If there is one thing that every upcoming artist in the music industry desires, it is for their songs to reach thousands of people. The next desire is that they should always be in control when it comes to their art.
So, is this possible? Is there a record label that can promote an artist and their art and still let them get the goodies? Well, the answer to that question is none other than United Masters.
->> Check Out the ULTIMATE Music Distribution Guide (Reviews & Chart)
What is United Masters
United Masters is an application that allows artists to supply their music to all major distributors while still maintaining their independent status. It is not only a distribution app but also an app that has plenty of marketing tools that help the artist to sell themselves without the need for a huge budget.
These tools ensure that the artist promotes themselves flawlessly and effortlessly so that they can do what they know best and that is creating music.
United Masters was founded by Steve Stoute in 2017. Steve has a great experience when it comes to change that drives the music industry and so with the help of Alphabet, the company that owns Google, 21st Century Fox and venture firm Andreessen Horowitz $70 million was raised and United Masters was born.
Key Features of United Masters
The United Masters app boasts of the following features:
- It is a record company in a single app
- Music distribution
- Masterlinks
- Free artist websites
- Insights
- Earning statements
A record company in an app. This app allows the artist to upload their music, check their streams and how much they are making.
Music distribution is no longer a lengthy process. The artist simply uploads their music and it will be available on streaming platforms in a matter of seconds. With the Masterlinks, you get to promote your music on all platforms with a single link. No complications.
There is no need to hire a website developer. United Masters allows you to create your own fully customizable artist website where you can add videos, audios, sell merch, announce tour dates and simply get in touch with your fanbase. You are also able to monitor any progress that you make thanks to the insights.
You get paid every month and can access all the breakdowns of your finances. No more excuses by managers. You get to have the earning statements at your fingertips.
The Exclusives
Now, the exclusives are the best thing that could ever happen to an independent artist. This is one of the selling points that United Masters has over others in the same field. You see, before going out and starting United Masters, Steve Stoute founded an advertising agency called Translation.
The aim of this agency was to help big brands promote culture and the best way of promoting culture is music. It all comes together now as United Masters connects their services to those of Translation by translating culture into an audible experience.
How do they do this?
First things first. You need to sign up. Once that is done. The brains at United Masters use their cultural expertise and data science to match you to a fitting brand. The brand should be relevant to you as an artist and your music. This expands your revenue sources and you get to reach out to a whole new fan base.
Which brands are in the exclusive package?
Apple Music
This has been described as the biggest playlist for every independent artist and it is called the BASELINE. All you have to do is to ensure that you are not signed into any record label and then submit your best music for a chance to be featured.
NBA
Ever seen what happens during breaks at a basketball game and in the NBA? You guessed it right. The DJ gets to spin great music. United Masters have a partnership with the NBA to ensure that your music reaches millions of NBA fans. Sign up with United Masters, upload your music and get featured on NBA.com, NBA social media channels, and NBA TV.
2K GAMES
Even though this campaign is closed, for the time being, it offered another avenue for independent artists to get more exposure. Your music is featured in the NBA 2K20 alongside music from well-known superstars.
BOSE
BOSE is a well-known sound company. The aim here is to promote the company’s products by having them featured in the artist’s music videos. United Masters gets to search for the right talent who will be a brand ambassador while BOSE, on the other hand, assists in developing and promoting the artist’s music.
AT&T
This is a campaign initiated by Translation on behalf of AT&T to celebrate different cultures in the United States. This campaign also includes a collaboration with iHeart Radio to bring this new cultural sound to the airwaves.
Emerging artists are celebrated in their respective cities and are supported both financially and by playing their music on air. The campaign is closed for now but you are encouraged to apply now so that you can get a head start in the next round.
NFL
The NFL is another major name in the exclusives. United Masters will pitch your music to NFL and before you know it, you will be blowing out in an NFL TV campaign. This is just what happened to Tobe Nwigwe and his career has never been the same again.
What to expect from United Masters
When you sign up with United Masters there are some promises that they have vowed to keep. One of them is that your music will be uploaded to several streaming sites. Currently, these are the sites according to research done by the United Masters review crew:
- Apple Music / iTunes
- Pandora
- Spotify
- YouTube Content ID
- SoundCloud
- Vevo
- YouTube Red
- Google Play
- 7Digital
- Akazoo
- Amazon
- Anghami
- AWA
- Deezer
- Gracenote
- iHeartRadio
- iMusica
- KKBox
- LINE Music
- Nmusic Triple Play
- Qobuz
- Napster
- Saavn
- Shazam
- Simfy Africa
- SiriusXM
- Slacker
- Tencent
- TIDAL
- Yandex
- Ultimate China
The other thing that you should note is that when transferring your releases and you had previously had them distributed by another service, there is a need for you to request a takedown. This is because United Masters are very confident in their service reputation of delivering content successfully.
It also a stipulated guideline when it comes to streaming services that the same music should not be released through multiple distributors as this will only cause conflict. You should also provide your content on time. The least being 3 weeks so that your release can go live in all the stores on the date selected.
The United Masters review team can confidently confirm that United Masters does not charge any upfront fees for you to sign up but they claim a stake of 10% of your music revenue for the tracks that you distribute with them.
The payments are fast and secure so for you to get paid, all you need to do is log into your United Masters account, click on Money and connect it to your PayPal account. Artists are paid every month so long as they meet the monthly threshold of $50 and that their PayPal account is active.
When it comes to social media accounts, United Masters currently support the following:
- YouTube
- SoundCloud
They will be working with more of such sites in the future. Once the distribution is complete, you should be able to see data from all the major streaming platforms.
Initially, we had mentioned something on MasterLinks. These links are generated automatically every time a new track is distributed. As an artist, you should use this link to shorten the time it takes for your fans and listeners to find your music.
So is United Masters worth the fuss and hype? Well, it is important to look at things logically. United Masters is not offering anything new but they are being smart about it. They are repurposing data by training the artist on the business side of art.
The success of this distribution service remains to be seen in how many independent artists they help go big.
How To Upload your Music Using United Masters
First and foremost, you should ensure that if you have music that has been distributed on other platforms that you kindly request them to take it down. When you can confirm that this process has been initiated successfully head on to the next step.
Go to the United Masters official website and request an invite to the platform by clicking on the sign-up tab.
Once you are officially registered by the United Masters team, you can drag and drop your tracks in the Music section of your account or to make matters simple, just connect the account with your Dropbox.
Lastly, fill up all the necessary information like who wrote the song, genre and featured artists then go ahead and submit your songs.
Price and Plans
As mentioned earlier, United Masters do not charge any upfront fees. The only thing they do is take 10% of the earnings you make through them. They also know that PayPal normally subtracts a fee but they are polite enough not to pass these charges to you.
Pros of United Masters
- The artist is in charge
- Speedy services
- Reliable artist support service
- Free website
- Transparent analytics
Cons of United Masters
- 10% is a high stake to charge an artist considering that there are other distribution services that do not charge a thing(New policy allows artists to keep 100% of their earnings with a monthly fee).
Verdict
The United Masters Review team clearly agrees that this distribution platform is the best for all independent artists. Yes, as an artist you want to maintain your freedom and make the music that you feel connects you to your audience and purpose or principles. All this is is good but you need to understand the business side of it.
The main reason why many artists went broke or bankrupt in the decades past is that they did not understand the business side of music. With United Masters, you get to see the true result of what you are putting in and get to make the necessary changes thanks to data that converts.
->> Check Out the ULTIMATE Music Distribution Guide (Reviews & Chart)
