Are you tired of limitations and fees holding you back in your music career? Say hello to Tune Vortex – the ultimate platform for independent artists and musicians! With no restrictions on membership and free worldwide access, Tune Vortex makes it easy to distribute your music and collect your earnings. Just keep in mind, we do retain a 20% administrative fee for earnings from sales and claims made with tracks you’ve uploaded to our platform. Ready to join the Tune Vortex community and take your music to new heights?

This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating a music. To get a better understanding of the steps involved, check out the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h4sgvI6Va4&feature=emb_logo

At Tune Vortex, we use advanced fingerprinting technology to identify and protect your music copyrights. This enables us to identify any videos on YouTube that use your music, and we can then claim those videos and collect advertising revenue on your behalf.

We follow an 80%/20% split for revenue sharing, with 80% being paid out to you

We use PayPal to distribute royalties to our clients. To ensure timely and accurate payment, please make sure to provide your PayPal email address in your account information.

Our default payment method is PayPal, but we understand that not everyone can use it. Contact our support team to learn about other available payment options.

YouTube Music is a streaming platform owned by YouTube. As a distributor, Too Lost can distribute your music to both YouTube Music and YouTube Content ID. When your music is distributed to YouTube Music, your cover art, songs, and song information will appear in videos on YouTube. These videos are monetized, which means that you will earn revenue for your Too Lost account from ads and views. YouTube Music publishes all content in a “video art” format, where each single, EP, or album distributed to the platform will be transformed into an auto-generated video that uses the cover art as the thumbnail and video content.

These videos are ad-free for YouTube Music subscribers and can be found on the YouTube Music app. If you prefer not to have your music on YouTube Music, you can deselect it as a delivery channel when distributing your releases. Note that you can still distribute to YouTube Content ID without distributing to YouTube Music, and vice versa.

By default, YouTube Music will send your release to one of three channels: “Various Artists – Topic” (such as Various Artists 1 or Various Artists 2), “[Artist Name] – Topic” (which is automatically created by YouTube and stores all auto-generated videos from one artist), or your personal channel (if you have one). If you want to link your release to your own YouTube channel or apply for an Official YouTube Music artist channel, please contact [email protected] for more information.

Once a release is distributed and its corresponding ISRC/UPC codes are generated, it cannot be deleted from the catalog due to accounting purposes. However, if you issue a takedown, the content can be removed from all or specific stores. It is important not to erase the release information, even if it is not live in stores. Deleting the catalog’s metadata does not necessarily imply that the channels have taken down the release. Our platform will continue to collect overdue royalties, and the release will be removed after the following reporting quarter once all outstanding royalties have been collected. If you need to make edits to your release, please refer to our guidelines to avoid having to remove your content altogether. For more information on our Takedown Policy, please refer to the link provided.

The Apple Music and iTunes Store automatically assign an Artist ID to each artist who uploads their content. To avoid any mix-up of content delivery to the wrong artist page, artists with existing content on these platforms can input their Apple IDs on Too Lost. Once an artist’s works are available, their artist ID can be obtained from Apple’s artist page. Here’s how to get the artist ID:

1. Go to iTunes and search for any album or artist
2. Click on the artist’s name to visit their artist page
3. Look for the letters “id” in the URL and the numbers following it (e.g. 262836961) which is the artist ID. The format of an Apple Artist Page URL is: https://artists.apple.com/ ARTIST NAME ]/id[ ARTIST ID ] Note: Ensure that the URL is the artist page and not the album page.

The Tune Vortex Ambassador Program enables members to earn cash for referring friends, family, classmates, colleagues, collaborators and fans to sign up with Too Lost. Any member can apply to be an ambassador from their User Portal. Ambassadors earn 5% of every new member sign up coming from their referral link. Additional perks and prizes are enabled for ambassadors who we see continued success and who generate a large amount of sign ups.

If a member wants their release to be removed from all or specific stores, they can issue a content removal by requesting a takedown. However, it’s important to note that for any necessary edits or updates to the release, issuing a takedown is not required. To initiate a takedown request, members can follow these steps:

1. Go to the release in their Catalog.
2. Select the “6. Distribution” tab.
3. If they want to take down the release from all channels, they can select “Takedown from all channels.” If they want to take down the release from one or more channels, they can search for the specific channel in the list and select the option “Takedown” next to its name. It’s important to keep the original release information intact until the takedown process is complete. Some takedowns may be subject to processing fees, and if applicable, these must be paid before the takedown request can be processed. The takedown process duration varies depending on the store’s policies and takedown methods, and can take anywhere from 2 to 10 business days. If the content is still available in stores after 2 weeks, members can reach out to their Label Partner or visit the support desk for assistance.

You can view your payout reports on or around the 25th day of each month. Your balance can be found under the ‘Sales’ tab on your distribution dashboard. To request a payout, simply initiate the request from your dashboard. Within 2-3 days of making the request, you will receive payment via PayPal from Star Music. It’s important to note that there is a minimum payout of $50.00 and you should ensure your PayPal address is correct in your account settings at least 24 hours prior to making a payout request. New users may not immediately see their balance or may only see unconfirmed sales for their first 2 months on the platform. All digital stores report sales at least 30 days behind schedule, which means new users can only request payouts 2 months after their first release was distributed. To ensure consistent payouts, we encourage regular music releases. Once your payout has been sent, you will receive a confirmation notice on your dashboard. If you don’t receive the payout within 7 days of receiving the confirmation notice, please refer to the PayPal account listed in the confirmation notice and contact your Label Partner immediately. In case of fraud, piracy, or copyright issues on your account during the relevant payout month, your payout may be placed on hold, and you will be notified via email.

Validation is a term used for the review of content by the QC team, and it is not an approval process. In order to initiate the validation process, a distribution order must be placed by the tenant or end-user. The QC team typically completes the validation process within 72 hours on business days, although in exceptional cases where further review is required, the tenant will be notified of the delay. It’s important to note that this QC timing does not apply to Bulk Upload releases. The validation process can result in one of two outcomes: approval or a ticket to the tenant. If the content meets the Quality Control standards, it will be approved and automatically distributed to the requested Digital Music Services. If the content does not meet the standards, a ticket will be created explaining the reasons for rejection, and the client will have 30 days to fix the issue and communicate with the QC team. If the issue is not resolved within 30 days, the content will be rejected and the Score will decrease. The guidelines for the QC team to approve a release are specified in the Content Style Guide, and once the content is approved, it will be added to the distribution pipeline and delivered according to the DMS timing.

After a content is distributed by the end-user, it undergoes a Quality Control (QC) process to ensure it meets all the requirements outlined in our Styles Guide. If approved by our QC team, the content is then delivered to the selected channels. The status of a release’s distribution can be tracked by both end-users and Tenant Admins on the “History” tab of the release. However, the timing for publication after delivery to the channels varies and can take anywhere between 2 to 15 working days, depending on the channel. Therefore, we suggest distributing the content at least 15 days prior to the intended release date to allow sufficient time for publication. Please note that this period may be extended during festive and holiday periods and we will notify our clients of any specific deadlines communicated by the channels.

f you want to update the information of an active artist on your account, you can easily do so by following these steps:

1. Open your Catalog in the Distribution Portal
2. Click on the “Artists” option in the sub-menu
3. Look for the artist you wish to update and click on their name
4. You can now add new links, bios, social media pages, and other relevant information for the artist
5. After you have made the necessary changes, don’t forget to click “Save” to update the artist’s information.

It’s crucial to add the artist’s YouTube User and Apple Artist ID to avoid any potential delivery issues for artists who already have content on YouTube Music or Apple Music/iTunes. We will soon introduce new features that will utilize this information, so please keep it up-to-date.

Unconfirmed royalties are earnings that have been reported to us by the stores but are still pending confirmation from our Finance department. These sales reports are considered “Estimated Sales” and may vary slightly due to withholding taxes or exchange rates. You can access a summary report of your unconfirmed sales by downloading it from the Sales > Reports section. However, unconfirmed royalties are not included in the user balances, and you cannot request out-payment for these earnings until they are confirmed.

The reason why royalties are pending confirmation is that music services issue their sales reports weeks or months in advance of issuing the payment for that corresponding period. After we receive payment for the sales report, we can confirm the sales and make them payable. In some cases, royalties can be pending confirmation due to delays in payment by the music service or technical issues. Music services may also apply small adjustments to previous sales reports without any notification, which can appear as unconfirmed sales.

Our Royalties Department uploads sales reports as soon as we receive them, so you can check the evolution of earnings in the Sales > Analytics tab. We aim to provide full transparency in showing you unconfirmed royalties, but please keep in mind that these are only estimates and your confirmed earnings may vary slightly.

A release is classified as an “EP” by stores if it meets either of the following criteria:

• It contains 4-6 tracks with a combined duration of 30 minutes or less.
• It contains 1 to 3 tracks, with at least one track that is 10 minutes or longer, and a total duration of 30 minutes or less.

Spotify for Artists is a platform that allows artists to monitor their music and manage their profile on the streaming platform. By claiming their profile, artists can track their streams, audience demographics, and receive access to unique promotional features. If an artist is releasing music for the first time, they should claim their profile before the release date to ensure they have access to features like the “Editorial Playlist Submission Tool” or to work with promotional companies. For artists who already have music on Spotify from a previous distribution company or label, they should notify their Label Partner on the dashboard before the release date to avoid any issues with incorrect pairing of content. In the event of any delivery errors or issues, they can contact the support team at [email protected] with the subject line “Spotify Delivery Error”.

Tune Vortex is able to assist you with the release of cover songs, however, it is important to note that songs that contain samples may not be approved or may require additional information. The difference between cover songs and sampling is that a cover song is a song that you have performed and recorded yourself, but the music was written by someone else. On the other hand, sampling is when you use the actual recording of another artist’s performance. Using someone else’s recording without their permission is not legal, and songs with unauthorized samples can lead to legal action. Clearance for sampling is possible but can be a costly and rare process, particularly for smaller artists. To avoid any legal issues, it is recommended to only distribute songs for which you own the rights or have obtained clearances. If you are unsure whether your song contains a sample, you can contact our support team for assistance. Additionally, songs that are in the Public Domain are not eligible for distribution. You can refer to our website for more information on Public Domain and Copyright.

The QC team at Tune Vortex backend ensures that your content complies with the content guidelines of each store and does not contain any unauthorized samples or sounds. For your first few releases, please allow 1-5 days for QC to handle your release. Once you have released a few songs, the process will go faster. However, we recommend planning your release properly and allowing 7 days for the release to be processed. It’s always best to upload your release to Tune Vortex one week before the official release date to ensure that the song gets on all stores and platforms on the same day and time.

To transfer your music from another distributor like Distrokid, Tunecore, or Ditto to Tune Vortex, you can do a catalog transfer while keeping your current stream counts. Follow these steps to have all your releases in one place:

• Create the releases in Tune Vortex with the same titles, artist names, genre, etc. Make sure to use the same ISRC codes to avoid losing plays.
• Use different UPC and reference codes to prevent potential auditing issues. Tune Vortex can issue new codes for free.
• Distribute the releases and wait until they appear online in the stores and streaming sites. There should be a 1-2 day overlap period where both the Tune Vortex and old distributor’s versions are up together.
• Check the plays on platforms like Spotify to confirm they are transferred and/or tracks are linked. If you don’t see the new release with the correct plays after one week, contact support or your Label Partner.
• Once the plays appear correctly transferred, issue a takedown on your old distributor. If they don’t have a takedown option, contact their support team and explain you are in the midst of a catalog transfer and need the content removed from the stores. If you have any additional questions or concerns, use the support desk or contact your Label Partner.

Most digital stores take a percentage of your music sales. Generally, stores such as iTunes and Amazon keep around 20% of the sale, while we get the remainder of the sale, also known as the wholesale price. We then share 75% of this amount with you, which is the case for all labels and distributors licensing music to the digital stores. It’s important to remember that you still receive 75% of your royalties, as the stores also need to make a profit. For stores that offer full-track streaming, the payout process can vary every month, as the proportionate share is calculated differently for each store. You can check your sales reports for all the information shared by each channel. Members can click here to learn more about each store’s payout process.

A Cover Song, also known as a Cover Version, refers to a new recording or performance of a previously commercially released record, done by an artist or musician other than the original composer or performer. For instance, Birdy’s rendition of “Skinny Love” is a cover of Bon Iver’s original version, while Zella Day’s “Seven Nation Army” is a cover of The White Stripes’ hit song. At Tune Vortex, you are allowed to release cover songs. Follow this link to learn more about obtaining a mechanical license for your cover song.

You can release explicit content with Tune Vortex, but it’s important to properly flag it as such when creating your release. This ensures that the content is correctly labeled and won’t be displayed to children who visit the digital platforms. Neglecting to do so could result in the removal of your release from the stores. For further details on our Content Guidelines, please refer to this link.

If you wish to include lyrics in your release, you can easily do so from the track information section. Once added, we will deliver the lyrics to all our partners who accept them. You can also add lyrics at a later stage by going to the “Tracks” section in your “Catalog” and making the necessary updates. Keep in mind that any changes made to your tracks or releases will need to be updated in order to reflect the changes in the stores. For more information on updating your tracks or releases, please click here.

f you want to release music on Beatport with Tune Vortex, please contact your Label Partner in the dashboard with message subject “Beatport Approval”. By default, we disable Beatport for new user channels, unless advised otherwise. Please let your Label Partner know if you plan on utilizing Beatport as a channel for distribution. Keep in mind, Beatport has special conditions for releases.

An UPC (Universal Product Code) or EAN (European Article Number) code is a distinct identification code used for a Release. It helps to track and manage the distribution and sales of the release. Please note that individual tracks are identified using ISRC codes.

Tune Vortex distributes music to a wide range of digital stores, including but not limited to: 7 Digital, Agedi, Akazoo, Amazon Music, Anghami, AWA, Beatport, Boomplay, BMAT, Claro Música, Deezer, Dubset, Facebook Rights Manager, Google Play, Gracenote, iHeart, IMI Mobile, iTunes Store | Apple Music, Jaxsta, JioSaavn, KDigital Media, KKBOX, MixCloud, MonkingMe, NetEase Cloud Music, Pandora, Resso, Rhapsody/Napster, Shazam, SoundCloud, SoundExchange, Spinlet, Spotify, Tencent, Tidal, TikTok, Traxsource, UMA, Xiami Music, Yandex, YouTube Audio Content ID, YouTube Music, and Zvooq.

Yes, most digital music stores do take a percentage of your music sales. Typically, stores like iTunes, Amazon, and others keep around 20% of a sale. The distributor, such as Tune Vortex, gets the remainder of the sale (known as the wholesale price) and shares 75% of this amount with you. This is the industry standard for all labels and distributors licensing music to digital stores. Although the stores take a cut, you still receive 75% of your royalties. It’s important to keep in mind that stores also need to make money in order to operate. For stores that offer full-track streaming, a proportionate share is worked out differently for every store, which means that monthly payouts for music streaming sales can vary each month. You can check all the information shared by channels on your Sales Reports. For more information about each store’s payout process, members can click here.

Tune Vortex uses YouTube Content ID, which is a system developed by Google to identify and manage copyrighted content on YouTube. It works by comparing videos uploaded to YouTube against audio and video files registered with Content ID by content owners. Once you activate the Content ID channel for your music, YouTube creates an invisible fingerprint that will protect your content and detect all third-party content using your catalogue. Tune Vortex works with Content ID to collect revenue from videos utilizing your music. However, it is important to note that YouTube Content ID can only be activated if you have 100% exclusive rights to the release, including the composition. If you do not have exclusive rights or have leased an instrumental or beat, you are not eligible for Content ID on that track. When releasing music with Tune Vortex, you have the option to enable or disable YouTube Content ID. If enabled, all songs in the release will be added to the Content ID database. Please keep in mind that if you activate Content ID, all videos that use your audio, including your own, will be claimed. You will still earn from your own channel, but earnings will only appear on your Tune Vortex dashboard. By having Content ID activated, you will receive a claim on your YouTube Channel, but this is not a strike and will not harm your channel’s standing. The claim simply alerts YouTube that the music used in the video is protected, and any earnings from monetized views will be forwarded to your Tune Vortex account. Finally, all Tune Vortex members receive 75% of their Content ID earnings.

At Tune Vortex, you always maintain full ownership and control of your masters. We do not claim any ownership rights to your music. You keep 100% of all the royalties generated from your music. Our role as a digital music distributor is to help you get your music out to the world and collect your earnings. If you have any questions about our distribution process or your music rights, feel free to contact us for more information.

Tune Vortex does not automatically update changes in releases in the stores. Any modifications made to the audio, metadata, or pricing of a release will require an update in order to be reflected in the stores. You can find more information about updating your releases by clicking here.

There is no option to sell a song for free on online stores like iTunes. If you come across a free download of a song on iTunes, it is because the iTunes editorial team has made the decision to offer it for free. However, if you wish to give your music away for free to specific people such as radio stations, DJs, and friends, you can do so by emailing them your MP3s or sharing them on a file hosting service like Dropbox. Alternatively, if you want to purchase your own songs on iTunes to give as gifts, you can do so by clicking on the sub-menu to the right of the price and selecting “gift this song”. You can find more detailed instructions on the Apple support website at http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2736.

Encoding is the process of converting digital data from one format to another, and when it comes to music, this is often done to produce an output format that is compatible with various devices and platforms. At Tune Vortex, when you upload your music, we convert it to FLAC files, which are high-quality digital audio files that provide excellent sound fidelity. We use the highest possible bitrate to ensure that your music sounds as good as possible, without any loss of quality.

In order for your music to be released on digital stores, it must adhere to specific format requirements. The required audio format for uploading is WAV stereo 44.1 kHz with a bit depth of 16 bits, and a sample rate of 1411 kbps. We also accept 24 and 32 bit files. If your audio file is in a different format such as MP3 or M4A, you can use software or an online converter to convert it to WAV format. OnlineConverter.com is a good example of a free online converter.

Tune Vortex ensures top-level security to protect your sensitive data. We use bank-grade SSL encryption (SHA-256 with RSA, TLS 1.2) to securely transmit your credit card information. Your credit card numbers are directly sent from your browser to our credit card processor, and we never store this information on our servers or database. Your entire session is SSL encrypted to safeguard against unauthorized access to your account and personal information. For further details, please review our Privacy Policy.

The ISRC, which stands for International Standard Recording Code, is a unique identifier assigned to individual sound and music video recordings. It is a widely recognized tool used internationally for identifying these recordings. It’s important to note that while individual tracks are assigned ISRC codes, releases are assigned UPC codes.

It’s of utmost importance that the information displayed on your front cover art matches the information you’ve provided in your submission. This is to avoid any confusion for customers and ensure consistency across our digital partners. For instance, if your artist name on the front cover art is displayed as “Chris Robley & the Fear of Heights,” it must be entered the same way in the information provided and not just as “Chris Robley.” In case of any discrepancies, our digital partners have requested that we only deliver content that is a match. If you have received an email from us regarding a mismatch, you can find more information about the issue below. Here are some of the guidelines that must be followed:

• The artist name and album/single title must match the spelling and formatting used on the front cover art.
• Additional performing artists listed on the artwork must be credited and added as a primary or featured artist on the album or on the specific tracks they perform on.
• All artists listed as “featuring” or “with” on the front cover artwork must be credited as a featured artist on at least one track with the same spelling.
• The language and characters used on the front cover art must match with the album language presented in your submission. If the information on your cover art is in Greek characters, your submission must also be entered in Greek characters, and vice versa.
• Cover art must be in the same language as the metadata. For more information on content guidelines, please refer to this link.

Sometimes, when a new release is distributed to Spotify, it may be assigned to an incorrect artist profile or a new profile may be created instead of using an existing one. This issue usually arises when artist profiles have similar or identical names, and it is caused by Spotify’s automatic organization system. To avoid this problem, please refer to our guidelines on how to deliver music to Spotify correctly. If you have already experienced this issue, we can contact Spotify to request a fix. To do so, we require the following information: the URI of the correct artist profile, the URI of the incorrect artist profile (labeled as “wrong” profile), and the URIs of all albums, EPs, or singles you wish to move to the correct profile. If you are unsure about what a URI is or how to find it, please refer to our guide on Spotify URIs. It is important to ensure that the data you provide is accurate to prevent any further errors.

To make any modifications on Spotify, you will need the official format called Spotify URI. It is similar to the release link or URL. You can easily obtain the URI by following these steps, which can only be done on the Spotify computer app:

1. Navigate to the song, album, or artist that requires changes on the app.
2. Right-click on it and select the “Share” option.
3. Hover over “Share” and then click on “Copy Spotify URI.” The code will be automatically copied to your clipboard, which you can then use for any necessary modifications.