Amuse vs. Tunecore, is a comparative analysis of these two music distributors to aid in decision-making. We have links to products and services we recommend below
Discounts & Recommendations:
- Tunecore 20% Discount: https://bit.ly/42zzf8X
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- Playlist Push: – 7.5% OFF use Promo code (LMAJ28A): https://bit.ly/3Gj6BRZ
- Songtrust $10 Off: https://bit.ly/3HTusra
- Mogul – Get All the Royalties you’re owed, not just the ones you know about: https://bit.ly/49gJmnp
- SymphonyOS Easy Music Promotion: https://bit.ly/49ujGD7
Price
Amuse Boost charges $19.99 per year for Unlimited distribution vs. Tunecore which charges $34.99 annually for Breakout and $49.99 annually for the Professional plan for Unlimited distribution.
With both distributors, you’re required to pay the annual fee to keep releases in store.
Percentage
Both Amuse & Tunecore allow you to keep 100% of your royalties.
Stores
You want your music everywhere it can create value which makes the number and quality of stores important.
Tunecore gets you into far more high-quality stores than Amuse.
New stores
Tunecore will automatically add your new releases to stores if you’re on the Professional plan. Amuse doesn’t have a policy on distribution to new stores. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t.
Audio capabilities
Apple Music now pays 10% more in royalties for songs mixed for Spatial Audio which means Dolby Atmos
Tunecore distributes songs mixed in Dolby Atmos.
No for Amuse
Pre-orders
One thing about Pre-orders is that they can trigger priority placement in stores due to consolidating sales over a stretch of months into your first week. It’s a very effective tool and you can watch our video Pre-saves vs. Pre-orders to truly understand their value.
Tunecore gives you Pre-orders and with those Pre-orders you also get Instant Gratification Tracks which is a tool used to incentivize fans to buy by granting immediate access to an unreleased track off the project. On top of that, Tunecore allows you to do special Pre-order pricing where you can offer a discount for advanced sales.
Amuse doesn’t offer Pre-orders
Note that Tunecore charges an additional one-time fee of $16.50 for Pre-orders
Digital booklets
Digital Booklets are like digital versions of CD foldout treys and can add extra value to music downloads in iTunes.
Tunecore distributes digital booklets and Amuse does not.
Note that Tunecore charges an additional one-time fee of $20 for digital booklets
Showcasing
This is having your distributor push through a pitch to stores and streaming platforms for priority placement.
Tunecore’s Professional plan will push through pitches to partners. Amuse doesn’t offer support in this area.
Primary Artists
Having a collaborating artists listed as Featured vs. Primary impacts the placement of the release within their catalog on Spotify. Releases where an artist is marked as “Primary” get greater visibility and the collaborating artists is granted access to stats because it’s considered a joint release. Tunecore allows distribution for a single Primary artist and charges a fee of $14.99 annually for each additional Primary artist.
Amuse allows you to add multiple Primary artists as long the account holder is also listed as a Primary artist.
Royalty reports
Tunecore – very, very good. Detailed reports showing sale date, quantity, country, store, and revenue with the ability to filter within the online dashboard.
Amuse – very poor. Basic reports showing total revenue and streaming activity with no ability to idea how much you’re making from where.
Transaction fees:
Tunecore caps transaction fees at 25¢
Amuse charges at least $1 per transaction
Thresholds
Amuse – $3
Tunecore – $1
