5 Simple Steps to Transfer Your Music or Catalog From Other Distributors to TuneCore

This tutorial will guide you through the step-by-step music transfer process to TuneCore in five simple steps!

It's time to transfer your music and catalogs to TuneCore. 

By doing so, you benefit from all the advantages of one of the most popular distribution platforms in the world. 

• We get your music on all social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

• We deliver it to 150+ stores and DSPs, including Spotify, Apple Music, Tencent, TIMMI, Gaana, and more.

• We have support teams for your locally spoken language. 

Most importantly, we're showing you how to move your music from your current distributor to TuneCore in less than 10 minutes. This seamless process ensures your releases keep their existing stream counts, playlists, fan saves, and more. 

Let's get started.

Please note that due to stores' evolving content policies, it's impossible to guarantee 100% that all music platforms will transfer or accept your audio content and metadata.

Step 2: Choose A Plan

Compare the different plans here - https://www.tunecore.com/pricing

With TuneCore, you can pay for an Unlimited Plan, which allows you to distribute unlimited releases to over 150+ digital streaming platforms/stores for a fixed yearly subscription fee. 

The subscription fee covers the maintenance of your music in the stores. With stores constantly changing their requirements, we'll ensure your music meets all their specifications. Plus, you'll receive sales reports to know where every penny comes from.

Remember: with TuneCore Music Distribution, you keep 100% of your rights when your music is streamed or sold in stores. For most stores, you will also keep 100% of your revenue. 

If you opt for the free New Artist Plan, you can distribute unlimited releases to Social Media Platforms (YouTube Music, YouTube Content ID, CapCut and Facebook/Instagram/Reels). There is no initial upload fee and no annual renewal cost. You will keep 100% of your rights and 80% of your revenue from these platforms.

Step 3: Create A TuneCore Release (and Add Your UPC)

Once you’ve picked your TuneCore plan, it’s time to transfer your catalog. That starts with creating a new TuneCore release. Don’t take down the release from your previous distributor yet. That happens later (and we promise we’ll get back to it!)

You’ll fill out the single or release title, artist name, and the primary genre under which your release is filed. You can add a secondary genre as well if that’s useful! 

You’ll also set the release date and time for your music. List the music’s original release date and set the time as soon as possible after you finalize your upload on TuneCore. Doing so ensures the smoothest transfer between your previous distribution network and ours. 

From there, you’ll add the most important information: your song or album’s metadata, beginning with the UPC (as pictured above!).

STEP 4: Upload Your Track By Adding Your IRSC, And Other Metadata

To upload your track(s) to TuneCore, you will use the same metadata (track title) as your content that was already distributed via the previous distributor.

This is a critical step. Music metadata, more specifically, is the collection of information that pertains to a song file, such as:

• Artist Name

• Producer

• Writer

• Song Title

• Release Date

• ISRC code

• UPC

• Genre

• Track Duration

Using the same metadata ensures that you keep the existing stream counts, the playlists, fan saves, and more on your releases. 

In uploading, you can select the music platforms on TuneCore where you want to distribute your music. You can choose to select all the music platforms; this covers over 150+ stores and any new additional stores that partner with TuneCore in the future. Additionally, on this page, you can select the distribution of your music to social platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and more. Activating this option is free, and a commission of 20% is taken from revenues generated by the Social Platforms.

When the checkout step is completed, your release is finalized. It will now pass a manual review process by our Content Review Team, which should take 1-2 days. The average delay for your releases to go live on music platforms again is five business days.

STEP 5: DOUBLE CHECK NEW VERSION AND READY TO TAKEDOWN

You’ve uploaded your catalog and waited for it to relaunch. The final step is to ensure your TuneCore release(s) are live on music platforms. ​

When connecting to platforms such as Spotify on their desktop app, click on click on the release you’re now distributing through us. 

You should be able to see a button on the bottom right-hand corner stating “1 new version of this Album/Single.” This means that your new TuneCore release correctly “matched” the latest version from your previous distributor.

As promised, you can now take down the release on your previous distributor. Your new TuneCore version will take over, and your fans will not see any difference. 

That’s it! You successfully transferred your music to TuneCore. You’re free to continue making and distributing music while utilizing all the tools we offer to help you do it, from the Accelerator program to our Publishing dashboard. Making it in the music industry is all about taking steps to further your career.

Following the five above means you’re well on your way to bigger and better.