From an email to Tunecore users sent late yesterday about the announcement of a new alliance with Universal:
So let me answer the big question right out the gate - no, we are not now owned by Universal. This was a deal I did solely to provide artists more choices and options, the details of which you can read below.
In a nutshell, in addition to regular old TuneCore.com, we will also be hosting and serving websites for Universal labels that provide artists distribution while taking none of the artists rights or revenues. At these label portal sites, you not only get distribution but also extra things from each label. We do not yet know what the "extra things" are as each label will be creating their own. These extra things could be musician services, marketing, promotion, information, opportunities etc.
The costs at these site will be the exact same as the costs at TuneCore.com and TuneCore will provide all the Artist Support as it does now.
However, this we do know now, if you choose to get your distribution via one of the label portal sites (as opposed to TuneCore.com), not only do you get the extra things, but you will have a direct line into that label. This means the label will probably be aware of you, have heard your music, be up to speed on the success you are having, etc. The label can reach out to you to offer more marketing, promotion, physical distribution and anything else. If they do, you can choose to talk with them, tell them no, tell them yes, tell them you will get back to them or simply decide to continue to do what you had been doing to that point in time,
There are no extra strings.
The reason we did this deal is provide you more choices and options to pursue your passion and goals.
Some of you may want the direct in and a pre-existing relationship with a label, others will not. Some of you may not yet know what is best but would prefer not to say no to an option you don't have. This relationship with Universal was created to allow you to choose what you want.
