Steve Stoute’s UnitedMasters Becomes Exclusive Music Partner For Coinbase’s NFT Marketplace

UnitedMasters isn’t letting up on ensuring that independent artists secure their coins.

In October 2021, the Steve Stoute-founded music distributor forged a partnership with Coinbase to be one of the first to offer artists to be paid in cryptocurrency, as previously reported by AfroTech.

The duo is back once again for a new collaboration, except, this time with another project on board.

According to a press release shared with AfroTech, UnitedMasters has announced its partnership with Coinbase and Chain Runners for NFTs created, sold, and promoted by the company’s artists. The limited-edition collections will mark UnitedMasters as the exclusive partner for Coinbase’s new NFT marketplace.

“In the same way that United Masters gives power to artists by enabling ownership of their music, NFTs give people true ownership of their digital assets,” said Chain Runners, according to the press release. “This partnership is representative of a new wave of ways for artists to express themselves and engage with an audience – on their terms. These artists and our collective communities are the renegades of the internet, pushing culture forward.”

The intent behind the NFTs is for UnitedMasters to provide independent artists with a way to build upon their creativity in the metaverse, connect with their fans, and earn new streams of income.

“Artists are looking for more authentic and direct ways to engage with their fans. As the ownership economy grows, we are excited to be providing new tools for our artist community to build and expand their audience and find new ways to monetize their cultural influence,” said Sally Shin, Chief Strategy Officer at UnitedMasters. “The career path of every music creator looks different and we are excited to continue to explore the benefits NFTs bring to our artist community, all while providing additional revenue streams to develop their careers as independent artists.”

The first exclusive NFT collection — featuring artists Ekkstacy, Serayah, and Reese LAFLARE — is set to drop once the Coinbase NFT Marketplace launches in May 2022, per the release.