Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

Believe buys TuneCore

By | Published on Friday 17 April 2015

Tunecore

Digital distribution and label services company Believe yesterday announced it had acquired rival distribution service provider TuneCore. The two companies will remain autonomous, but with the two businesses benefiting from each other’s infrastructure, and from the stronger negotiating hand when dealing with digital service providers that comes with representing a bigger catalogue.

Pitched more as a “strategic partnership” – though TuneCore has been bought by Believe – the former said that its artists would now be able to “tap into Believe Digital’s comprehensive global services, providing a truly modern, DIY record label experience with ground support across the globe”. TuneCore artists would also “have access to a wider digital distribution network, with more tools and services to empower them to succeed”.

Although both operate in the digital distribution and label services space, Believe and TuneCore generally complement each other in terms of client base, with TuneCore focusing on the grassroots artist community while Believe generally works with labels and more established artists (though that does include new talent) and offers a more ‘hands-on’ service. There is some crossover though, between TuneCore and Believe’s own grassroots music distribution service Zimbalam.

Confirming the new alliance yesterday, TuneCore CEO Scott Ackerman told reporters: “TuneCore’s number one objective is to empower independent artists to succeed. This new strategic relationship provides the most powerful solution for independent artists worldwide to reach fans, sell music, increase revenue and advance their career. We’re excited to deliver this new layer of opportunity while continuing to give artists the full control to decide their individual paths to success”.

Meanwhile Believe Digital’s Founder and President Denis Ladegaillerie said: “The success of TuneCore, its deep commitment to independent artists, and the natural synergy between our services for artists, make this partnership a powerful force to propel artists’ growth. There is a tremendous opportunity for TuneCore and Believe to champion independent artists and their entrepreneurship, and together our focus will be to provide the best comprehensive services to a wider range of musicians around the world”.



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