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# TuneCore Explains Major Price Hike, CD Baby Responds With Discount
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/exclusive-tunecore-explains-major-price-hike-cd-baby-responds-with-discount/
- Published: 2011-05-16T10:12:24.000Z
- Updated: 2011-05-16T10:12:24.000Z
- Description: Popular digital distributor TuneCore recently raised prices from $19.99 a year per album distributed to $49.99 per year. While many users still find TuneCore a bargain, the reaction from others. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2011/05/exclusive-tunecore-explains-major-price-hike-c
- Author: Bruce Houghton
- Tags: DIY Advice & Tips, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 10:55

[![image from t3.gstatic.com](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2014e8877b61b970d-150wi "image from t3.gstatic.com")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2014e8877b61b970d-popup?ref=hypebot.com)

Popular digital distributor **TuneCore** recently **raised prices** from $19.99 a year per album distributed to $49.99 per year. While many users still find TuneCore a bargain, the reaction from others was vocal and negative. "Under the old pricing scheme my yearly costs for 4 albums would be $57.96," wrote one. "It is now $200\. A ridiculous amount to increase costs for small time musicians. Still, businesses need to make money to innovate; and Tunecore **shared reasons** for more than doubling its yearly fee.

**MORE & A CD BABY DISCOUNT:** 

[Tunecore](http://www.tunecore.com/?ref=hypebot.com) names **34 improvements** made over three years and several **paid features that are now free** to explain the increase. Some TuneCore customers were spending between $65 – $90 for distribution of an album, according to TuneCore. Now more services are included like the formerly $7.98 a month charge for iTunes trend reports, $1.98 for additional media players and $1.98 per song and per store when initially distributing a release. TuneCore also says they now include **"marketing and promotion"** free, but offer no specific as to how that can be done equitably for tens of thousands of releases.

"I wish I could please 100% of the customers, I really really do," TuneCore CEO **Jeff Price** told Hypebot of the price hikes. "The only other solution would be to set up a huge number of pricing options to meet each and every possible permutation, but that's just not possible as it would be far too confusing for the customer."

**CD BABY OFFERS DISCOUNT TO SWITCH:**

[![image from www.google.com](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201538e8453d5970b-150wi "image from www.google.com")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201538e8453d5970b-popup?ref=hypebot.com) The price increase also created an opportunity for TuneCore's competitors. In this video, sent to Hypebot, **[CD Baby](http://www.cdbaby.com/?ref=hypebot.com)** President **Brian Felsen** offers users a [50% discount](http://cdbabylovesyoumore.com/?ref=hypebot.com) to switch distributors.

After a $39 per album sign up fee, CD Baby charges artists 9% of each sale via a download store with no additional annual fee. TuneCore charges $49.99 per album initially and $49.99 each year thereafter, but does not take a percentage of sales.