Warner Music Quietly Launches Free Tunecore Competitor
Warner Music Group has quietly launched a digital music distribution service that is a direct competitor to Tunecore, CDBaby and DistroKid. Level Music, which WMG has never announced it's involvement is live online, accepting artists and offering some additional service.
___________________________
A video walkthrough of Level
Level Music has launched as a digital distribution platform for unsigned artists. Controlled by Warner Music Group, Level will deliver music for release to Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, Google Play, TIDAL, Pandora, Deezer, and Napster "without any upfront charges or fees." Artists will keep "100% of your rights, royalties and earnings."
Level also offers free tools to showcase releases including Linkfire powered intelligent landing pages that route fans to their preferred music service.
The free ride, however, may not last forever.
"We believe in building a product that gives lasting value to artists.Therefore during this beta period, Level is free of charge as we gather feedback to build a platform that best serves our artist community.
We will keep you updated on any changes to the free beta, future product offerings and features well in advance."
First, spotted by MBW, Level Music was launched this week by Warner Music Group without an announcement. Only research of the company's filings reveal the major label group's involvement. Radar Scope LTD is listed as the owner of the Level Music site. A search of UK company registration records lists three top WMG UK and US executives using WMG offices in London and New York as their address.
Why would WMG care about unsigned artists?
It could be for the data, including watching new acts that could be brought onto a WMG label as they grow. Universal claims to do just that with its Spinnup distribution service. It could also be that, like most big companies, it wants to stick its toe in the water of every possible industry vertical.
Either way, it's interesting that WMG execs appear to be in charge of Level Music, rather the team at the companies indie arm ADA.
Not free.
Read their terms:
“less an eight percent (8%) distribution fee retained by us”
https://beta.levelmusic.com/distribution-terms
Gotta hand it to WMG, this is a brilliant way to trick young artists into unintentionally giving up a large percent of their earnings.
Such a new level of sleaze that I’m legitimately impressed.
Read the whole paragraph “Section 2 sets forth important payment-related information, including how and when we might make payments to you under these terms. Please note that we have the right to deduct certain amounts – such as taxes and an 8% distribution fee – from any such payments as set forth above; however, we also have the right on a case-by-case basis to waive all or part of such 8% distribution fee in connection with payments to certain users (although we are also free to reinstate such fee for such users at a later time), and, during the beta period for Level, we do agree to waive the 8% distribution fee in connection with payments to users who are and have registered as individual musicians and artists (and bands) who are not working with a record label. While we may modify this beta period waiver in the future, we’ll let you know before we do.”
They will notify beta testers before they do. So for now they are free for unsigned artists and bands.
Hi,
We know that 99.9% of musicians won’t read the fine print or “notifications.”
And on the off-chance they discover the notification, the switching costs (losing their playlist positions, stats, etc.) will handcuff them to Level.
Musicians are stupid idiots. Which is why it’s so easy for us to trick them into signing up for our new service Level haha. They get what they deserve.
Who is “Radar Scope Ltd.”? Can’t seem to find out anything about it. Is this a European company doing business in the U.S.? Is this yet another way — the other is having stock in streaming services — and thus making it easier to own the stats that inflate quarterly financial numbers?