The following information is regarding TuneCore's Publishing Administration service
What is Identity Verification?
Identity Verification is the process of identifying and verifying a TuneCore client’s identity before allowing access to your account. We are ensuring your (and everyone else’s) security by asking you to submit proof of identity.
What is iDenfy?
iDenfy is the third-party system TuneCore is partnering with to perform ID verification. To learn more, check out their website here: https://www.idenfy.com/
Why do I need to verify my identity?
Verifying your identity helps us ensure that we can continue to maintain security for your account and any personal information you submit. It also allows us to play our part in preventing fraudulent registration of works for publishing administration, which can cause delays in royalty payments for accounts in otherwise good standing. Taking steps to verify ID shows rights organizations like ASCAP and BMI that they can trust the registration data we send them is coming from a validated source. This process helps ensure that we are collecting royalties accurately and paying the correct songwriters/rights holders.
Who needs to verify their identity? What if I am an artist manager/someone other than the songwriter?
Only the TuneCore account holder needs to verify their identity. If you have one (or more) songwriters or artists that you are managing, you do not need to verify their identities individually.
I have already had my TuneCore Publishing account for x amount of time - why do I need to do this now?
Technology evolves very quickly, and so must we, in order to keep you protected - even if you’ve been in the TuneCore fam since the beginning. In order to continue collecting publishing royalties on your behalf and paying you each quarter, we have to get ID verification. Without it, collection societies have the right to withhold royalties until they get confirmation that they’re paying the right songwriters and rights holders.
I have two accounts - once my ID is verified will it no longer work for my other account?
If you use the same ID, iDenfy may flag for further review if you have recently completed verification for a different account at TuneCore. iDenfy temporarily stores user data (up to 6 months) so your ID will be compared to the stored data for fraud detection purposes. If you fail verification due to this issue, please contact our Publishing Support team and make sure to have all your info ready for both accounts.
Verification Process
What happens during verification? What information will be needed from me?
- Before starting the verification process, make sure that you have a valid identification document that includes an image of your face. You will also need to grant access to your phone’s camera if you choose to complete verification with your mobile device.
- Once you leave our site to perform verification, you will be asked a couple of questions about your country and verification documents.
- A QR code will be available to complete verification on your phone, which is the preferred method of performing verification. You will be asked to upload an image of your document, and then to upload a selfie in real time.
- Once you perform both tasks, you should be redirected back to your TuneCore Publishing Administration dashboard.
What happens after I complete verification?
Once you are redirected back to your publishing dashboard, you will see a status bar displaying your current verification status. Your status will be ‘Pending’ until we get a final response from iDenfy. On average, the verification process will be complete within 3 minutes but may take up to 20 minutes. You may need to refresh the page to get your latest status update.
What does ‘Pending’ mean?
The ‘Pending’ status just means we haven’t received a final response from iDenfy on the outcome of their verification process. The normal response time is anywhere from 3 to 20 minutes (with 10 being the average). If you have not received a response after one hour - please contact our Publishing Support team.
What does ‘Failed’ mean?
The ‘Failed’ status means that iDenfy either found a false match, or they were unable to provide analysis due to issues with the document or selfie provided. Please see the ‘Failed Verifications’ section below for more information
Will I need to complete ID verification again in the future?
You should not need to verify your ID in the future if you have successfully completed the process. If we need you to re-verify your identity for any reason, we will contact you directly.
What if I change my name or address?
A change of name or address will not require you to verify your ID again, but please let our Publishing Support team know if the account has switched ownership to a completely new user.
Failed Verifications
Why did I fail verification?
There are many reasons someone can fail ID verification. A common example is if iDenfy is certain that your document does not match your submitted selfie and personal information. You may also fail verification if iDenfy cannot properly read the contents of your documents or detect your face in the selfie. If you see that you have ‘failed’ verification, you will need to reach out to our Publishing Support team to request a retry of verification.
What should I do if I fail verification?
Please contact our Publishing Support team. Be sure to include ID verification as the reason for your query and have all your account information at the ready. Our team will look into the reason for the failure and review your request to retry your ID verification.
Tips for best outcomes
Be sure to check out iDenfy’s blog post on performing a successful verification!
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact our Publishing Support team.