Is ORB Entertainment better than TuneCore for African artists?

For African artists, yes. ORB pays you in your local currency (Naira, Cedis, Rand, Shillings, CFA, etc.) directly to your local bank or mobile money. TuneCore pays in USD, which costs you 5–10% in conversion fees every payout. ORB also includes smart release links, promotional assets, and Spotify for Artists verification on the Artist plan — features TuneCore charges extra for.

How do I transfer my catalog from TuneCore to ORB?

Sign up at ORB, open Catalog Transfer in your dashboard, and submit your TuneCore release list. ORB's team handles the migration with no downtime. Streams, stats, and playlist placements stay intact. Transfer is free on every ORB plan.

Does TuneCore still take a percentage of royalties?

On current plans (Free, Rising Artist, Breakout Artist, Professional), TuneCore lets you keep 100% of streaming royalties. ORB also takes 0% — you keep 100%. The difference isn't the cut, it's that you receive your payout in your local currency at no FX loss.

Which is cheaper, ORB or TuneCore?

TuneCore's Rising Artist ($14.99/year) is the cheapest unlimited tier. ORB's Artist plan is ~$3/month (~$36/year). On the sticker price, TuneCore is cheaper. Once you factor in FX losses on payouts plus add-ons (pre-save links, advanced analytics), ORB is usually cheaper in real terms for African artists, and you get more included features.

Does TuneCore distribute to Boomplay and Audiomack?

Yes. The difference is how each platform treats those services. ORB optimizes scheduling, metadata, and analytics for Boomplay and Audiomack because they're the platforms African listeners actually use. TuneCore treats them as just two of 150 destinations.

ORB Entertainment vs TuneCore

TuneCore has been around since 2005 and is one of the most recognized music distributors in the world. But for African artists, ORB offers better pricing, local payouts, and features that don't cost extra.

ORB Starter — Free: 1 release, distribution to 150+ platforms, 100% royalties

ORB Artist — ₦5,000/month (~$3): Unlimited releases, 100% royalties, smart links, analytics, promo assets, YouTube monetization, Spotify for Artists verification

ORB Label & Team — ₦8,000/month (~$5): Everything in Artist + unlimited roster artists, royalty splits, team collaboration

TuneCore Free — $0: 1 release only, basic distribution

TuneCore Rising Artist — $14.99/year: Unlimited releases for 1 artist

TuneCore Breakout Artist — $34.99/year: Unlimited releases + extra tools for 1 artist

TuneCore Professional — $84.99/year: Up to 5 artists + advanced features

Starting price: ORB — Free → ~$3/month unlimited; TuneCore — Free (1 release) → $14.99/yr unlimited

Royalty cut: ORB — 0% — keep 100%; TuneCore — 0% — keep 100% on current plans

Pay in local currency: ORB — ✓ 30+ African currencies; TuneCore — ✗ USD only

Get paid in local currency: ORB — ✓ Local bank / mobile money; TuneCore — ✗ USD via PayPal / Payoneer

Free plan release limit: ORB — 1 release, all platforms, all features available; TuneCore — 1 release, very limited

Boomplay & Audiomack: ORB — ✓ First-class delivery + analytics; TuneCore — ✓ Delivered

Pre-save & smart links: ORB — ✓ Included on Artist plan; TuneCore — Limited / add-on

Spotify for Artists verification: ORB — ✓ Submitted on your behalf; TuneCore — ✓ Self-serve

Royalty splits: ORB — ✓ Included on Label & Team plan; TuneCore — ✓ Included

Free catalog transfer in: ORB — ✓ Done for you; TuneCore — ✗ Self-serve

Never blocked from releasing: ORB — ✓ Submit on credit; TuneCore — ✗ Plan must be active

Africa-based support: ORB — ✓ Yes; TuneCore — ✗ US-based

Get paid in your local currency: ORB pays royalties directly in Naira, Cedis, Rand, Shillings, CFA Francs and 30+ African currencies — no USD conversion fees, no waiting on PayPal exchange rates. Withdraw to your local bank or mobile money the same day.

Pay in your local currency: Subscribe in your own currency through Paystack or Flutterwave. No need for an international card, no failed transactions because of FX limits.

Built for African artists: Boomplay and Audiomack are first-class platforms. Afrobeats, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Mbalax, Coupé-Décalé, Highlife, Kwaito — ORB understands the genres, the markets, and the artists.

Never blocked from releasing: If you run out of track credits on a paid plan, you can keep submitting. The cost is added to your next bill. Your creative flow never stops because of billing — something no other distributor offers.

TuneCore's new tiered pricing is genuinely competitive globally. For African artists though, the FX losses on payouts plus paid add-ons for features ORB includes mean ORB ends up cheaper and easier to use end-to-end. If you're already on TuneCore, the free catalog transfer makes switching essentially risk-free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ORB Entertainment better than TuneCore for African artists?: For African artists, yes. ORB pays you in your local currency (Naira, Cedis, Rand, Shillings, CFA, etc.) directly to your local bank or mobile money. TuneCore pays in USD, which costs you 5–10% in conversion fees every payout. ORB also includes smart release links, promotional assets, and Spotify for Artists verification on the Artist plan — features TuneCore charges extra for.
How do I transfer my catalog from TuneCore to ORB?: Sign up at ORB, open Catalog Transfer in your dashboard, and submit your TuneCore release list. ORB's team handles the migration with no downtime. Streams, stats, and playlist placements stay intact. Transfer is free on every ORB plan.
Does TuneCore still take a percentage of royalties?: On current plans (Free, Rising Artist, Breakout Artist, Professional), TuneCore lets you keep 100% of streaming royalties. ORB also takes 0% — you keep 100%. The difference isn't the cut, it's that you receive your payout in your local currency at no FX loss.
Which is cheaper, ORB or TuneCore?: TuneCore's Rising Artist ($14.99/year) is the cheapest unlimited tier. ORB's Artist plan is ~$3/month (~$36/year). On the sticker price, TuneCore is cheaper. Once you factor in FX losses on payouts plus add-ons (pre-save links, advanced analytics), ORB is usually cheaper in real terms for African artists, and you get more included features.
Does TuneCore distribute to Boomplay and Audiomack?: Yes. The difference is how each platform treats those services. ORB optimizes scheduling, metadata, and analytics for Boomplay and Audiomack because they're the platforms African listeners actually use. TuneCore treats them as just two of 150 destinations.