TuneCore, which is an independent platform owned by Believe that allows self-releasing artists to distribute their own music, has expanded its Splits program announced earlier this year. The new feature called Splits: Priority Payouts allows artists to prioritize the order in which collaborators are paid. This gives creators the ability to allocate and distribute revenues for each track according to their preferences. Through the Splits program, artists can now designate a specific sum for a collaborator, ensuring full payment before percentage-based splits are distributed to other contributors.
TuneCore sees this capability as a way for self-releasing artists to recover recording costs before collaborating, as well as a mechanism for artists to negotiate with producers. The company aims to provide tools that automate financial tasks associated with releasing music, fostering a vibrant independent creator community that encourages collaboration and experimentation while ensuring fair compensation for collaborators. Priority Payouts are accessible to artists enrolled in a paid UNLIMITED plan through TuneCore’s Splits offering, while artists on the free New Artist plan can access splits with an annual fee of $7.99 via the Splits Collaborator add-on.
This expansion of the Splits program is the latest offering from TuneCore to empower self-releasing artists. In addition to overhauling its pricing structure to offer unlimited music distribution for a single annual fee, the company also launched a service for artists to distribute music to social platforms like TikTok and Instagram. TuneCore became the distribution partner for TikTok’s SoundOn music distribution service in 2022 and partnered with YouTube to provide music for its TikTok competitor, Shorts. With headquarters in Brooklyn and offices in Los Angeles and Nashville, TuneCore has a global presence across five continents, supporting independent artists worldwide.