Artcore is a new online platform that provides independent artists with an outlet for their material, and aims to provide buyers with a more user-friendly way to discover and access new music, whilst allowing artists to retain a higher percentage of revenue than alternative platforms and streaming services.
The site was founded by Tom Burnell, a software developer with 25 years of experience who also produces and DJs under the alias of Cyclonik. The first iteration of Artcore was a music upload website contructed in 1999, but in 2022, Tom decided to revisit the project after recognising the low returns many artists were facing when distributing their music thorough online streaming platforms.
Artists & Labels
The platform allows artist and independent labels to upload their music directly, and takes a standard commission of 20% on sales, which can be reduced via promotions and referring the service to other users. The referral scheme offers a reduction of 0.25% for invited sellers who go on to make a sale, meaning that artists are able to retain between 70 and 93% of their sales after Artcore’s commission and any PayPal fees. Artists are free to set their own prices — and can create discount codes for fans, if they wish — with payment made directly to them upon a sale being made. There are also options for labels to allocate royalty splits if required.
Although primarily designed with DJs and electronic music artists in mind, the platform is open to all and welcomes bands and singer-songwriters, with its built-in tools providing customisation and personalisation options that make it possible for users to only see the types or genres of music they are looking for.
DJs & Fans
With the focus being on electronic music, the platform incorporates some useful tools that help DJs to discover new music. A Selected For You feature offers a list of tracks that match user-specified genre filters, suggesting music that has not yet been listen to, whilst a filter system allows users to carry out precise searches. 320kbps MP3 and WAV file types are supported, and multiple files can be downloaded in a ZIP file for faster download speeds. Purchased content can also be streamed at a rate of 190kbps.
As well as the music itself, Artcore is also capable of hosting metadata such as BPM and musical key information, and boasts a feature-packed track preview system equipped with pitch-bend and multiple track queueing facilities.
An example of a record label page on the Artcore website.
"We're thrilled to unveil Artcore to the world. Our mission is to empower underground music producers and labels, fostering direct connections with their fanbase and the DJ community. We're confident that Artcore will help reshape the way the industry interacts and thrives” - Tom Burnell, Artcore Founder
More information about Artcore can be found on the company’s website, and those who are interested in selling their music through the platform can sign up here. Until the end of January 2024, Artcore are offering a reduced commision of 7% (usually 20%) those who sign up and publish a release.
