TL;DR: UnitedMasters is a music distribution and sync licensing platform popular with independent hip-hop, R&B, and pop artists. It collects master recording revenue from streaming. It does not collect performance royalties, mechanical royalties, or neighboring rights — those require separate registration with a PRO, The MLC, and SoundExchange.
What Is UnitedMasters?
UnitedMasters was founded in 2017 by Steve Stoute and has backing from Alphabet (Google's parent company), 21st Century Fox, and others. It positions itself as a distribution platform built for independent artists who want to own their masters while accessing sync licensing opportunities with major brands.
UnitedMasters has become particularly popular in the hip-hop and R&B communities. Its sync licensing partnerships with the NBA, Foot Locker, Bose, and other brands offer artists opportunities beyond standard streaming revenue.
What UnitedMasters Does
- Distribution to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, TikTok, and 30+ other platforms
- Master recording revenue collection from streaming, downloads, and YouTube
- Sync licensing placement with brand partners
- Analytics with demographic and geographic breakdowns
- Select tier (paid) with 0% revenue share and additional artist services
UnitedMasters Plans
| Feature | Free | SELECT ($5/month) |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue share | 10% to UnitedMasters | 0% |
| Upload limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Sync licensing | Yes | Yes (priority) |
| PRO registration | No | No |
| MLC registration | No | No |
| SoundExchange | No | No |
| Neighboring rights | No | No |
What UnitedMasters Does NOT Collect
Performance Royalties (PRO)
Every Spotify or Apple Music stream triggers two royalty flows: a master recording payment (collected by UnitedMasters) and a public performance royalty (owed to the songwriter, collected by the songwriter's PRO). UnitedMasters does not handle PRO registration or performance royalty collection.
If you write your own songs and haven't registered with ASCAP or BMI, you are leaving the songwriter's performance royalty on the table for every stream — including streams UnitedMasters correctly delivers revenue for.
US Mechanical Royalties
The MLC collects digital mechanical royalties paid by streaming platforms for the reproduction of compositions. These are separate from master recording revenue. UnitedMasters does not register your works with The MLC. The MLC holds over $400M in unmatched royalties.
SoundExchange
SoundExchange collects digital performance royalties from Pandora, SiriusXM, and internet radio services — a separate royalty stream from interactive streaming. UnitedMasters does not register you with SoundExchange. SoundExchange distributed $1.05B in 2024, entirely to registered artists and labels.
Neighboring Rights
When your recordings are broadcast internationally — on radio in the UK, Germany, France, or elsewhere — neighboring rights organizations (PPL, GVL, SACEM's related bodies) collect royalties for the sound recording. UnitedMasters does not handle neighboring rights.
UnitedMasters and Sync Licensing
UnitedMasters' most differentiated feature is its sync licensing marketplace. Artists can opt in to have their music considered for placement with brand partners. When a placement occurs, the artist typically receives a sync fee — UnitedMasters takes a percentage.
Important: Sync licensing revenue is separate from and in addition to streaming revenue. A sync placement also triggers public performance royalties if the content is broadcast — those go through your PRO, not UnitedMasters.
What UnitedMasters Artists Need to Do Separately
- Join ASCAP or BMI — register compositions and collect performance royalties from streaming and radio
- Register with The MLC — collect US digital mechanical royalties (free)
- Register with SoundExchange — collect digital performance royalties from internet and satellite radio (free)
- Register with a neighboring rights agent or PPL/GVL directly — collect international broadcast royalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Does UnitedMasters's SELECT plan include publishing administration? No. SELECT gives you 0% revenue share on master recording income and priority sync licensing consideration. It does not include PRO registration, MLC registration, or any publishing administration.
How does UnitedMasters compare to DistroKid for royalty collection? Both collect master recording revenue only. Neither collects performance royalties, mechanicals, or neighboring rights. The main differences are pricing model (DistroKid flat annual fee vs. UnitedMasters revenue share or SELECT subscription) and UnitedMasters's sync licensing focus.
Can I use UnitedMasters and also have a publishing administrator? Yes. Distribution (UnitedMasters) and publishing administration are separate services. You can use UnitedMasters for distribution while using a publishing administrator like Songtrust, Kobalt, or CreateBase to handle your composition royalties.
Does owning my masters with UnitedMasters help with neighboring rights? Owning your masters is a prerequisite for collecting neighboring rights, but it is not sufficient on its own. You must also register with the relevant neighboring rights organizations (PPL, GVL, SoundExchange, etc.) to receive those royalties.
Sources
- SoundExchange 2024: $1.05B distributed
- The MLC 2023 Annual Royalty Recap: $400M+ in unmatched royalties
- IFPI Global Music Report 2024: $2.7B in neighboring rights collected globally in 2023
- CISAC Global Collections Report 2024: €12.59B collected globally