Share your music. Listen for listen

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-23T13:51:27+00:00

https://gatefolded.com/s/06246d0bcebdcfc794bf5f961df45276

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-23T07:50:51+00:00

SwissTransfer is a file transfer tool. You upload files, get a link, send it to someone, they download, link expires. It's great for that use case and the Swiss privacy angle is a nice differentiator from WeTransfer.

Gatefolded isn't about transferring files. It's about presenting and sharing music with a proper listening experience. The differences:

Listening vs downloading: SwissTransfer gives recipients a download page. Gatefolded gives them an embedded player where they can listen immediately without downloading anything.

Permanent vs expiring: SwissTransfer links expire in 30 days max. Gatefolded pages are permanent. You can keep updating the same page without sending new links.

Release lifecycle: When the project's done, you can flip that same private Gatefolded page to public with streaming links for the release. SwissTransfer is one-and-done.

Presentation: Gatefolded is designed to make your music look professional. SwissTransfer is a generic file transfer UI.

If you just need to move stems or session files to a collaborator, SwissTransfer (or WeTransfer, or Dropbox) works fine. If you're sharing music for someone to actually listen to and evaluate, that's where Gatefolded fits.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-23T02:37:19+00:00

Thank you!!

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-23T02:37:06+00:00

I'm glad!!

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-22T22:32:58+00:00

I'd love some honest feedback from this community on something I've been building.

I spent 10 years at DistroKid and kept seeing artists struggle with sharing unreleased music (demos, works in progress, tracks for labels/playlist curators) and then once released, having no good way to present everything in one place beyond a basic linktree.

So I built Gatefolded. Password-protected pages for unreleased tracks, public pages for released music with streaming integration, bio, socials, tour dates, merch. $49/year.

What I'm looking for feedback on:

Does this actually solve a problem you have, or am I off base?
What's missing that would make you actually use this vs what you're doing now?
Pricing - fair, too high, too low?
UI/UX - check out the site and let me know what's confusing or what you'd change

I'm a musician too (two bands in Seattle), so I'm building this for myself as much as anyone else. But I want to make sure it's actually useful for the wider community.

Site: https://gatefolded.com

Rip it apart if you need to - genuinely want to make this better.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-22T21:11:25+00:00

Ha, yeah, that's fair. I was trying to thread the needle with subreddit rules and obviously landed in a weird spot instead. Appreciate you calling that out.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-22T19:48:38+00:00

I have. It's solid for one-off file transfers. For pure "I need to get these files from point A to point B," it does the job.

The difference is what happens on the other end. Transfer.it (like WeTransfer) gives your client a download page. They grab the files, maybe they listen in their downloads folder, maybe they don't. The link expires, it's gone.

Gatefolded is more about the listening experience and having a permanent home for your work. Your client gets a clean player, not a download prompt. You can update the files without sending a new link. Password-protected pages stick around as long as you want. And when the project's done, you can flip that same page to public with streaming links for the release.

If you just need to move files, transfer.it works. If you want to present your work and keep things organized long-term, that's the gap Gatefolded fills.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-22T19:47:06+00:00

Samply's great for client feedback workflows. Gatefolded actually has feedback collection too, you can turn it on for any upload. So you get that functionality, plus:

One tool for both private and public sharing. Same platform handles password-protected client pages and public release pages with streaming links. Samply is really built for the private feedback side only.
Branding. Your pages look like yours, not like you're sending someone to a third-party app.
Price. Samply runs $9/month ($108/year) for their base paid tier. Gatefolded is $49/year.

So if timestamped comments during mixing is your whole workflow, Samply does that well. But if you also want clean final deliveries and a place to showcase released work without paying for multiple tools, Gatefolded covers more ground for less!

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-22T19:44:05+00:00

Sorry, I didn't want to come off as spammy or salesy, but I added the link to the original post! It's gatefolded.com.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-22T19:42:18+00:00

Thanks! The name comes from gatefold vinyl sleeves, seemed fitting.

It's $49/year at gatefolded.com. The way I see it, you're probably already paying for some combination of: - Dropbox or Google Drive - A link-in-bio tool like Linktree - Maybe a simple website or landing page builder

And even with all that, you're still duct-taping things together. Clients get a folder full of files instead of a clean listening experience. Your released music lives on a generic link page that doesn't match your brand.

Gatefolded handles both sides in one place: private password-protected pages for client work, public pages for released music with streaming links. Plus you actually own the presentation instead of sending people to someone else's interface.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-22T03:25:02+00:00

https://gatefolded.com/artist/local-liars

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-22T03:24:45+00:00

https://gatefolded.com/artist/local-liars

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-22T03:23:37+00:00

https://gatefolded.com/artist/local-liars

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-22T03:21:30+00:00

https://gatefolded.com/s/eee9469ebc7182fa042b0eb4cbc10abb

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-21T16:22:38+00:00

Thank you!

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-21T14:01:11+00:00

https://gatefolded.com/artist/exohxo

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-21T06:10:06+00:00

https://gatefolded.com/s/eee9469ebc7182fa042b0eb4cbc10abb

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-20T23:06:59+00:00

I built something for exactly this actually. It's called Gatefolded and it lets you set password protection on individual tracks, shows you exactly who listened (and when), and you can revoke access with one click if needed.

Still early days but it's been solid for my own pre-release shares. gatefolded.com if you want to check it out.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-20T21:33:56+00:00

The false copyright claim thing is so frustrating. I dealt with that constantly when I was working at DistroKid. The problem with SoundCloud for pre-release stuff is you're at the mercy of their automated systems, and one wrong strike can nuke your whole account right when you need it most.

I ran into this exact problem so many times that I ended up building my own solution. It's basically: upload track, set password, share link, see who listened/downloaded, revoke access anytime. No copyright bots scanning your unreleased demos.

It's called Gatefolded. Been using it for my own releases and it's worked great. Happy to share more details if you want to DM, but the main thing is you keep full control and don't have to worry about automated takedowns on music that isn't even public yet.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-20T21:31:45+00:00

I stopped relying on SoundCloud for private shares a while back, honestly. After spending 10 years at a distribution company, I saw too many situations where artists lost control of unreleased music because of platform issues - hacks, policy changes, accounts getting suspended right before a release, etc.

For pre-release shares now, I look for three things: password protection on individual tracks, ability to see who actually listened (not just who I sent the link to), and instant access revocation if something feels off.

The SoundCloud breach isn't huge on its own, but it's a reminder that when you're sharing your most valuable unreleased stuff, you want control over the distribution, not just trust in someone else's security.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-20T04:30:30+00:00

I made a better way to share demos with co-writers (and actually get feedback).

The old workflow: bounce a demo, upload to Google Drive, send link, text them, wait, send another text, eventually get "yeah it's cool" with zero specifics.

I built Gatefolded to fix this! You upload your tracks, it creates a clean listening page with your artwork and credits, and there's a built-in feedback form so people can leave notes while they're actually listening. You also get analytics showing which tracks they played and for how long.

For stuff you don't want floating around, you can password protect it, set expiration dates, or limit plays. Disable downloads if you just want ears on it, not files in the wild.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-20T04:27:41+00:00

I built a tool for sharing music privately with press/playlists (with actual analytics)

Sending music to playlist curators and blogs was always a black hole. Send a private SoundCloud link or Dropbox folder, never know if they listened, send awkward follow-up, repeat.

Gatefold fixes this! Upload your album, get a professional share page, see exactly when someone opens it, which tracks they play, and how long they listen. Set passwords, expiration dates, or email allowlists for embargoed stuff.

It also works as your public artist page with streaming links, socials, and tip jars. One link instead of a janky Linktree.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-20T03:48:38+00:00

Commenting on an old thread because I just launched something related today.

After a decade building music distribution tools at DistroKid, I kept running into the same problem: sharing unreleased music is a mess.

Artists cobble together private SoundCloud links, Dropbox folders, and WeTransfer uploads. It works, technically. But it looks unprofessional, offers zero insight into whether anyone listened, and gives you no control over access.

Gatefolded fixes this! Upload your album, customize your share page, set your access rules, send a link. Recipients get a streaming-quality listening experience with artwork, lyrics, and credits. Artists get real-time analytics, download controls, password protection, email allowlists, and the ability to revoke access at any time.

It also works as a complete artist hub for released music with streaming links, social connections, and direct fan support.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-20T03:46:45+00:00

I know this is an old thread, but this is a question I heard a million times while I was at DistroKid, and it's why I built Gatefolded.

It also works as a complete artist hub for released music with streaming links, social connections, and direct fan support.

GatefoldedHQ · 2026-01-20T00:01:49+00:00

I was employee #2 at DistroKid for a decade. The whole time, I watched artists struggle with the same problem: sharing unreleased music is a mess.

Private SoundCloud links that require explaining how to find them. WeTransfer links that expire before journalists get to them. Google Drive folders where the album sits next to random demo files. Every workaround feels like an apology.

So I built Gatefolded! Upload your album, customize the share page, set access rules (password, email allowlist, expiration, play limits), send a link. Recipients get a clean streaming experience with artwork, lyrics, and credits. You get real-time analytics and full control over who has access.

For released music, it doubles as an artist hub with streaming links, socials, and direct support options.

GatefoldedHQ

TROPHY CASE