eTunes: Taking Home-grown Artists to the International Stage

eTunes, Sri Lanka’s latest record label and music distribution aggregator, empowers and cultivates the next generation of local artists with the right tools and opportunities needed to go global.

By partnering with global music streaming platform like Spotify, iTunes, YouTube and Instagram, eTunes can help independent artists and bands go viral.

Local artists can retain 100% of their copyrights and royalties from streaming platforms, while only being charged through revenue sharing.

“eTunes is a place where the artist can protect the rights of their creations and bring their creations to an international level,” says Mr. Lakmal Deshapriya, Senior Manager – Digital Media at Derana Macroentertainment & Head of eTunes.

“If we get these services through a DSP (Digital Service Provider) in another country, you will have to pay them in dollars, but here we do not charge any money for providing these services,” he said.

eTunes also handles artist management and artist catalogue management, helping artists get the best quality marketing services.

State-of-the-art analytics services at eTunes allows artists to identify countries their music is popular in, using UPC and ISRC codes, which eTunes provides completely free of charge.

eTunes also provide free music distribution, to global music streaming platforms along with free ITunes pre-orders, pre-saves and release day smart URLs for superfans, making eTunes the ideal a aggregator for all experienced and upcoming Lankan artists, taking the Sri Lankan flare for music, global.

Taking Sri Lanka’s Music to the International Arena 

Music is to Sri Lankans as singing is to dancing, but if the talent and passion for music exist, then how come the Sri Lankan flair for music isn’t popular globally? 

While other Asian musicians are able to expand their audience to make their mark in the global music industry, Sri Lankans are still struggling. The astonishing rise of Korean music and the success of their artists in the international stage are shining examples of this. 

One reason for this is high consultancy chargers from international music record labels, which require dollar payments. With the current dollar shortage in the country, consulting these international agencies becomes nothing but a far-fetched dream. Another reason for this could be the lack of guidance from local labels about having music available on online music streaming platforms. 

Whatever the reason maybe for this backlog, eTunes just might be the solution! eTunes is Sri Lanka’s newest record label and music distribution service, made by Sri Lankans, for Sri Lankans. What sets it apart from all other agencies is their expertise in managing and promoting Lankan artists. They also possess extensive knowledge about the international music industry. It’s catered towards bridging the gap between local artists and the international music industry. I mean, who doesn’t want access to their music streamlined, right? 

One of the biggest ways eTunes does this is by prioritising the online streaming of music. With changing trends in how people consume music, fewer people are purchasing physical albums and opting for online listening instead. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, more people have also grown accustomed to online streaming rather than physically going somewhere to listen to music. 

This is where eTunes comes into the picture to help both experienced and upcoming artists stream their music. By partnering with 100+ digital streaming platforms like Spotify, iTunes, YouTube and Instagram, they can find better ways to distribute music to people around the world. The merits of music streaming platforms are myriad, but at their root, these platforms ensure that people are able to listen to music whenever and wherever. These platforms also have the unique ability to feature Lankan music in curated playlists as well as their advertising campaigns. 

An issue most upcoming artists are weary of are the stringent contracts record labels enforce on them. It’s not uncommon for big time labels to exploit upcoming artists. This is mostly done by requesting portions of the artist’s copyrights and royalties. Contracts such as these are not only less lucrative for the artists, but they also make it harder for artists to separate themselves from the label. At eTunes, this isn’t something artists have to pay heed to, because eTunes only charges based on a revenue sharing model. eTunes gives artists 100% of their copyrights and royalties, which means eTunes does all the heavy lifting while the artists don’t have to worry about being scammed.

Not only that, with eTunes, Lankan artists have free access to web analytics to track their music. With this feature, all eTunes artists have insight into the exact demographics and countries their music is listened to the most, making marketing strategies and concert tours easier to plan. Similarly, if an artist wishes to target a particular audience, these analytics would be quite useful.

eTunes also provides free UPC (Universal Product Code) and ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) codes for artists. These are useful tools that allow artists to keep track of their music. Additionally, eTunes offers artists free iTunes pre-orders, pre-saves, and release-day smart URLS, for superfans to enjoy. These enticing features are exactly what attract fans and keep them wanting more. 

Smart marketing and excellent knowledge on how to manage artists are precisely what Sri Lankan artists need to gain recognition for their music internationally. So if you or anyone you know is struggling to make their music global, contact eTunes today!