Trapital Podcast Summary

Episode: Andreea Gleeson on TuneCore’s Next Chapter
Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Dan Runcie
Guests: Andreea Gleeson (CEO, TuneCore), Taylor Mims (Senior Editor, Billboard)

Overview: Main Theme and Purpose

This episode, recorded live at the Trapital Summit, centers on the evolution of music distribution and the independent artist sector, led by the remarkable growth and innovation at TuneCore. Host Dan Runcie, along with Billboard's Taylor Mims, interviews TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson to uncover how TuneCore’s recent milestones reflect and shape global music industry trends. Topics include international expansion, breaking artist barriers, the role of superfans vs. micro-tastes, leveraging technology and data, and the challenges and opportunities confronting independent artists in a fragmented, AI-influenced streaming landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. TuneCore's Global Expansion and Impact

• TuneCore's Role and Reach

  • TuneCore, as part of the Believe group, operates in 17 languages and markets, with 75% of new artists joining from outside the U.S. (03:04).
    • “Fastest growing markets are the ones we're all talking about. India, Latin America, Southeast Asia, but also France and Germany in Europe.” — Andreea Gleeson [03:20]
  • In many regions worldwide, TuneCore holds a top 3 market share for local repertoire, highlighting its global influence.

• Record-Breaking Payouts

  • TuneCore artists reached $4 billion in payouts in 2024, up from $3 billion the previous year, with more growth anticipated soon (04:02–04:23).

2. Innovating Past Barriers: From Access to Discovery

• The Original Barrier and Its Evolution

  • TuneCore began by removing the need for a record deal to reach platforms like iTunes.
  • Now, the main challenge is “cutting through the noise,” as over 100,000 tracks are uploaded daily but only 13% get more than 1,000 streams (04:54–06:00).
    • “The new barrier to entry is actually cutting through the noise.” — Andreea Gleeson [05:34]

• Data-Driven Artist Support

  • TuneCore leverages 20 years of data to identify rising artists and patterns of success, helping match artists to audiences through sophisticated marketing programs (06:00–08:30).
  • Notable Example:
    • “We have 450,000 artists that are opted in… generated 21 billion new streams, 2.5 billion artist discoveries, and 5.5 [billion] track discoveries.”* — Andreea Gleeson [08:00]

• TuneCore Accelerator

  • Launched after a 4-year beta, this program matches artists and tracks with marketing opportunities on DSPs, leading to tangible results:
    • 1 in 5 artists advanced into a higher streaming segment and median revenue increased 5x for those in marketing programs (08:00–08:45).

3. Superfans vs. Micro-Tastes: The Artist Growth Dilemma

• Superfan Monetization

  • While cultivating superfans is powerful (e.g., Russ’s “Wild” album, hand-signing thousands of physical copies), focusing only on them is limiting (09:30–11:30).
    • “I'm a marketer… you always think about marketing funnels. There's the top of the funnel and then there's like the bottom.” — Andreea Gleeson [10:35]

• The Importance of Discovery and Niche Audiences

  • Building deeper connections is crucial, but so is constantly inviting in new listeners and growing future superfans.
    • “Who's the superfans of tomorrow if you're not helping find them today?” — Andreea Gleeson [11:56]

4. Further Innovations and Artist Tools

• Upcoming Betas and Tools

  • TuneCore continues to innovate, including:
    • Real-time dashboard updates for artists about their tracks in marketing programs (12:16–13:22).
    • Empowering artists to capitalize on emergent traction on their social channels by showing performance insights early.

• 20 Years of Data as a Resource

  • Enables predictive analytics and tailored recommendations for artist development (13:22–13:29).
    • “Exactly.” — Andreea Gleeson, on how data guides artist success [13:29]

5. Artist-Inspired Innovation

• Product Features Sparked by Artist Behavior

  • “TuneCore Social” arose from seeing artists tease music on TikTok and Instagram.

  • The launch of unlimited release pricing stemmed from observing the benefits of frequent releasing (15:03–16:15).

    • “We actually completely changed the way we do our pricing and introduced unlimited plans… which encouraged artists to release more frequently.” — Andreea Gleeson [15:36]

  • Recognition that many artists struggle with marketing led to TuneCore’s growth-focused marketing programs.

6. Industry Challenges and Opportunities

• Fragmentation & Localization of Global Music

  • More local language and niche music is capturing market share around the world.
  • Artists must use technology to reach micro-communities, just as the digital shift transformed retail and fashion (17:19–19:43).
    • “Music discovery was related to what was playing on the radio… today you have streaming. You can discover [music] that cater[s] to your tastes.” — Andreea Gleeson [19:31]

• Independent Artist Sector Growth

  • Continues to grow each year; independent artists innovate freely outside the “box” of major labels (20:25–21:10).

7. Imminent Headwinds

• Fragmentation and Oversaturation
  • The abundance of music, fueled by AI, risks oversaturation and DSPs may eventually limit what is hosted.
  • The industry must confront who gets to decide which content remains available (21:16–22:38).
    • “We have the music saturation already. I think AI is making it even easier to make music… who decides what can be up there?” — Andreea Gleeson [21:27]
  • Efficiency will become a priority now that streaming growth is slowing.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Embracing Disruption:

  • “Necessity is the mother of invention. It really pushes you to new places and it's really a reminder that disruption shouldn't be feared, it should be embraced.” — Andreea Gleeson [02:20]

• On Superfans vs. Discovery:

  • “You can't just stick with just going to your super fans because who's the superfans of tomorrow if you're not helping find them today?” — Andreea Gleeson [11:56]

• On Independent Artists’ Future:

  • “Independent artists, they're the most innovative because they're unencumbered… it pushes the industry and people resonate with that.” — Andreea Gleeson [20:39]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro and Theme Setting – [00:00–02:13]
• Why TuneCore matters, global expansion – [03:04–04:02]
• Record-breaking $4B artist payouts – [04:02–04:23]
• Breaking barriers: From access to breaking through the noise – [04:54–09:08]
• Superfans vs. micro-tastes, Russ example – [09:08–12:05]
• TuneCore Accelerator and artist tools – [12:05–13:29]
• Artist-inspired innovation (TuneCore Social) – [15:03–17:00]
• Market fragmentation, local music growth, retail analogy – [17:19–20:19]
• Independent artists: growth and innovation – [20:25–21:10]
• Headwinds: oversaturation, AI, DSP challenges – [21:16–22:43]

Tone & Style

The conversation is candid, data-driven, and optimistic about the continuing innovation and democratization of the music industry. Gleeson’s tone is motivational and practical, offering tangible examples and forward-looking perspective, while Taylor Mims and Dan Runcie steer the dialogue toward actionable insights for artists and industry observers.

For listeners and non-listeners alike, the episode is a masterclass in how the independent music sector is evolving, why TuneCore is at the center of these changes, and what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for artists and platforms globally.