Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Invests $50 Million into UnitedMasters to Empower Independent Artists to Find Success in the Creator Economy
The investment fuels UnitedMasters’ mission to enable artists to maintain full ownership over their career with more tools and opportunities than ever before.
UnitedMasters is proud to announce our latest round of funding, closing a $50 Million Series C at a $550 Million valuation. The new capital will bolster UnitedMasters’ core mission of empowering artists and creators to maintain full creative ownership over their careers while providing access to economic opportunity and millions of new fans worldwide through streaming, music licensing and brand partnership opportunities .
UnitedMasters’ growth over the last year is fueled by the expansion of the independent creator economy and the acceleration of tech-enabled disruption, specifically in the music industry.
The investment, led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), will be used to develop and invest in technologies that allow these artists to create frictionless deals with brand partners while providing more financial tools and resources to help them succeed as independent creators.
The announcement precedes founder and CEO of UnitedMasters, Steve Stoute’s address at The Information’s Creator Economy Summit, where he headlined a collective of creators, investors and executives of the leading technology platforms serving this next generation of entrepreneurs.
“Every day we ask ourselves what more we can be doing to support our artists in finding success in a creator economy that often leaves the actual creators behind. Alongside our partners at a16z, we are going to double down on this mission, empowering artists to create and earn through reach, technology and partnerships” said Steve Stoute.
“UnitedMasters’ impressive growth over the last year underscores that Steve and the team not only understand what the future of the music business looks like but also how to meet the demands of both independent artists and fans simultaneously,” David George, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz said. “We’re thrilled to continue this partnership alongside UnitedMasters as they empower artists with the tools and opportunities they need to find success.”
The Series C funding follows our recent partnership announcements with Coinbase to give artists the opportunity to be paid in cryptocurrency, our partnership with TikTok to help brands establish in-app music and sound experiences in partnership with UnitedMasters artists, and a product with Dolby to offer artists professional quality audio mastering of their music.
