At a glance
| TuneCore | TempoDigital | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry yearly plan | $24.99 a year (Rising Artist) | $29.99 a year (Artist), unlimited releases for one artist |
| Higher tiers | $44.99 (Breakout Artist) and $54.99 (Professional) a year | $149 a year for a label with up to 10 artists |
| Pay per release | Single $24.99 a year; album $44.99 the first year and $56.49 each year after | $8.99 once per release — single, EP or album (we keep 10%) |
| Extra artist profiles | $14.99 each | Up to 10 artists included on Label |
| YouTube and social platforms | Included, with a 20% fee on earnings from TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube | Included; we keep 20% of Content ID revenue; YouTube Music and the social stores are paid at your plan's store rate |
| Publishing administration | Offered separately | Available, paid into the same wallet |
| Languages | Many local sites | English and Bosnian, with a team in Sarajevo |
Paying per release: a yearly fee or a one-off
Both services let you pay per release instead of subscribing, but the models differ. TuneCore's single and album prices are yearly: a single costs $24.99 a year and an album $44.99, then $56.49 each year after, for as long as it stays in the stores. On TempoDigital's Release plan you pay $8.99 once for a single, an EP or an album, and we keep 10% of its store royalties instead of charging again each year.
If you put out one or two records a year and keep them up for a long time, a one-off fee is usually the cheaper route. If you release often, compare the yearly plans instead: $29.99 a year on TempoDigital covers unlimited releases for one artist.
YouTube and social platforms
TuneCore lists earnings from TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as included with a 20% fee. TempoDigital keeps 20% of YouTube Content ID revenue — the money from your recording in other people's videos — and runs it from our own Content ID networks. Official audio on YouTube Music is a store like Spotify, paid at your plan's store rate: 100% on Artist and Label.
Which one should you choose?
TuneCore may suit you better if
- You want a long-established service with local sites in many countries
- You want its artist development and advance programmes
- You need a yearly plan between one artist and a label, such as two or three artists
TempoDigital may suit you better if
- You release now and then and want to pay once per release rather than every year
- You run a label of up to ten artists and want one yearly fee with 100% of store royalties
- You want Content ID run by the same team that delivers your music
- You also need publishing administration or a YouTube channel partnership
- You are in the Balkans or the diaspora and want a team that speaks your language
Moving from TuneCore
Deliver each release again with its original ISRCs and UPC, wait until it is live everywhere, then remove it at TuneCore. Your streams and playlist placements stay with the codes. YouTube Content ID needs releasing at TuneCore before we can claim the recordings. The steps are in how to switch distributors.