What happens to TuneCore royalties when someone dies
TuneCore publishes no process specific to a deceased person's account; a written request goes in through TuneCore's support ticket system.
TuneCore's terms allow TuneCore royalties to transfer to the estate after the account holder dies.
TuneCore publishes no process specific to a deceased person's account; a written request goes in through TuneCore's support ticket system. The request takes one document.
How to request a transfer
- •The death certificate
- •Letters testamentary or letters of administration
- •The artist names, release names, and any UPCs or ISRCs for the catalogue
- •Do not cancel an Unlimited Plan to stop the charges; cancelling removes the music from stores the day the plan expires.
- •Distribution credits cannot pay renewals.
- •An Unlimited Plan falls back to the TuneCore balance if the saved payment method fails.
Required Documents
- Artist names, release names, and any UPCs or ISRCs identifying the catalogue
What TuneCore, Inc.'s terms say at death
- Section 27 (Miscellaneous), Assignment
“These Terms, and any rights and licenses granted hereunder, may not be transferred or assigned by you.”1
What TuneCore, Inc. says happens9
- Support response times
Artist Support answers seven days a week and replies in one to three business days depending on the account's Unlimited Plan: one on Professional, two on Breakout Artist and three on Rising Artist.2
- Transfer at death
TuneCore's whole-account handover is something the account owner does, and TuneCore states that it cannot move releases from one TuneCore account to another.3
- Verifying the requester
TuneCore asks that contact come from the email address associated with the account, and may send a one-time code to the phone number or email registered to the account to authenticate.2
- Subscriptions and billing
On a pay-per-release plan TuneCore emails a renewal reminder 28 days before the fee is due, then every seven days for 35 days after the renewal date; after 42 days the grace period ends and the release is taken down.4
Distribution credits cannot be used to pay renewals.4
Once a release is removed from the stores, TuneCore considers it final and it cannot be reversed: the release has to be redistributed from scratch, and its UPC cannot be reused.5
After the same 42 days an Unlimited Plan account is downgraded and its releases taken down; cancelling the plan renewal means no grace period, and the music is removed from stores the day the plan expires.6
An Unlimited Plan renews against the saved payment method, or the TuneCore balance if that method fails. After a takedown for a renewal paid late, TuneCore asks the account to contact it, with the UPCs, about making the releases live again.6
- Closing the account
TuneCore does not close an account that has had transactions: it keeps the account open so future funds posted to it can be reached and historical sales information stays viewable.7
Section 21 of the Terms lets TuneCore terminate an account at any time, for any reason or no reason, in its sole discretion and without prior notice.1
- Balances, payouts and refunds
Distribution earnings reach the account balance after a two-month accounting delay, longer at some stores, and some stores account quarterly.7
The balance is withdrawn on request through a Payoneer account, to PayPal, a bank account or a prepaid Mastercard, and TuneCore reviews every withdrawal request manually, which may take up to two to three business days.8
Publishing Administration royalties are paid 45 days after the end of each calendar quarter, and a first publishing payment typically takes 9 to 12 months, or 12 to 18 months from foreign societies.9
- Fees
Payoneer sets a minimum withdrawal of $1 for PayPal and $2 for a prepaid Mastercard, with bank transfer minimums varying by country.8
Withdrawal fees are $0.25 per transaction (US only) and 2% up to $20 for PayPal, $1, $3 or $5 by country for bank transfer or ACH, and $1 per transaction for a prepaid Mastercard.8
- Tax forms the provider issues
TuneCore issues a 1099-MISC to anyone paid at least $5 in royalties in the tax year, by January 31 through Track1099 and by mail, with separate forms for distribution and for Publishing Administration; S-Corps receive none.10
Copies of previously issued 1099s are requested from the email address associated with the account, and TuneCore says a copy request takes about three weeks.10
- Disclosure of account content
Section 12 of the Terms lets TuneCore access, preserve and disclose account information and User Content if required by law, or in a good faith belief that it is reasonably necessary to comply with legal process or to respond when someone contacts TuneCore.1
Not in TuneCore's published guidance6
- A process for a deceased account holder
- A mailing address for a written request
- A phone number for this
- A complete list of the documents to send
- A dedicated estate email address
- Whether a certified death certificate is required
Sources10
- 1.Terms and Conditions, last revised and effective as of July 31, 2026
- 2.Contact Us
- 3.Can I move a release from one TuneCore account to another?
- 4.Release Renewals
- 5.Why has my music been removed from stores?
- 6.Renewing Your TuneCore Unlimited Plan
- 7.How do I close my account?
- 8.How do I withdraw my money?
- 9.When do I get paid? (Publishing Administration)
- 10.1099-MISC Tax Forms
A written request to TuneCore can ask it to preserve the account while the estate is opened, provide purchase and transaction records for the estate inventory, refund an unspent balance and transfer the registration to a new registrant.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter for TuneCore drafts that request from the estate's details.
Sources
Data sourced from TuneCore, Inc. primary sources (10 pages reviewed). How we research.
TuneCore estate claims
TuneCore Artist Support
Website
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