Hey, my name is Jake and I’m the marketing intern at TuneCore. Gurdonark, I think in many ways you hit the nail on the head. As I see it, TuneCore does not represent the future for record labels so much as it represents the future of the music industry (of which labels may play a shrinking role).

The way I see it, the digital revolution broke down a major barrier that had existed in the “Pre-Napster” world. It used to be that the only place you could buy music was at record retailers, and the only way you could get to these retailers was through a distributor. No one, not even the Beatles, could make their albums available worldwide without a distribution deal. The label or company responsible had to decide whether it would be worth their time and money to undertake this very expensive process.

TuneCore stands at the front of the digital revolution not because we want to “replace” record labels, but because we know that now, artists can do it without them. Take a look at unsigned TuneCore customer Kelly, whose self-funded videos on YouTube have generated more than 40 million views, and who’s songs have sold more than 300,000 copies on iTunes! Also check out Eric Hutchinson, who sold over 120,000 songs in three weeks and went to #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers charts.

Perhaps we are not “the” solution, but many artists may argue that we have been for them. These are volatile and exciting times in the industry, and I for one am always keeping my eyes open to find out how people are making it work. Thanks a lot for discussing us, and please let me know if I can be of any help!

Jake
jake@tunecore.com