Berklee Honors TuneCore CEO at Annual Music Business Lecture
From left: Andreea Gleeson, Tonya Butler, Hayley Roets
Image by Sam French
Berklee’s Music Business/Management Department commemorated the 30th annual James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture series with guest speaker Andreea Gleeson, chief executive officer at TuneCore, the leading development partner for artists who self-release their music, owned by digital music company Believe. As this year’s honoree, Gleeson was recognized for her outstanding contribution to music business education.
Gleeson joined TuneCore in 2015 as a member of the company’s senior leadership team and has made significant contributions to the growth of TuneCore, first as chief marketing officer and then as chief revenue officer before taking over as CEO in 2021. For nearly a decade, she has played a pivotal role in propelling the company’s substantial growth. Under her guidance, TuneCore has established itself as one of the most dynamic and innovative companies in the independent music space.
“Besides having a phenomenally strong, smart, passionate, and may I say fashionable CEO in Andreea Gleeson, what impressed me the most about TuneCore is that they are artist-centric,” said Tonya Butler, chair of the Music Business/Management Department. “Their initiative to help artists produce better music is a sign that they seek to promote not just any music, but good music. TuneCore cares about the craft, which perfectly aligns them with our mission at Berklee.”
Tonya Butler (left) presents Andreea Gleeson (right) with a plaque commemorating this fall's lecture series.
Image by Christopher Wares
In a conversation between Gleeson and Butler, Gleeson spoke to students about her pathway to success in the music industry and her experience working to develop the global platform. She also shared her insights on a range of topics, from creating value for independent artists to AI’s role in the industry, and how TuneCore is investing in artists in order to help them grow at scale in today’s digital world.
Gleeson commented, “I am so honored to have been able to speak to the brilliant students at Berklee College of Music as part of the James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture series, joining an exclusive list of honorees that includes many music industry executives I admire. It was inspiring to join Professor Butler on campus and be able to interact directly with the next generation of artists and executives that will continue to push our industry forward.”
Following the interview, TuneCore presented a session titled "Master Class for the Self-Releasing Musician," led by Hayley Roets, manager of artist and partner relations at TuneCore, where she covered the key assets that artists need to distribute their music, as well as the required steps before and after the artists’ release goes to digital service providers.
About the Zafris Lecture Series
The James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture Series for Music Business/Management is Berklee’s first endowed visiting lecture series, established by the Board of Trustees in 1992 and named after James G. Zafris, a longtime chair of the board and one of its founding members. Past Zafris lecturers have included Jon Platt, chairman and CEO of Sony Music Publishing; Bruce Lundvall, president and CEO of Blue Note Label Group; Hilary Rosen, then-president of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); Dina Lapolt, a renowned entertainment attorney; and Jeff Harleston, general counsel and executive vice president of business and legal affairs at Universal Music Group.
