Music fans have never had more ways to listen, yet many still wonder how much of their support truly reaches the artists they love. With its brand-new platform, Tapedeck, Zedge hopes to close that gap. The service is built around the idea that fans should be able to back their favourite musicians in a more direct and meaningful way, while artists should have the freedom to set their own terms and actually see a fair return on their work. By shifting the focus from casual streams to genuine fan passion, Tapedeck aims to rewrite the rules of how music is valued in the digital age.
The platform is the latest innovation from Zedge, which, since 2017, has supported creators worldwide through its Zedge Premium marketplace, paying out millions of dollars to artists each year. Now, with Tapedeck, the company is extending its “creator-first” philosophy to the music industry, aiming to address one of its biggest challenges: fair artist compensation.
At the heart of Tapedeck is Tim Quirk, Zedge’s Senior Vice President of Product and a long-time music industry trailblazer. Known as the lead singer of Too Much Joy, Quirk has also played a pivotal role in the digital music space, helping to launch Rhapsody in 2001—which is now known as Napster—and later shaping Google Play’s music service in 2011. He went on to establish Freeform Development—a start-up later acquired by Zedge—with a vision of enabling creators to better monetise their art.
Reflecting on the evolution of streaming, Quirk highlighted how dramatically payouts have shifted over the years. “When Rhapsody launched, it set the standard at a penny per play [around one cent per stream], 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,” Quirk explained.
He continued by saying, “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.” Yet, what was once a penny per play has now dwindled to mere fractions of a cent on most streaming services, leaving artists struggling to earn a sustainable income despite racking up millions of plays. With Tapedeck, Quirk believes there’s a chance to reset the system by putting power back in the hands of musicians and their fans.
So, how does Tapedeck work? Unlike many traditional streaming services, artists—whether they’re independent musicians, labels, or distributors—set their own prices for streams, track downloads, and album purchases. Each play has a guaranteed minimum of a penny, but fans also have the option to pay more if they want to directly support their favourite artists. Importantly, Tapedeck gives creators 80% of the revenue from every purchase and play, and there are no upfront fees to join the platform.
“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.”
The app is currently running a three-month pilot in the United States in partnership with Symphonic and is available to iOS users. More artists will be added to the platform in the coming months, with plans to expand to Android, web, and international audiences in 2026. You can find out more by visiting the official Tapedeck website.
For artists looking for more transparency and control, and for fans eager to see their support make a real difference, Tapedeck could mark the beginning of a new chapter in digital music.
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