NBA and UnitedMasters Come Together For Digital Music Rights Partnership

Startup company UnitedMasters has partnered with the NBA, which will give the league the right to use music from UnitedMasters artists across the NBA’s digital properties and social media platforms, according to Sport Techie. 

The deal was announced on Thursday (Nov. 8) by the former president of Interscope Records, Steve Stoute. Stoute founded UnitedMasters back in November 2017, which services artists who are looking to stay independent, as a music industry alternative. UnitedMasters earns money through royalties and distribution while allowing artists full ownership of their material. 

“We’re excited to partner with UnitedMasters to give up-and-coming artists a massive digital stage to share their music,” said Jeff Marsilio, NBA Senior Vice President, New Media Distribution, in a press release. “With this partnership, fans will now have a new way to discover music while they enjoy NBA highlights across our social and digital media.”

With the deal, the NBA will be given specific music from UnitedMasters to play across its digital and social community, which would include its websites and all social media. 

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the NBA to empower independent artists and provide them the opportunity to reach a global audience, amplifying their music at scale,” Stoute said in the press release. 

“This unprecedented partnership speaks to the ecosystem we are building to directly connect brands and UnitedMasters artists so that their music can be heard around the world. We are proud to provide a platform that has the potential to significantly further their careers.”