There’s no such thing as an all-in-one solution for independent artists, is there?

You need a website. You need social media accounts. You need MailChimp (or some other email marketing software). You need to distribute your music everywhere using a service like CD Baby or Ditto Music.

If that wasn’t enough, you need to promote everything you put out. Your singles, EPs and albums. Your videos. Your shows and tours.

Getting dizzy yet?

Well, that’s where Tunetrax comes in. From creating a press kit and promoting your shows to managing your social media channels and connecting with fans, it gives you the opportunity to do just about everything you need to do online as an artist, in just one place.

Cool, right?

Well, here’s Rémi Jourdan to tell us more about it.

1. Tell us about who you are and what you do.

I am passionate about music and helping musicians in managing their careers. I created a digital music platform called Tunetrax. I spent many years running concert venues and producing music festivals and have booked thousands of performers in my career. I started Tunetrax because I saw the struggles independent and under-represented artists faced in growing their careers and managing their digital media assets and thought I could help to streamline and make some of those processes easier and more fun for artists to do.

2. What is Tunetrax? How does it benefit musicians?

Tunetrax is a music discovery site where musicians build successful careers. Tunetrax is an all-in-one platform that helps artists to self-publish, distribute, book and promote their music. Artists can upload and share their songs, videos, photos, blogs, newsletters and upcoming shows, all shareable instantly onto all major social networks and many others– and connect and interact with fans, booking agents and venues. Artists keep 100% of their music sales, control of their copyrights and how their music is getting published and distributed.

Musicians are benefiting from Tunetrax because:

• Artists can sell direct to fan: Artists keep 100% from selling albums and downloads.
• Artists can maintain control of their rights: Artists stay 100% in control of copyrights and how their music gets published and distributed.
• Artists can promote their upcoming shows and tours: Artists can automatically import and upload their scheduled Bandsintown events to their Tunetrax profile, track the real time location of their fans, and fans can follow them. This gives another great way for artists to connect with their fans, increase their fan base, promote tour dates, and expand their social fan engagement.
• Artists can reach and engage with more fans: Artists can share unlimited songs, videos, blogs, photos, and newsletters instantly onto all major social media platforms and connect with fans on a whole new level.
• Artists can connect with music professionals and increase their booking activity: Artists can create a complete Digital Press Kit to connect with talent buyers, venues, and promoters to increase their booking and show activities. Artists can manage their booking activities and requests all in one place.

3. How can artists stay in control of their copyrighted materials?

From what I have witnessed working with many artists, the biggest challenge for artists is to keep up with the fast-paced and ever-changing world of digital music platforms and staying in control of their content.

As far as artists staying in control of their copyrighted material with Tunetrax, for a new song or other work, copyright begins when the music and lyrics have been set down on paper, recorded, or stored on a computer. Copyright protects the musician even if the song is never registered with the Copyright Office. There is little or no value in registering a composition with the Copyright Office until it has been published. This typically means selling or distributing copies of the song to the public.

Posting a new recording to Tunetrax will constitute publication of the artists’ new materials. On Tunetrax, when artists upload and publish their materials, they stay in full control of how they get published and distributed. At any time and if needed, artists can add, modify or remove any of their materials from the Tunetrax platform.

4. What does it mean to centralize networking and how does this lead to better professional outcomes?

Centralized Networking means that all information and data pertaining to an artist is centralized onto one location, one platform and one place, then shared to the rest of the world through social media from that same location. Centralized networking leads to better professional outcomes in the following ways:

• Booking: Artists have the ability to share their stage plot, input list and any of their material within their artist profile, which makes it easier for promoters and venues to book them. Talent buyers can get a quick snapshot of a specific artist’s bio, audio and video content, and book them, without leaving the artist’s page.
• Media outreach: Effectively reach out to media outlets. When artists release a new album, they usually make the point of reaching out to radio stations, music bloggers and regional print media outlets. With centralized data, artists gain a lot more exposure and coverage from media outlets. When we ask what made the media click on Tunetrax’s artist EPK links provided to them, they are telling us that it is super helpful to them to get a complete snapshot of artists all in one spot. Bloggers and the media in general do not like to receive emails with multiple links they have to click on.
• Keeping content up to date: It is much easier and faster for artists to keep their content up to date with the most recent content, when their content is located all in one place instead of on multiple platforms and sites.
• More fan engagement: Fans have easy access to artists’ music audios, videos and upcoming shows, which results in increased fan engagement and new followers.

Bloggers and the media in general do not like to receive emails with multiple links they have to click on. Click To Tweet

5. How can underrepresented artists better handle their own booking and make a living from their art?

One of Tunetrax features includes the ability for artists to receive and manage their booking requests, messages and activities all in one place, which makes it a lot easier and faster for artists not having to check multiple platforms and email accounts to handle their bookings.

Music promoters and talent buyers can directly contact artists and access their stage plots and promotional materials, which makes it more efficient and less time-consuming for them to book artists. As a result, artists are able to book more gigs and get better paid ones using Tunetrax.

6. Is there anything else I should have asked?

How do I see the future of fan engagement for independent artists?

First, I think fan engagement happens not only on social platforms, but of course at shows as well. What independent artists need to remember is the music industry has and always will be about one thing: the relationship with your fans.

What independent artists need to remember is the music industry has and always will be about one thing: the relationship with your fans. Click To Tweet

I think applications such as the one provided by Bandsintown and now integrated with Tunetrax, which allows independent artists to track the real time location of their fans, will continue to be key for fan engagement and development of an artist and their fan base.

An artist may know how many people showed up to their gig last night, but it is becoming extremely critical more than ever for artists to know who their fans are to encourage valuable engagement and interactions with them.

In the future, I am anticipating more solutions and platforms such as Tunetrax will exist to assist independent artists by providing more effective tools to increase and manage their fan engagement activities.

Final Thoughts

Well, I’m sold. I’m definitely interested in checking out Tunetrax.

If you have any other thoughts or questions, please leave them in the comments section below.