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Music · head to head

Studio One vs TuneCore

Studio One logo

Studio One

Music

Single-window workstation with album mastering built into the same project, now owned by Fender

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TuneCore logo

TuneCore

Music

Music distribution owned by Believe, offering both a 0%-royalty annual subscription and an older pay-per-release model side by side

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Studio One the bundled Melodyne is the Essential tier, which corrects monophonic pitch only; polyphonic editing and the tools most people actually want are a paid upgrade from Celemony on top of the workstation licence.; TuneCore tuneCore runs two different pricing structures side by side, and it is easy for a buyer to be quoted or compare against the wrong one for their release frequency.
  • They diverge on capability: Studio One covers Project page, TuneCore covers Unlimited uploads on subscription plans.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Studio One and TuneCore actually diverge.

Attributes where Studio One and TuneCore differ
AttributeStudio OneTuneCore
Pricing modelquotePer year, subscription or pay-per-release
PlatformsWindows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Music).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Studio One

  • Project page
  • Single window drag and drop
  • ARA2 with Melodyne
  • Scratch Pad
  • Chord Track
  • Show page
  • Impact XT and Sample One
  • Faderport integration

Only in TuneCore

  • Unlimited uploads on subscription plans
  • Pay-per-release legacy option
  • 0% royalty commission on streaming stores
  • Publishing administration
  • Sync licensing marketplace
  • Multiple artist profile support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Studio One

  • Delivering an album or EP where mastering must stay linked to the mixes, so a late vocal fix does not mean rebuilding the masternot TuneCore
  • Project studios already on PreSonus interfaces and Faderport surfaces, where the control mapping is done for younot TuneCore
  • Songwriters who want pitch editing in the timeline without buying Melodyne separatelynot TuneCore
  • Running the same session live from the Show page rather than rebuilding the set in a separate performance toolnot TuneCore

TuneCore

  • A prolific artist releasing many singles a year who benefits from an unlimited-upload subscription over per-release feesnot Studio One
  • An infrequent releaser who prefers paying only for the specific single or album they put out rather than an annual platform feenot Studio One
  • An artist wanting publishing administration and sync licensing submission alongside distribution, from one vendornot Studio One
  • A songwriter managing multiple artist identities who is willing to pay the per-name annual fee for each additional profilenot Studio One

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Studio One

  • The bundled Melodyne is the Essential tier, which corrects monophonic pitch only; polyphonic editing and the tools most people actually want are a paid upgrade from Celemony on top of the workstation licence.
  • PreSonus now sells a subscription alongside the perpetual licence and the two are easy to confuse at checkout; the subscription stops working when payment stops, which is a very different asset for a studio planning in decades.
  • Fender acquired PreSonus in 2022, so the roadmap sits inside a guitar hardware company, and long-term investment in the workstation is now a bet on that parent rather than on the original software team.
  • There is no Linux build, and the MIDI editing tool set is shallower than Cubase, so composers doing rule based MIDI transformation or serious notation work will hit limits quickly.
  • The plugin scanner has a long history of struggling with large third-party plugin collections, producing slow startup and occasional missing plugins when sessions move between machines.

TuneCore

  • TuneCore runs two different pricing structures side by side, and it is easy for a buyer to be quoted or compare against the wrong one for their release frequency.
  • The pay-per-release album price rises significantly on renewal, from $44.99 in year one to $56.49 in subsequent years, which is not obvious from the headline price.
  • As with DistroKid, the 0%-royalty claim covers streaming stores only; social monetisation and publishing administration both carry a 20% commission.
  • Ownership by Believe means TuneCore’s roadmap and priorities sit within a larger corporate group whose other artist-services brands can create channel conflicts or bundling pressure.
  • Additional artist profiles carry a recurring annual fee, so an artist running several projects under different names pays materially more than the headline single-artist price suggests.

Pricing, plan by plan

Studio One

On request
  • Studio One Pro (perpetual licence)$undefined/one-time
    • Bought outright and keeps working indefinitely
    • Next major version is a separate paid upgrade
    • Melodyne Essential included
  • Studio One Pro+ (subscription)$undefined/month
    • Workstation plus sound content and cloud storage
    • Stops working when the subscription lapses
    • Billed monthly or annually

TuneCore

On request
  • Rising Artist (subscription)$24.99/year
    • Unlimited uploads, 0% royalty commission on streaming
  • Breakout Artist (subscription)$44.99/year
    • Unlimited uploads, additional distribution features
  • Professional (subscription)$54.99/year
    • Unlimited uploads, full feature set
  • Pay-per-release: Single$24.99/year
    • One track, renews annually to keep it live

Which should you pick?

Choose Studio One if

  • You need project page.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want single window drag and drop.
Studio One review

Choose TuneCore if

  • You need unlimited uploads on subscription plans.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want pay-per-release legacy option.
TuneCore review

Questions people ask

Is Studio One or TuneCore better?
Neither clearly leads. Studio One starts at On request and TuneCore at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Studio One or TuneCore?
Studio One starts at On request and TuneCore at On request.
Does Studio One or TuneCore run on more platforms?
Studio One runs on Windows, macOS. TuneCore runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Studio One best used for?
Studio One is most often used for delivering an album or ep where mastering must stay linked to the mixes, so a late vocal fix does not mean rebuilding the master, project studios already on presonus interfaces and faderport surfaces, where the control mapping is done for you, songwriters who want pitch editing in the timeline without buying melodyne separately, running the same session live from the show page rather than rebuilding the set in a separate performance tool. Of those, delivering an album or ep where mastering must stay linked to the mixes, so a late vocal fix does not mean rebuilding the master and project studios already on presonus interfaces and faderport surfaces, where the control mapping is done for you are not what TuneCore is typically brought in for.
What can Studio One do that TuneCore cannot?
Studio One covers Project page, Single window drag and drop, ARA2 with Melodyne, Scratch Pad. TuneCore covers Unlimited uploads on subscription plans, Pay-per-release legacy option, 0% royalty commission on streaming stores, Publishing administration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Studio One: Who owns PreSonus?

Fender acquired PreSonus in 2022. Development continues, but the roadmap now sits inside a guitar hardware company rather than an independent software vendor.

TuneCore: Which pricing model should I use, subscription or pay-per-release?

If you release more than one or two records a year, the unlimited subscription is usually cheaper; infrequent releasers may prefer paying per release.

Studio One: Is Studio One a subscription?

Both are sold. Studio One Pro is a perpetual licence you keep; Studio One Pro+ is a subscription bundling sound content and cloud storage that stops working when you stop paying.

TuneCore: Who owns TuneCore?

Believe, a French independent music company, has owned TuneCore since 2015.

Studio One: Why is no price listed here?

PreSonus publishes current pricing, but the tier structure has been restructured across recent versions, so this entry points at the vendor page rather than quoting a figure that may already be wrong.

TuneCore: Does TuneCore take a cut of streaming royalties?

No, on both the subscription and pay-per-release models you keep 100% of streaming store royalties; social platforms and publishing administration are commissioned separately.

Studio One: What does the Project page actually do?

It sequences and masters a whole album inside the same file as the songs and stays linked to them, so changing a mix updates the master without a manual export and reimport.

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