TuneCore vs RouteNote | An Honest Comparison

Although very exciting, sharing your music with the world can be a daunting task. As you might know already, artists cannot upload their songs directly on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Instead, what they must do is sign up with a music distributor company to take care of that side of business for them.

Over the years, different companies have surfaced in this market promising different types of services and tools to help musicians get their music out there. TuneCore is one of the pioneers in this business that has stood the test of time. On the other hand, Many companies have started offering novel services in the hope of winning the competition and attracting new generations of artists.

If you’ve been looking for a music distribution company that offers free services, you’ve probably come across RouteNote. With both free and paid plans, RouteNote offers eye-catching services that artists cannot easily overlook.

But does free always mean better? Well, that depends on your goals and budget as a musician. Not to mention that TuneCore’s updated plans also include a free service that covers some platforms. In this post, I will go through both music distributors and determine which one you should go for.

By the way, if you want to start releasing music on TuneCore right now you can sign up with my link and get a 20% discount on checkout.

RouteNote’s Plans: Are They Legit?

RouteNote’s biggest attention-grabber for inviting new artists is its free plan. The company is one of the options to choose for artists looking to upload their music on Spotify for free. The “RouteNote Free” plan gives you full access to all of the distributor’s services, including some digital marketing tools. The service covers all the major social media and streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Instagram. Moreover, you’ll get to upload unlimited tracks, and RouteNote says it will stay free forever. The catch? RouteNote takes a 15% cut from all of your streaming revenue and royalties.

If you want to keep 100% of your income, you can go for RouteNote’s “Premium” plan. The advantage of RouteNote’s paid plans over some other distributors like TuneCore is that it only comes in a one-time fee, meaning you don’t need to keep a subscription service running to keep your music on streaming platforms. For a single track, RouteNote charges artists $10. The price goes up to $20 for an EP and $30 for an album. If you’re re-uploading an album through RouteNote’s services, the price goes up to $45.

Aimed at record labels, RouteNote offers an “All Access” service that, depending on what you're after, comes with custom pricing. It covers everything in the previous plans, plus tailored services, dedicated account management, priority in customer support, and pitching assistance.

Compared to TuneCore, RouteNote does not offer anything substantial for promoting artists and helping them grow an audience. Therefore, artists choosing to distribute their work through this company must rely on their own to market their music and find listeners. Moreover, some customers have complained about unusual delays in having their songs published. Also, some online reviews hint at an overall poor experience with RouteNote’s customer service, especially with the free plan.

TuneCore: More Reliable, But Costs More

TuneCore’s updated plans come in four tiers, with the “New Artist” offering services with no up-front payments. With the free plan, you can upload as many tracks as you want on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, FaceBook, and YouTube. In return, TuneCore takes 20% of your streaming revenue and royalty. Also, TuneCore gives you access to official sales reports to track your records. However, TuneCore does not cover streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music with its free service.

The “Rising Artist” plan comes at an annual cost of $19.99 and is TuneCore’s most valuable plan. Unless you want to sign up with a music distributor as a label, I recommend the Rising Artist tier among TuneCore’s paid plans. It covers all the major streaming and social media platforms and allows you to keep all of your royalties and streaming revenue. Moreover, you can schedule your releases and boast a Verified Artist check on Spotify. TuneCore says that the customer service feedback for this plan will be within a three-business-day timeframe.

For $34.99 a year, TuneCore’s “Breakout Artist” plan covers everything mentioned in the previous plan, with some additional features. If you opt for this tier, you’ll have access to a cover art creator and more detailed sales reports. Although these tools can be useful, the previous plan offers a lot more value for the price tag.

Lastly, if you’re a label or want to upload songs under different artist names, you can opt for the “Professional” tier in TuneCore’s arsenal for $49.99. Besides all the stuff mentioned in the previous plans, TuneCore will give you exclusive partnership deals with platforms like Tidal and Twitch. Moreover, you can take advantage of promotional opportunities like Artist Portal and Brand Ambassador to further increase your audience range.

Regardless of the plan you choose, one of the main advantages of TuneCore over most other music distributors on the market is its credibility and reliability. It is one of the pioneers in this business, and its extensive record is a testament to its professionalism. Also, the customer reviews are more promising compared to those of RouteNote.

Final thoughts: Which Music Distributor Is For You?

All that being said, both distributors have their unique advantages and drawbacks. If you’re working around a tight budget, RouteNote can be a much more affordable option. Bear in mind that TuneCore’s free plan doesn’t even get your music on Spotify and only covers social media.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for better quality of services, better customer service, and promotional tools to grow your audience, TuneCore wins over RouteNote. I highly recommend artists who want to take their music career seriously to invest in a decent distributor that can get you to your desired goals better and don’t choose one merely for a lower price tag.