New payment options offered in the Philippines to better serve local music creators
Leading independent DIY digital music distributor TuneCore, a division of global digital music company Paris-based Believe, expands its payment methods in the Philippines and Southeast Asia to better serve their growing artist base in the region. The first of its kind global agreement affirms the company’s commitment to providing the best user experience for independent artists in the Philippines and the SEA region where alternative payments options are more popular than credit cards.
TuneCore, whose international presence has more than doubled over the last 18 months, has partnered with global financial technology platform Adyen. The company has launched localized payment methods in the Philippines through Gcash. Others include Indonesia through Dana (GoPay coming soon), Vietnam through MoMo, and Global (Non-US countries) through China Union Pay.
Andreea Gleeson, CEO of TuneCore, emphasizes: “As TuneCore continues to expand, we not only offer best in class services on a worldwide level, the company also brings that same mindset to our local markets. For TuneCore artists, we not only want to support their artistry but we want to make it easy for them to distribute their music. Last year we launched the New Artist plan, which enables creators to release their music to social platforms for no upfront fee. Now with the launch of our expanded payment services, creators can access full distribution services seamlessly.”
Cyrus Chen, Head of TuneCore Southeast Asia, adds: “In Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam, card penetration remains low while e-wallets usage is quickly becoming ubiquitous among the population in recent years. By prioritizing our payments infrastructure to include local payment options that our artists prefer, demonstrates our commitment to the region’s growth. This is part of TuneCore’s hyper-localization efforts to ensure the most positive user experience for our Southeast Asian artists.”
In the coming months, TuneCore will push the program out to other countries and regions. Earlier this year, TuneCore launched its revolutionary new pricing program which allows artists at any stage of their careers to distribute their music. The program allows music creators to release tracks and albums on an unlimited basis via plans ranging from free/no upfront cost (new artist), $14.99 (rising artist), $29.99 (breakout artist) to $49.99 (professional).
Faryal Khan-Thompson, Vice President, International, TuneCore, shares: “Southeast Asia is an important market for TuneCore as there is an abundance of talent and growth in the region. Our partnership with Adyen simplifies and streamlines payments, giving access to music creators who previously would not have been able to distribute.”
About TuneCore
TuneCore is the global platform for independent musicians to build audiences and careers – with technology and services across distribution, publishing administration and a range of promotional services. TuneCore Music Distribution services help artists, labels and managers sell their music through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TikTok, Tencent and more than 150 download and streaming stores worldwide, while retaining 100 percent of their sales revenue and rights for a low annual flat fee. TuneCore Music Publishing Administration assists songwriters by administering their compositions through licensing, registration, worldwide royalty collections, and placement opportunities in film, TV, commercials, video games and more. The TuneCore Artist Services portal offers a suite of tools and services that enable artists to promote their craft, connect with fans, and get their music heard. TuneCore, part of Believe, is headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, with offices in Los Angeles, Nashville, Atlanta, and Austin, and operates globally through local teams based in the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, India, Japan and Singapore across 5 continents. www.tunecore.com
About Believe
Believe is one of the world’s leading digital music companies. Believe’s mission is to develop artists and labels in the digital world by providing them the solutions they need to grow their audience at each stage of their career and development. Believe’s passionate team of digital music experts around the world leverages the Group’s global technology platform to advise artists and labels, distribute and promote their music. Its 1,565 employees in more than 50 countries aim to support independent artists and labels with a unique digital expertise, respect, fairness and transparency. Believe offers its various solutions through a portfolio of brands including TuneCore, Nuclear Blast, Naïve. Groove Attack and AllPoints. Believe is listed on compartment A of the regulated market of Euronext Paris (Ticker: BLV. ISIN: FR0014003FE9).
