Zedge Launches Tapedeck: A Bold New Platform Putting the Power - and the Payout - Back in Artists' Hands
Zedge (NYSE AMERICAN:ZDGE) announced Tapedeck on October 6, 2025 — a new music app and service designed to give artists pricing control and larger payouts. According to the PR, Tapedeck lets licensors set streaming and download prices (a penny per play minimum), pays licensors 80% of revenue for each download and stream, and offers optional fan contributions with no subscription fees for artists. The company says Tapedeck will begin a three‑month pilot in the United States with distribution partner Symphonic on iOS, with Android, web, and international expansion expected in 2026.
Zedge (NYSE AMERICAN:ZDGE) ha annunciato Tapedeck il 6 ottobre 2025 — una nuova app musicale e servizio pensata per dare agli artisti controllo sui prezzi e pagamenti più elevati. Secondo il comunicato, Tapedeck permette ai licenziatori di impostare prezzi di streaming e download (un centesimo minimo per ascolto), paga ai licenziatori l'80% dei ricavi per ogni download e streaming, e offre contributi facoltativi dai fan senza spese di abbonamento per gli artisti. L'azienda dice che Tapedeck inizierà un pilota di tre mesi negli Stati Uniti con il partner di distribuzione Symphonic su iOS, con espansione su Android, web e internazionale prevista per il 2026.
Zedge (NYSE AMERICAN:ZDGE) anunció Tapedeck el 6 de octubre de 2025 — una nueva app de música y servicio diseñado para dar a los artistas control de precios y pagos mayores. Según el comunicado, Tapedeck permite a los licenciatarios fijar precios de streaming y descarga (un céntimo por reproducción como mínimo), paga a los licenciatarios el 80% de los ingresos por cada descarga y reproducción, y ofrece contribuciones opcionales de fans sin tarifas de suscripción para los artistas. La compañía dice que Tapedeck iniciará un piloto de tres meses en Estados Unidos con el socio de distribución Symphonic en iOS, con expansión a Android, web e internacional prevista para 2026.
Zedge (NYSE AMERICAN:ZDGE)는 2025년 10월 6일 Tapedeck을 발표했습니다 — 아티스트에 가격 통제권과 더 큰 정산금을 제공하기 위해 설계된 새로운 음악 앱과 서비스입니다. 보도자료에 따르면 Tapedeck은 라이선스 공급자들이 스트리밍 및 다운로드 가격을 설정할 수 있게 하며(재생당 최소 1센트), 다운로드 및 스트리밍당 라이선스 공급자에게 매출의 80%를 지불하고, 아티스트를 위한 구독료 없는 팬 기부를 선택적으로 제공한다고 합니다. 회사는 Tapedeck이 iOS에서 배포 파트너 Symphonic과 함께 미국에서 3개월 파일럿을 시작할 것이며, 2026년에는 Android, 웹, 국제 확장이 예상된다고 말합니다.
Zedge (NYSE AMERICAN:ZDGE) a annoncé Tapedeck le 6 octobre 2025 — une nouvelle application et service musical conçu pour donner aux artistes le contrôle des prix et des paiements plus importants. Selon le communiqué, Tapedeck permet aux licenciants de fixer les prix de streaming et de téléchargement (un centime minimum par écoute), paie aux licenciants 80% des revenus pour chaque téléchargement et écoute, et propose des contributions des fans en option avec aucuns frais d'abonnement pour les artistes. L'entreprise affirme que Tapedeck commencera un pilote de trois mois aux États-Unis avec le partenaire de distribution Symphonic sur iOS, avec une expansion sur Android, le web et à l'international prévue pour 2026.
Zedge (NYSE AMERICAN:ZDGE) kündigte Tapedeck am 6. Oktober 2025 an — eine neue Musik-App und Dienst, der Künstlern Preisgestaltungskontrolle und größere Ausschüttungen ermöglichen soll. Laut der Pressemitteilung ermöglicht Tapedeck Lizenzgebern, Streaming- und Download-Preise festzulegen (Mindestpreis von einem Cent pro Wiedergabe), zahlt Lizenzgebern 80% der Einnahmen für jeden Download und jede Wiedergabe und bietet optionale Fan-Beiträge mit keine Abonnementgebühren für Künstler. Das Unternehmen sagt, Tapedeck werde einen dreimonatigen Pilotversuch in den USA mit dem Vertriebspartner Symphonic auf iOS beginnen, mit Android-, Web- und internationaler Expansion für 2026 erwartet.
Zedge (NYSE AMERICAN:ZDGE) أعلنت Tapedeck في 6 أكتوبر 2025 — تطبيق موسيقى وخدمة جديدة مصممة لإعطاء الفنانين تحكماً في الأسعار ومخصصات أعلى. وفقاً للبيان الصحفي، يتيح Tapedeck للمرخّصين تحديد أسعار البث والتنزيل (حد أدنى بقرش واحد لكل تشغيل)، ويدفع للمرخّصين 80% من العائدات عن كل تنزيل وتشغيل، ويقدم مساهمات جماهيرية اختيارية بدون رسوم اشتراك للفنانين. وتقول الشركة إن Tapedeck ستبدأ تجربة Pilot لمدة ثلاثة أشهر في الولايات المتحدة مع شريك التوزيع Symphonic على iOS، مع توقع التوسع إلى Android والويب والدولية في 2026.
Zedge (NYSE AMERICAN:ZDGE) 于 2025 年 10 月 6 日宣布 Tapedeck — 一款新的音乐应用和服务，旨在为艺术家提供定价控制和更高的分成。根据新闻稿，Tapedeck 允许许可方设定流媒体与下载价格（每次播放最低一分钱），为每次下载和播放向许可方支付 80% 的收入，并提供可选的粉丝捐赠，艺术家无需 订阅费用。公司表示 Tapedeck 将在美国与分发伙伴 Symphonic 合作开展为期三个月的试点，初始在 iOS 上推出，预计 2026 年在 Android、网页和国际市场扩张。
- 80% revenue share to licensors on streams and downloads
- Artist-driven pricing with a $0.01 per play minimum
- No subscription fees for artists to participate
- Three-month U.S. pilot with Symphonic on iOS
- Initial availability limited to an iOS U.S. pilot
- Broader platform and international expansion delayed to 2026
Insights
Zedge launches Tapedeck, a music marketplace prioritizing artist pricing and payouts with an 80% revenue share and a minimum of a penny per play.
What it means: The article states Zedge is introducing Tapedeck to give licensors control over pricing for streams, downloads, and albums, with an explicit 80% revenue share and a stated minimum of a penny per play. The service starts as a US iOS three-month pilot with partner Symphonic and plans expansion to Android, web, and international markets in 2026.
Why it matters: These terms materially differ from typical mass-streaming splits disclosed in the release and could reshape how participating artists capture revenue; artist-set pricing plus optional fan contributions creates direct monetization levers that the article presents as the core value proposition. Operationally, the pilot and stated platform roadmap are the concrete milestones investors and stakeholders can monitor.
Monitor: Track the outcome and scale of the three-month pilot in the United States and timing for broader rollout in 2026.
NEW YORK, NY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 6, 2025 / Zedge, Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN:ZDGE), $ZDGE, a leader in digital marketplaces and interactive games that provide content, enable creativity, empower self-expression and facilitate community, announces the launch of Tapedeck, a groundbreaking new music app and service designed to give musicians more control and fairer compensation for their work.
Since 2017, Zedge has made it easier for creators across the globe to make a living making art through its thriving Zedge Premium marketplace, paying out millions of dollars each year. With Tapedeck, Zedge is bringing that same creator-first model to music.
The service is the brainchild of Zedge's SVP of Product and music industry veteran Tim Quirk, the lead singer of Too Much Joy and key figure in shaping the digital music landscape. Quirk was part of the team that launched Rhapsody in 2001, helped build Google Play in 2011, and later went on to found Freeform Development, a start-up Zedge acquired with the goal of enabling their global network of creators to better monetize their art.
Reflecting on the early days of streaming, Quirk emphasizes that fair artist compensation was once achievable:
"When Rhapsody launched it set the standard at a penny per play, while, at FreeForm we knew there had to be more and we proved that superfans showed they'll pay extra to support the artists they care about most. Zedge Premium furthered this by enabling a self-serve platform that put the artist in charge. TapeDeck's goal is to prioritize fan passion over mass numbers of casual users ensuring that control over destiny stays exactly where it belongs - with the artist," he says. Today, he remains acutely aware of the stark contrast, as modern royalty systems often leave artists earning mere fractions of a cent per stream from their labels."
How Tapedeck changes the game:
Artist-driven pricing: Licensors, whether individual artists, labels, or distributors, set their own prices for streaming, track downloads, and album purchases based on knowing their audience best. A penny per play is the minimum.
Revenue share: Tapedeck pays licensors
80% of revenue for each download and stream.Optional fan contributions: Fanscan also pay more than the listed price, creating an incremental revenue opportunity for the artists they love.
No subscription fees: Artists can participate without upfront costs, ensuring accessibility and scalability.
"We're not aiming to compete with Spotify on day one," Quirk adds. "We're here to prove eager fans can support the artists they love in ways that aren't available today."
Tapedeck has partnered with Symphonic to launch a three-month pilot program in the United States, initially available on iOS. More licensors will be added continuously, and expansion to Android, web, and international markets is expected in 2026.
With Tapedeck, every play and purchase gives more support to the artists who create the music you love.
FOLLOW ZEDGE:
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About Tapedeck
Tapedeck is a new digital music service from Zedge with a mission to make it easier for musicians to make a living making music. Its transparent, artist-first model allows licensors to set their own prices and ensures a penny-per-play minimum for streaming royalties, while giving fans the ability to directly support the artists they admire.
About Zedge
Zedge empowers tens of millions of consumers and creators each month with its suite of interconnected platforms that enable creativity, self-expression and e-commerce and foster community through fun competitions. Zedge's ecosystem of product offerings includes the Zedge Marketplace, a freemium marketplace offering mobile phone wallpapers, video wallpapers, ringtones, notification sounds, and pAInt, a generative AI image maker; GuruShots, "The World's Greatest Photography Game," a skill-based photo challenge game; and Emojipedia, the #1 trusted source for 'all things emoji.'
For more information, visit: investor.zedge.net
Contact:
Brian Siegel, IRC, MBA
Senior Managing Director
Hayden IR
(346) 396-8696
ir@zedge.net
SOURCE: Zedge, Inc.
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
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