UnitedMasters, which boasts artists like Mavi, Alina Baraz, and Kreative Villains, has been a leader in music distribution since its inception in 2017.
Aspiring and veteran musicians alike can find a home at UnitedMasters, which distributes music to global platforms such as Facebook, Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and more.
Plus, UnitedMasters allows artists and producers to keep 100% of their works and take advantage of financial tools for independence.
By joining UnitedMasters, they can also access exclusive features, known on the platform as Exclusives, and receive one-in-a-million promotional opportunities, such as appearing on TV or even in games.
If you’re a songwriter or producer who wants to benefit from everything UnitedMasters has to offer, you’ve come to the right place.
However, you might have some specific questions about the platform, such as “What platforms does UnitedMasters distribute to?”
We’ll provide in-depth answers to this question and other pertinent questions so you can make the right choice for all your music distribution needs.
Where Does UnitedMasters Distribute Music?
UnitedMasters distributes to all major platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Pandora, Deezer, Amazon Music, YouTube, TIDAL, Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and TikTok.
While some of these platforms require a paid subscription, others allow you to use them for free. We’ll be going into more detail about paid and free platforms in this article.
Which Platforms are Paid?
To distribute music to certain platforms, you need to become a SELECT member, which involves purchasing a subscription.
When you become a SELECT member at UnitedMasters, you can distribute your music to the following stores: Apple Music/iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, 7Digital, Amazon, Akazoo, SoundCloud, Jaxta Music, Anghami, Audible Magic, Mixcloud, iMusica, Audiomack, Boomplay, AWA, Facebook, Instagram, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Gracenote, KKBox, JioSaavn, LINE Music, NetEase Cloud Music, Qobuz, Nuuday A/S, Pandora, Napster, Shazam, Pandora, Resso, Tencent, Ultimate China, TikTok, TIDAL, and Triller.
As SELECT members, artists get to keep 100% of the royalties.
Which Platforms are Free?
Those who aren’t SELECT members can only distribute music to the following five stores: Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Audible Magic.
Artists who use the free UnitedMasters plan keep 90% of the royalties, compared to 100% of the royalties for SELECT members.
How Do Artists Distribute Their Music?
There are various ways artists can accomplish this. One first way is to simply connect their Dropbox. Another way is to add the tracks they want to distribute to the Music section of their UnitedMasters account.
Before submitting their release, they’ll be asked to fill out their metadata such as featured artists, genres, and songwriters.
When Will Music Go Live on Streaming Platforms?
You’re strongly encouraged to share your content at least three weeks in advance so your release can go live on all platforms on your chosen release date.
That being said, once your release has been sent to the music services, you can expect the following timelines to apply, although publication within these time frames can’t be guaranteed:
- Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music/iTunes: 1-2 days
- Amazon, Google Play, TIDAL, Napster: 3-5 days
- Pandora and other DSPs: 3-5 days (or more)
It’s important to note that Apple may select a number of releases to undergo a special review process, which in some cases can take as long as 15 business days.
Are There Other Ways Artists Can Distribute Their Music?
Artists can take advantage of UnitedMasters’ Exclusives, which allow them to directly partner with popular brands like Twitch, NBA, and ESPN.
By forging partnerships with these brands, artists can develop long-lasting relationships and further grow their audience.
Here’s more information about brands that artists can collaborate with:
- Twitch – UnitedMasters producers and artists can apply to join “The Collective,” an exclusive Twitch community for musicians to showcase their works. Those who are selected receive access to Twitch activations and benefit from priority promotion. They can also directly receive revenue from fans on Twitch.
- NBA and Apple Music – Thanks to UnitedMasters’ partnership with the NBA and Apple Music, BASE:LINE, which is a playlist for independent artists, was born. Artists who want the chance to be featured on BASE:LINE should submit their best track.
- ESPN – Few opportunities are as prestigious as a collaboration with ESPN. UnitedMasters artists who work with ESPN get the chance to have their music featured in sports programming such as The Jump, First Take, SportsCenter, and more.
- Overtime Elite – As a new sports league that gives young emerging basketball players the chance to become professional athletes, Overtime Elite League also provides up-and-coming hip hop artists the opportunity to perform at their live sporting events and expand their audiences. To get the chance to be featured in-stadium and on OTE’s social media sites, all artists have to do is submit their music through UnitedMasters.
- TV, film, gaming, and advertising – There’s a whole range of opportunities in film, TV, gaming, and advertising for UnitedMasters artists and producers. New Exclusives are regularly added to UnitedMasters, so artists who want to grow their audience in unique, exciting ways should frequently check the Exclusives section on the website.
To benefit from Exclusives, artists have to be SELECT members.
What’s a MasterLink?
Each time you distribute new music, new MasterLinks, which reduce the time you spend adding your tracks to Linkfire or Smart URL, are generated.
When a MasterLink is created, you can promote your music on multiple platforms with just one link, saving you plenty of time and energy.
Basically, MasterLinks are Apple Music and Spotify pre-saves prior to your release date. On your release date, these pre-saves switch over to streaming landing pages.
The Purpose of MasterLinks
Whenever an artist who isn’t using MasterLink promotes a release via an Apple Music link, there are fans on platforms like Amazon, TIDAL, and Spotify who miss out.
But, with MasterLinks, artists can reach as many listeners as possible by having their music played on their fans’ preferred devices, apps, and music services.
They don’t have to worry about their fans losing out, thanks to MasterLinks’ tailored services.
How to Get a MasterLink
An artist who wants to get a MasterLink for their release should head to the promoter section. There they’ll find MasterLinks for all their UnitedMasters releases.
Once a MasterLink has been made, UnitedMasters will separately send a card in the artist’s feed. Only UnitedMasters distributed artists can use MasterLinks.
Platforms Included in a MasterLink
Currently, the platforms that UnitedMasters supports are: Apple Music/iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, Google Play, Amazon, and TIDAL.
You can add or remove platforms, as long as the platforms are included in the above list.
MasterLink Placement
Anywhere that you’re interacting with your fans would be an ideal place for your MasterLink.
Particularly good places for your MasterLink include your Facebook posts, Instagram and Twitter bios, and your tweets.
Other options include Snapchat (via your Clipboard), YouTube videos, or emails/newsletters to your fans.
