TuneCore's Independent Artists Surpass $4 Billion In Earnings

TuneCore, the leading development partner for self-releasing artists—owned by Believe, one of the world’s leading digital music companies—has announced that TuneCore artists have now earned more than $4 billion (since the company was founded in 2006), cementing the company’s position as the premier platform for independent artists looking to build their careers.

Andreea Gleeson, Chief Executive Officer, TuneCore commented, “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.”

It has been just a year and a half since TuneCore announced that the company had surpassed the milestone of $3 billion earned by self-releasing artists and, in the intervening months, many independent artists all over the world have continued to build sustainable careers using TuneCore. The $4 billion figure represents the cumulative sum of revenue earned by self-releasing artists at all stages of their careers, from hobbyists and new artists earning their first-ever streaming revenue, to established artists and household names for whom writing and performing music is their sole source of income.

The massive payout to self-releasing artists 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, a suite of tools specifically built to help artists develop their careers, increase their reach and help them find dedicated fans. By offering tools to support independent self-releasing artists, TuneCore has helped channel more money into the pockets of the independent artist community and has provided a means for self-releasing artists to flourish in an increasingly competitive industry landscape.

As a global platform, many of TuneCore’s artists reside internationally with 77% of new TuneCore artists and labels joining TuneCore in 2024 coming from outside of the United States. In India, one of TuneCore’s top three global markets and the company’s fastest growing emerging market, Delhi-based folktronic duo Tech Panda & Kenzani have utilized the freedom afforded by independence to carve a nontraditional path to success. Rather than following the traditional album release cycle, Tech Panda & Kenzani have released more than one hundred singles, finding success on the Spotify India charts, amassing a loyal fanbase, and even being tapped to record the official Hindi rendition of Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Kenzani commented, “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.”

Akhila Shankar, Head of TuneCore South Asia said, "TuneCore artists generating $4 billion is more than just a celebratory moment for us as a company, but a milestone for independent music worldwide. The growing number of artists from India who are forging independent paths to success have helped India grow to one of TuneCore’s top three global markets and it is their success that has made this moment possible.”

This latest milestone stands as a testament to TuneCore’s commitment on behalf of independent artists around the world. By increasing access to music creation and distribution, supporting self- releasing artists at all stages of their careers, and providing the tools and educational resources necessary for artists to claim the money they’ve rightfully earned from their music, TuneCore and parent company Believe are continuing to work towards creating a more equitable and sustainable music industry ecosystem for all.