CMPE Media

Spotify offers exposure for unsigned artists

Artists who have been distributing their music through TuneCore now have the opportunity to reach a larger audience, thanks to a deal with European digital music site Spotify.  The process involves a one-time yearly fee for each track which allows it to be streamed by listeners.

TuneCore has already achieved some success, announcing that artists featured on the site were paid for over 65 million songs and albums in 2009.  This represents an impressive achievement for a site founded in 2005.  TuneCore also differentiates itself from other digital music retailers by keeping none of the sales or rights for the music.  Artists like Frank Black of the Pixies and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails have also involved themselves with the site, either by purchasing or releasing music.

TuneCore already supports distribution via iTunes, AmazonMP3, eMusic, and more, and added Mog, iLike, Zune, MySpace Music and Thumbplay earlier in 2010.  By partnering with Spotify, which was founded in 2008 and already has around seven million users, TuneCore aims to reach more listeners than ever before, and also provide more exposure for the many artists on its site.

Spotify is continuing to grow, with one estimate placing it at 10,000 new users a week.  In March, CEO Daniel Ek also announced that Spotify would be buying server space in the United States, in the hopes of launching around the third quarter of the year.  Music fans and industry heads alike will no doubt be keeping an eye on these sites as they continue to develop, so make sure you’re there for it too.