Startup Rips Labels Out of iTunes

Ziggy Marley, Ricky Skaggs among those using it to sell direct

By Jim O'Neill, Newser User

Posted Oct 17, 2007 6:39 PM CDT

(Newser) – Your band doesn't need a record label to find fame on iTunes, says the founder of the new digital music company TuneCore. All you need are your songs, and its helping hand to get a 10-track album into Apple's online store for the price of a "six-pack and a pizza." TuneCore lets individual artists market themselves, then pocket all the sales after Apple takes its cut.

There's no guarantee anyone but your mom will download your tunes, but clients like Public Enemy and Marley have been attracted to TuneCore's flat fee approach, which lets them avoid lengthy label contracts, reports Fortune. Founder Jeff Price thinks unknown bands can benefit the most: "I care about Chuck D. But this business model is about creating a marketplace that didn't exist before."

[Images (3)]

[Videos (1)]

(FILES) Apple's iTunes website is reflected in an iPod in London... (Getty Images)

Apple(R) today launched iTunes(R) Plus, DRM-free music tracks from EMI featuring high quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio quality virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings for $1.29... (Associated Press)

(FILES) A man holds an iPod as he sits in front of an Apple Powerbook... (Getty Images)

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Startup Rips Labels Out of iTunes