What's included for $500?
One track slot on a 16-track themed compilation, released as an official TapTunes™ collectible card from TrueFans CONNECT™, and digitally. We handle release mastering, sequencing, artwork, liner notes, card design and production, the download/stream page, your artist page, and a coordinated launch campaign. You receive 25 cards to sell, The Baseline Audit, and a 90-minute one-to-one call with Paul. You contribute your finished track, a photo, a bio and your links.
Why only 8 slots a month?
Because every slot comes with The Baseline Audit and a 90-minute one-to-one call with Paul, and both are done personally, not by a team. Eight a month is what can be done properly. When a month's eight are gone, the next eight open on the 1st, and you can reserve one in advance.
How does the two-step process work?
Step one: submit your track for review with a $50 slot-holding fee, which reserves your place in this month's eight while we listen. Step two: if your track is accepted, you pay the $450 balance — as one payment or two payments of $275 — and your slot is confirmed. Every submission gets a listen and a decision; you're never charged the balance for a track we haven't accepted.
What if my track isn't accepted?
You're refunded $30 of the $50 and we send you the track review notes. The $20 we keep is the review fee — someone with forty years in the business listened properly to your track, made a decision, and wrote down why. You keep the track and you're welcome to submit a different one, or the same one to a better-fitting theme.
Are payment plans an option?
Yes. Once your track is accepted, the $450 balance can be paid in one payment or two payments of $275. Your slot is confirmed on the first payment either way.
How do the 25 cards work?
Every track owner receives 25 physical cards, shipped to you. Sell them for $20 each — at gigs, online, to your list — and you keep 100% of the money. Twenty-five sales returns your full $500. Want more? Additional cards are available at wholesale.
Who owns my track?
You do. You grant a non-exclusive licence for your track to appear on this compilation, in physical and digital form. You are free to release, stream, sync and sell the same track anywhere else, before, during and after.
Do I earn royalties from the compilation itself?
Your primary return is the 25 cards, which you sell direct and keep 100% of. Terms for any compilation-wide streaming or download income are set out in the participation agreement you receive at checkout.
Is Paul really on the record?
Yes. Track 01 of Vol. 1, Many Roads Traveled, is "I Know Your Name", a song Paul wrote about life on the road. He's not asking you to do anything with your track that he isn't doing with his own — and he's selling his 25 cards the same way you will.
What if my song doesn't fit any of the five themes?
Tell us. New themes are announced as volumes fill, and the best pitch for a sixth compilation may well be yours. If we can't place your track on a theme, we won't take your money for it.
Who makes the cards?
TapTunes™ does. The TapTunes™ card is their format — the card, the NFC chip, the QR code and the player behind it. TrueFans CONNECT™ has partnered with TapTunes™ to bring the format to independent artists: TapTunes™ produces every card in the series, and TrueFans CONNECT™ curates the compilations, reviews the tracks and runs the launch. Every card carries both marks.
What is The Baseline Audit, exactly?
A 40-question scored diagnostic across craft, audience, live performance and monetisation, taking about 45 minutes. You receive a scored report, a ranked list of what to fix first, and a written 12-month plan you can run yourself. It’s sold on its own for $500 on the audit page, is included in full with your track slot, and is kept as credit if you join the 5 Keys.
Does the audit count toward the 5 Keys program?
Yes. It is the same Baseline Audit the program opens with, and the same rule applies: join any paid tier within thirty days of your session and the whole $500 becomes credit on your account, used month by month until it runs out — five months of the Course at $100, the first month and $200 of the second on Foundation at $300, or the whole first month of the 5 Keys with Paul at $500. If you do not join, you keep everything the audit gave you. See the program.
When is everything due?
Your final master, photo, bio and links are due by November 30, 2026 for Vol. 1. After the sequencing lock, tracks cannot be swapped or re-mastered, even if you submitted early.
What if the compilation doesn't fill?
Each volume goes to print when 16 tracks are confirmed. If a volume hasn't filled by its deadline, you can move to the next open theme or receive a full refund.
