with successful releases generating larger balances must make multiple withdrawals, each incurring conversion and transfer fees.

For Russian-based artists, Payoneer permanently discontinued service effective December 6, 2022. TuneCore has stated no alternative withdrawal mechanism exists, leaving accumulated royalties in those accounts indefinitely frozen.

Account termination: severe, systemic, and without recourse

TuneCore’s account termination pattern is the most serious documented concern in its review record and requires the same direct treatment given to it in the Soundrop, DistroKid, and Symphonic articles.

When TuneCore closes an account, artists receive a standardised notification citing Terms of Service violations including “streaming fraud,” “editorial discretion,” “content flooding,” or “poor quality” — without identifying which specific releases were affected, what evidence supports the determination, or what threshold was crossed. The notification provides no appeal pathway and no timeline for resolution. The ToS explicitly states that TuneCore “shall have the right to retain and/or redistribute to third parties any funds which TuneCore determines in good faith discretion are attributable to improper conduct” — with no evidentiary standard, no audit rights, and no liability cap articulated beyond that discretion.

From 38 documented cases across YouTube, Reddit, BBB, and legal consultations from October 2023 through August 2025:

Minimum time from allegation to closure: immediate (0 days)
Maximum: 8 months of gradual restriction before full closure
Median: 45 days from initial flag to account closure
Resolution outcomes: 15% reversed after legal intervention, 25% partial royalty release, 60% permanent forfeiture

One artist — a Professional plan subscriber with $2,000 in accrued royalties — received indefinite hold status on initial withdrawal attempt, followed by account closure with funds remaining inaccessible after six months. Another documented account freeze following a fraud allegation after five months of platform usage, with no evidence provided, no opportunity to contest, and funds withheld despite attorney intervention. A third received termination for “suspected fraudulent and copyright issues” despite distributing only original compositions — with TuneCore maintaining its position while competitor Symphonic approved identical tracks without incident.

Particularly notable is the disproportionate impact on specific genres. Analysis across termination cases shows lo-fi producers, beat creators, and ambient music artists experience significantly higher termination rates, suggesting automated content similarity detection — which flags music with similar characteristics as “flooding” — is applied more aggressively to genres where multiple tracks share stylistic features. One beatmaker had all releases removed for accumulating streams through playlist placements, with TuneCore citing “too many similar releases from same artist (flooding)” as the violation — a classification that, if applied consistently, would penalise the core business model of bedroom producers releasing catalogue music.

TuneCore’s $500 fine per track for “artificial streaming” determinations — authorised in the ToS — creates financial liability on top of account closure and royalty withholding. One artist documented account flagging after promoting a release through legitimate Instagram advertising campaigns, receiving notification that streaming activity appeared “abnormal” despite providing advertising receipts and audience demographics. The appeal was rejected without substantive review. The $500 fine was applied.

Read user reviews at: trustpilot.com/review/www.tunecore.com and bbb.org TuneCore complaints — where TuneCore holds the lowest possible BBB rating.

Support: fast for simple issues, broken for complex ones

TuneCore’s support operates through chat and email, with documented response times that diverge sharply by issue type. From analysis of 45 support interactions across Reddit and BBB from October 2020 through January 2026:

Formatting and metadata questions: 85% resolved satisfactorily, 2–3 day average response
Payment holds: 35% resolved, 23-day average response time
Account terminations: 5% reversed, response times often exceeding the Professional plan’s contracted 24-hour commitment

Professional plan subscribers paying $49.99 annually for 24-hour support response document week-long delays on account restriction issues. One artist submitted a content review appeal and received no response from the content review team for 17 days despite Professional plan status. Another reported support stating the account required review “up to 4 days” after an initial 4-day wait — creating a cumulative 8-day timeline for a withdrawal approval that was ultimately denied.

BBB complaint records show a pattern of initial automated responses followed by case closures without resolution. Community discussion at: reddit.com/r/TunecoreSupport

The structural reality is the same as at other large distributors: support scales to simple issues. For the minority of artists encountering account restrictions, payment holds, or fraud flags, the support infrastructure provides no meaningful pathway to resolution.

The music deletion risk

TuneCore’s subscription model means your music is removed from all streaming platforms if your subscription lapses, your payment method fails, or your account is terminated. This is identical in structure to DistroKid’s default behaviour — and unlike DistroKid, TuneCore offers no Leave a Legacy equivalent. There is no mechanism to pay a one-time fee to make a release permanently live independent of subscription status.

The June 2025 free tier discontinuation demonstrated this risk concretely: artists who missed the upgrade window had their music removed from Spotify, Apple Music, and all other platforms without a grace period for reactivation. Reactivation required manual support contact per release, after payment.

Artists building a long-term catalogue on TuneCore are accepting indefinite subscription dependency. Every release you distribute through TuneCore is live only as long as you continue paying and your account remains in good standing. An account termination — which, as documented above, provides no appeal pathway — removes everything permanently.

What are the pros and cons of TuneCore?

Advantages

Pioneer of the 100% royalty retention model — the company that established the standard the industry now follows
$5 billion in artist royalties paid since launch — genuine scale and track record
Fast distribution — Spotify in 48–72 hours, Apple Music in 2–5 days
TuneCore Accelerator — algorithmic promotion tool with Believe infrastructure backing, meaningful for artists in algorithmically compatible genres
Publishing administration — integrated royalty collection across 150+ countries, genuinely valuable for songwriters missing mechanical royalties
YouTube Content ID included on all paid plans with 100% revenue return
Sync licensing access through application — a service not available on DistroKid or RouteNote
Breakout Artist plan reduced to $29.99 — a significant improvement in value at that tier
Strong platform coverage across 150+ DSPs including social platforms

Disadvantages

Owned by Believe — a publicly traded company with its own label operations competing in the same market as TuneCore’s independent artists
Free tier discontinued June 2025 with music removal for non-upgrading artists — no grace period, manual reactivation required
No permanent distribution option — all music deleted on subscription lapse, with no Leave a Legacy equivalent
Payoneer-exclusive payment processing — no PayPal, no direct bank transfer for most territories, with documented systematic delays
Account terminations with no evidence provided, no appeal pathway, $500 per-track fines authorised in ToS, 60% permanent forfeiture rate in documented cases
Genre-based termination disparity — lo-fi, beat, and ambient producers face disproportionately high termination rates from automated content similarity detection
Active $500 million lawsuit from UMG settled in April 2026 with confidential terms — operational changes unknown
Album renewal price escalation from $29.99 to $49.99 in year two — a significant cost trap for pay-per-release users building a catalogue
Russian artists permanently locked out of withdrawals since December 2022 with no alternative
Publishing administration 20% commission compounds indefinitely on all collected royalties
BBB lowest possible rating — significant complaint volume with low resolution rates
CEO departure January 2026, replaced by Believe’s executive — accelerating Believe integration
Daily trend reports documented as potentially inaccurate and lagging up to two days

How does TuneCore compare to competitors?

DistroKid — $24.99/year, 0% commission, unlimited releases and artists on higher tiers, 24–72 hour Spotify delivery. No publishing administration. Music deleted on cancellation without per-release fees. Reportedly exploring $2 billion sale. Spotify minority stake.
Ditto Music — $59/year Pro, 0% commission, Release Protection included, sync pitching and publishing administration included. Independently owned.
Symphonic — $19.99/year Starter, 100% streaming royalties, 30% UGC share, fast delivery, Beatport included. Independently owned, VC-backed. Strong human support.
Horus Music — £20/year, 0% commission, 100% YouTube Content ID return, UK Charts registration. Independently owned. Royalty accuracy questions in documented cases.
CD Baby — $9.99/single + 9% permanent commission. Owned by Universal Music Group.
RouteNote — free (15% commission) or paid (0% commission). Independently owned. 30–45 day moderation times.

TuneCore’s clearest advantages over all of the above remain the integrated publishing administration and the TuneCore Accelerator. Both are genuine features that competitors in this price range do not match. The question is whether those advantages justify the Payoneer payment constraints, the deletion risk, the account termination pattern, and Believe’s ownership — for your specific situation.

For a full cross-distributor comparison, see: thebestmusicdistributors.com/compare

The ALERA breakdown of TuneCore’s full cost structure is worth reading: alera.fm: TuneCore pricing 2026 — every plan, fee and hidden cost

Who should use TuneCore?

TuneCore is well-suited for:

Songwriters who write their own material and are currently missing mechanical and performance royalties — the publishing administration service will likely generate net positive income even after the 20% commission, for artists who have not previously collected these royalties
Artists in algorithmically compatible genres — pop, hip hop, R&B, electronic, Latin — who can benefit from TuneCore Accelerator’s audience growth infrastructure
Artists who want both distribution and publishing administration bundled with one vendor and are willing to pay the combined cost
Artists releasing at a moderate pace who value Believe’s industry relationships for sync opportunities through TuneCore’s application-based sync service

TuneCore is not well-suited for:

Artists who need permanent catalogue protection without ongoing payment dependency — there is no Leave a Legacy equivalent, and the June 2025 free tier discontinuation demonstrated that TuneCore will remove music when payment structures change
International artists who will encounter Payoneer’s currency conversion fees, the $10,000 transaction limit, and the documented systematic payment delays on every withdrawal
Lo-fi, beat, ambient, and catalogue-heavy producers who face disproportionate risk from TuneCore’s automated content similarity detection
Artists who are specifically concerned about Believe’s label operations having indirect access to TuneCore platform data
Artists building a large catalogue on pay-per-release who miss the album renewal escalation from $29.99 to $49.99 in year two
Artists who need phone support or rapid resolution of payment and account issues — the documented support failure rate for complex issues is severe

Conclusion

TuneCore pioneered independent music distribution and its legacy is real — $5 billion paid to artists, a royalty model that became the industry standard, and nearly two decades of operational history. For songwriters who want publishing administration bundled with distribution, and for artists whose music is compatible with the Accelerator’s algorithmic promotion, TuneCore offers a coherent package that genuinely differentiates it from pure distribution alternatives.

The problems are also real and have worsened, not improved, since the Believe acquisition deepened. The free tier’s discontinuation in June 2025 showed artists what happens when TuneCore changes its terms: music disappears, reactivation requires manual effort, and the platform provides no grace beyond the deadline. The Payoneer payment system creates documented systematic barriers for a significant proportion of users. The account termination pattern — no evidence, no appeals, $500 fines, 60% permanent forfeiture in documented cases — is among the most severe documented in the distribution sector. The active $500 million lawsuit settled in April 2026 on confidential terms, leaving independent artists unable to assess what operational changes, if any, were required. And Believe’s increasing integration of TuneCore’s direction into its own corporate structure moves the platform progressively further from its founding identity as a tool built for independent artists.

Read the ToS publishing royalty commission clause before registering songs for publishing administration — 20% forever is the actual cost. Read the account termination clause before committing your catalogue — the evidentiary standard for withholding royalties is TuneCore’s “good faith discretion.” Understand the Payoneer constraints before your first withdrawal. And know that your music exists on streaming platforms only as long as your subscription and your account standing remain intact simultaneously.

TuneCore can work well for the right artist. The right artist is one who has read all of the above and decided the publishing administration and Accelerator value are worth the structural trade-offs. That is a legitimate conclusion. It just requires making it with full information, not with the version of TuneCore that existed before 2025.