Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/01/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  UnitedMasters is holding $1,149.06 of my earned royalties and has refused to release the funds despite previously approving my ID and account for withdrawals.For years, I have attempted to verify, contact, and resolve this issue through their support system, but they no longer respond or offer a path to regain access to my funds. This is not just negligenceit is a breach of agreement and unjust enrichment.I request the full release of funds owed to me along with damages for the delay and stress caused by their refusal to cooperate or communicate in good faith.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/14/2025

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. UnitedMasters values transparency and takes all inquiries seriously.
  
  After reviewing our records, we have determined that the complainant is not the account holder for the UnitedMasters account in question. Our verification process shows clear discrepancies between the complainant's identity and the verified account holder.
  
  I. Account Verification Facts
  - The account was created for artist Lil ManMan with specific identity verification
  - Account activity patterns are inconsistent with the complainant's stated location
  - Tax documentation submitted shows different identity information than the registered account holder
  - Banking and payment information does not align with the verified account holder
  - The legitimate account holder has separate, properly verified documentation on file
  
  II. Our Position
  UnitedMasters maintains strict identity verification protocols to protect artists and ensure royalty payments reach the correct recipients. Based on our verification process, the complainant does not have standing to make claims regarding this account, as they are not the verified account holder.
  
  We cannot process requests from individuals who cannot verify their identity as the legitimate account holder. This is a standard security measure that protects all users on our platform.
  
  III. Resolution
  No action will be taken regarding this complaint as the complainant has not demonstrated they are the legitimate account holder. The account and any associated funds remain properly secured for the verified user.
  
  We appreciate the ********************'s role in facilitating legitimate consumer complaints and remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of user verification and security. Our
  team is always happy to provide our top-tier customer support to resolve any concernsprovided, of course, that the individual is actually our customer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/16/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am a music artist distributing my work through UnitedMasters. One of my releases, Maktub (************), was taken down due to a copyright claim. I properly filed a DMCA counter-notice, and legally the track should have been reinstated, but despite UnitedMasters acknowledgment of redelivery, the song remains unavailable on ******* without any valid explanation. Meanwhile, ******* fined me for alleged artificial streaming on a song that was never reinstated or publicly available, causing financial loss and reputational damage.UnitedMasters has failed to enforce my rights as a content owner and has not resolved the distribution issues, including the lack of a shareable public link. Despite repeated requests, no adequate response or solution has been provided. I am seeking resolution, including reinstatement of my music, correction of the false penalties, and compensation for damages caused.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/20/2025

  On February 19, 2025, UnitedMasters received a DMCA takedown claim for *** ******** release Maktub (UPC ************) and issued takedowns to all music services per our Copyright Policy. Then on March 12, 2025, following his counter-notification and the claimant's failure to escalate legally, we redelivered the release to all music services including ******** Even after several attempts to redeliver the release to *******, they decided not to reinstate the release to their platform. *******'s choice not to reinstate *** ******** release without a retraction from the original claimant is within their platform rights and operational discretion.
  
  UnitedMasters acted in full compliance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). We properly processed the initial takedown, forwarded *** ******** counter-notification to the claimant, and when no legal action was initiated within the statutory period, we redelivered his content to all digital service providers. The law does not require us to compel individual platforms to accept redelivered content when they have independent policies regarding disputed material.
  Over several months, ******* imposed multiple artificial streaming penalty fees for content distributed by *** ******** These fees were applied to *** ******** account balance and since he did not have enough funds in his account to cover these fees, his account balance went negative.
  
  These fees imposed by ******* are based on their independent analysis of streaming patterns. These penalties have been assessed multiple times across different months, indicating consistent detection of non-organic streaming activity. ******* has the technical capability to detect artificial streaming even when content appears unavailable through normal user interfaces, as they can identify manipulation of their internal systems. *** ******** repeated denials and demands that we dispute these charges, combined with his account's negative balance, suggest a pattern inconsistent with legitimate organic streaming.
  
  At this time, *** ******** account with ********************** has been terminated and our teams have directly communicated all applicable information to him regarding this decision.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/24/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  UnitedMasters response is misleading, inaccurate, and fails to account for key facts that are fully documented and verifiable.
  Contrary to their claims, the termination of my account was not due to any negative balance, but came only after I issued a formal legal noticea legal notice that they themselves encouraged me to pursue. I made every effort over multiple months to resolve the matter amicably, through support channels and direct communication. UnitedMasters explicitly told me that if I wanted my track reinstated on *******, I would need to pursue legal action. I am attaching proof of these statements.

  
  In addition, ******* confirmed to UnitedMasters that under their platform policy, the responsibility to resubmit the track and pursue reinstatement falls on the distributor. UnitedMasters declined to take responsibility and instead directed me to legal avenues. Once I followed their advice and sent a legal notice (grounded in the **** and sent after months of non-response), they abruptly terminated my account, which is a clear act of retaliation.

  
  Their claim of streaming fraud is also unsubstantiated. I was fined in April 2025 for artificial streaming on a track that had been removed from all platforms since February 2025. This fine, like the earlier one, was most likely the result of algorithmic error, as no users could access the track at that time. I am attaching all relevant documentation showing dates, platform availability, and my good-faith communication with UnitedMasters.
  

  Furthermore, ******* has now engaged legal counsel and is reviewing this matter seriously, while UnitedMasters has responded with threats of maximum damages and a refusal to communicate further. Their tone and approach are aggressive, deflective, and inappropriate for a distributor responsible for protecting and serving artists.
  To reiterate:
  

  I did not violate any contract terms, and no serious issues were raised until I tried to exercise my rights.
  

  My legal notice was based on facts and sent only after their own team advised legal action.
  

  All communication history supports my version of eventsfrom my attempt to resolve the issue peacefully, to their abrupt and retaliatory termination.
  I was actively working with Customer Support while the balance issue occurred, and termination followed the legal notice, not before.
  Finally, I have been unable to promote my work, lost access to my song STEMs, and suffered reputational harm at a critical stage of my career as an independent artist. This situation is not simply a business disputeit is an example of a large distributor failing in their duty to uphold artist rights, and then retaliating when challenged.
  I am attaching all proof of these claims, including their advice to pursue legal action, dates of penalties, legal correspondence.

  
  I remain open to resolving this matter fairly. However, UnitedMasters' response does not reflect the facts and does not address the actual harm caused.

   

  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *******
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/10/2025

  To Whom It May Concern,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to address *** ********* concerns. UnitedMasters is committed to supporting independent artists, and we take all customer feedback seriously. We appreciate the BBB's role in facilitating transparent dialogue between businesses and consumers.
  
  I. Our Mission and Customer Support:
  
  ********************** exists to empower independent artists by providing professional music distribution services. We're proud to serve thousands of artists worldwide and maintain industry-leading customer support. In *** ********* case specifically, he received detailed responses from our distribution operations experts, customer support team, and legal counsel - reflecting our commitment to thorough customer service regardless of account status.
  
  II. Timeline and Facts:
  
  *** ********* account history shows he joined as a DEBUT+ subscriber in October 2024 with a gifted subscription (no out-of-pocket cost). The key events were:
  
  February 2025: We received a valid DMCA takedown notice for his release "Maktub" and properly removed it from all platforms per legal requirements
  March 2025: Following his counter-notification and the claimant's failure to pursue legal action, we redelivered the release to all music services, including *******
  Multiple attempts: We made repeated efforts to restore the content on ******* specifically, including direct outreach to their team
  
  III. Platform Policies and Industry Standards:
  
  Each streaming platform maintains independent policies regarding disputed content. While we successfully restored *** ********* release across most services, ******* requested additional indemnification through our distributor network (******) before reinstatement. This requirement is unique to ******* among major streaming platforms.
  
  After careful consideration, we declined to provide additional indemnification. This decision aligns with our standard practice across all account tiers, including larger artists, as we believe it's inappropriate to assume unlimited legal liability for content disputes at our service pricing levels.
  
  IV. Streaming Violations and Account Status:
  
  *** ********* account received multiple artificial streaming penalties from ******* across different months, resulting in a negative wallet balance. These violations were identified through *******'s sophisticated fraud detection systems and are consistent with non-organic streaming activity.
  
  V. Legal Correspondence ************************************** inquired about additional options, our team correctly advised that pursuing legal action with the original copyright claimant could potentially resolve the dispute. However, we did not advise him to send legal notices to UnitedMasters itself. His subsequent threats against our company, combined with the account violations, ultimately led to the termination decision per our Terms of Service.
  
  VI. Resolution and Moving Forward:
  
  We stand by our handling of this matter and believe we acted appropriately throughout. *** ******* experienced no financial loss, as his subscription was complimentary. He received comprehensive support from multiple departments and has alternative distribution options available through other services.
  
  The music distribution marketplace offers numerous alternatives, and we're confident that other distributors would be thrilled to have *** ******* as a customer. This competitive landscape ensures that artists have multiple pathways to reach their audiences, which ultimately benefits the entire independent music community.
  
  While we regret that this situation did not meet *** ********* expectations, we remain committed to supporting independent artists within appropriate legal and business parameters. We continue to serve thousands of artists successfully and maintain our industry-leading support standards.
  
  VII. Conclusion:
  
  UnitedMasters has fulfilled all contractual obligations and acted in accordance with industry standards, applicable laws, and our Terms of Service throughout this matter. We appreciate the BBB's review and remain committed to transparent, ethical business practices.
  
  For any additional questions about our services or policies, customers can always reach our support team through our standard channels.
  
  Sincerely, 
  UnitedMasters LLC

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/19/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My name is ******* ** ******, founder and lead artist of ***********************, an independent record label based in *******, **. Ive been using UM since 2020.Under their Select membership, my debut album ********* achieved moderate success, surpassing ****** streams with no distribution issues. Following that project, I focused primarily on collaborations and features rather than promoting my own catalog.Upon returning, I opted for the more limited Debut+ plan based on my prior experience. Since the switch, Ive encountered ongoing discrepancies in my streaming metrics. For example, my ******* analytics fluctuated inexplicably from nearly ***** views down to just 30. After proper ******* mapping, I saw an encouraging ****** 173 monthly listeners and six playlist placements totaling nearly ***** streams in one week. UnitedMasters abruptly removed the release, citing suspected artificial playsa claim I strongly contest given the organic nature of my audience and marketing strategy.I currently have a growing and engaged fanbase, with over 800 active subscribers on *******, *****+ followers on Instagram. My artistic background includes poetic openings for comedians such as ********** and *** ***** ***** * ***, as well as features in publications like ***************** (2009), the Carowinds Catalog (2011), **** (as Director, Producer, Actor), and multiple local news ********** extended network also includes professional athletesCarlos *******, ******* ******, ******** *****, ******* *****, and ***** ******ywho have supported my promotional efforts when possible. Despite this support and reach, the rollout of my most recent project has been disappointing and potentially damaging to my momentum due to UnitedMasters handling of my content.Based on this experience, it has become clear that the support and consistency offered by UnitedMasters appear to be tiered unfairly, with noticeable disparities in how artists are treated depending on their membership level.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2025

  On May 12, 2025, our internal systems detected abnormal streaming activity on *** ******* release, *** ****** **** * specifically a ***** in streams-per-listener. The expected streams-per-listener number for a release is anywhere between 1-10 and *** ******* release showed a streams-per-listener number over 75. This is even demonstrated in the screenshot that *** ****** provided of his ******* for Artists account. The screenshot showed 391 streams from 5 listeners for this release, which would equate to 78.2 streams-per-listener.
  
  Per our Terms of Service (*******************************************), which *** ****** agreed to upon signing up for a UnitedMasters account, artificial streaming is strongly prohibited. As such, we took down the aforementioned release from ******* and notified him of this on May 14, 2025.
  
  As part of our internal investigation process, we requested evidence of promotion efforts for this release from *** ******* Our team reviewed the information provided by *** ****** and let him know that it appeared that his music may be being played repetitively on a loop, which would be considered a form of artificial streaming. On Friday, May 16, 2025, we asked him to confirm that this looping activity would stop, so that we could reinstate his release to stores.
  
  *** ****** then proceeded to send 5 emails outside of our normal business hours and eventually informed us that he would be closing his UnitedMasters account.
  
  When our team returned to office on Monday, May 21st, we informed him that we would be able to reinstate his release since he confirmed this activity would stop. However, he had already issued takedowns for all of his music. While we apologize for his frustration, we do want to make it clear that if he had just waited for a response from our team, we wouldve been able to reinstate his release, as he initially requested, without him having to remove all of his music from stores.
  
  Our team is currently waiting to hear back from *** ****** to see how he would like to proceed. If he is still interested, were more than happy to reinstate his release to ********
  
  Should *** ****** have any additional questions, he is welcome to reach out to us via email at ********************************************************************* 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/22/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  To Whom It May Concern,
  Thank you for your response and the opportunity to provide further clarity regarding the promotional strategy behind my release, The Flight Home.
  I would like to address the concerns raised about the abnormal streaming activity, specifically the elevated streams-per-listener ratio initially recorded at 391 streams from 5 listeners.
  This ***** was a result of a grassroots promotional effort I employed in the early stages of my release. I placed two dedicated playback devices in local bodega shops as part of a promotional merchandise setup. These locations played the album on loop to give customers an opportunity to listen while browsing merchandise and CDs. This method was designed not to manipulate streaming numbers, but to create awareness and generate organic fan interest in an area where I have strong local support.
  Given that The Flight Home is a 19.5-minute-long project, with intermittent ads included in the playback stream, these devices could not have feasibly generated more than approximately ***** plays over their total runtime during the period they were active. This was only intended as a limited-time, physical point-of-sale strategy, and the devices were retired after this early promotional push.
  Whats important to highlight is the subsequent organic growth that is clearly visible in the updated Spotify for Artists analytics (screenshots attached):
  Total Listeners: 173
  Total Streams: 4,974
  This growth proves that my music resonated with a broader audience beyond the initial 5-device-driven plays and affirms the legitimacy of my grassroots efforts. The updated ratio reflects a far more standard streams-per-listener metric and clearly shows that the initial listening ***** was not indicative of artificial streaming but part of an intentional, in-person marketing effort.
  Furthermore, I want to stress that I was forced to pursue unconventional promotional tactics because the distribution service provided by UnitedMasters significantly limited the effectiveness of more traditional promotional avenues:
  Attempts to get the song reviewed on live ******** shows or played on radio were unsuccessful due to copyright blocks.
  Posts on *******, ********, Instagram, and other social media platforms were often flagged or muted due to the strict copyright enforcement applied via UnitedMasters distribution, making it nearly impossible to promote organically online.
  As an independent artist, these obstacles have created considerable barriers to growing my audience, especially given the lack of support tools for artists within the UnitedMasters ecosystem. These experiences have deeply affected both my team's morale and my ability to operate as a fully independent creator.
  Regarding the timeline of our communication: I did confirm that any looping activity would stop and was still waiting for confirmation on reinstatement when I chose to issue takedowns across platforms. The decision to remove all my music was made not out of impatience, but out of repeated frustration with what felt like a lack of agency in the promotional process.
  With that said, I appreciate your offer to reinstate The Flight Home, and I remain open to dialogue if there is a path forward that supports and empowers independent artists rather than penalizing them for innovative but non-malicious promotional strategies.
  Please let me know how you would like to proceed.
  Sincerely,
  *** ******

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/02/2025

  We appreciate the additional context that *** ****** has provided, however, this doesnt change the fact that the streaming activity that he was engaging in is, by definition, classified as artificial streaming.
  
  We have provided adequate documentation to support this claim via direct communication and through *** ******* Better Business Bureau complaints. His releases were actioned in accordance with our Terms of Service, which again, *** ****** agreed to upon signing up for a UnitedMasters account.
  
  If *** ****** is not satisfied with the promotion offerings at UnitedMasters, he is not obligated to use our service or promotion offerings. However, should he continue to use UnitedMasters for distribution, he is obligated to abide by the Terms of Service and avoid engaging in artificial streaming activity.
  
  We have continued to provide prompt and thorough support to *** ****** and have completed his requests to change his artist name and assist with his Official Artist Channel on ******** To reiterate, UnitedMasters never applied strict copyright enforcement to *** ******* music. We have ensured that UnitedMasters is not monetizing any of his music on his behalf via ********
  
  While were happy to have *** ****** continue using UnitedMasters services, if he chooses not to do so, that is at his discretion. We will not be issuing a refund for *** ******* subscription, as we have provided ample support to *** ****** throughout this entire process and have acted within our Terms of ********************************* have any additional questions, he is encouraged to reach out to our team via ***********************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/06/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   

  Refund for services and our continued use of your services is only determined by proper and FULL resolution of distribution issues, which has not occurred, not just some and is not up to United Masters nor *********************** to decide at this point.

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/09/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am an independent artist using UnitedMasters for music distribution. I am experiencing critical issues with my release, and despite multiple support attempts through Scarlet, none have been resolved.Issues:Incorrect Song Title: My song ********" is still listed as "******** (lowercase "L" instead of uppercase "I"). Scarlet from support promised to fix it, but it remains incorrect.Incorrect Explicit Tag: The song is marked explicit, even though I did not upload it that way. Scarlet confirmed it would be corrected, but it still shows as *************** Account Issue: My paid SELECT account shows up as free on my desktop but correctly on my phone. This inconsistency affects my access to paid features.Lack of Communication: Despite many follow-ups, I have not received updates or resolutions. Scarlet said the engineering team would fix it, but no progress has been made.Why It Matters:The song is set to release on May 13th to honor a friend, and these unresolved issues threaten my rollout and professional image.Desired Resolution:Fix the title to ********" (uppercase "I").Remove the explicit tag.Ensure my SELECT subscription is correctly displayed.Provide confirmation that these issues will be resolved before the release date.I need help urgently, as this is damaging my professional reputation.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/20/2025

  *** ****** had several requests regarding his release ******* and his UnitedMasters subscription. He initially reached out to our Support team on May 2nd to flag an issue where he wasnt able to submit the track title ******* due to our system recognizing it as a protected name. Our team responded on May 5th and let him know that wed granted access to allow him to use the name ******* on his release.
  
  *** ****** then replied on May 7th and informed us he was having an issue with selecting his preferred release date due to the system not recognizing his SELECT subscription status. He sent 7 separate emails within an eleven hour period and our team promptly replied on the same day informing him that our backend system did, in fact, show his account as having a SELECT subscription. We also informed him we had escalated this issue to our Engineering team to have them investigate why he was seeing a different subscription type on his end.
  
  There was also some confusion with the spelling of *** ******* release title and the explicit marking on his release, but our team clarified with him several times to make sure that we were understanding his request properly and resolving it accordingly. We can understand the importance of accurate release information, but we did provide prompt and thorough support to *** ****** and ultimately resolved the issues he was experiencing. His release is now live with the correct title and explicit marking and the release went live on time on his selected release date.
  
  Should *** ****** have any additional questions or need additional assistance, he is welcome to reach out to ************************************************************.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/17/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I submitted all required tax and payment information to UnitedMasters, which has been marked as reviewed and approved. However, my cashout button remains disabled, and I have not received any response to multiple support requests I sent over the past few days. My account is still active, and I have not been notified of any violations or issues. I rely on this payout and would simply like transparency and assistance in resolving the issue so I can receive the funds Ive earned through legitimate streams.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/30/2025

  By agreeing to our Terms of Service (*******************************************) (the Terms), Shannahdoah Sueing has agreed, among other things, that they will not distribute any User Content that infringes any intellectual property or other proprietary rights of any party.
  
  During an internal investigation, it came to our attention that a track distributed through Sueings account (THE ***** HURTS) included third-party material.
  
  This release was removed from distribution, as permitted by the Terms, and their account's payment access was temporarily blocked pending resolution of this matter.
  
  Sueing initially reached out to our team on April 15, 2025, to inquire about the status of the tax form they had submitted, which was pending validation at the time. 
  Our team responded that same day and let them know that their tax form was being reviewed.
  
  Sueing then inquired about their accounts payment access being blocked, and our team responded on April 16, 2025, informing them about the third-party material identified in their User Content. Our team requested any documentation showing that Sueing had obtained permission to use this material, which Sueing was unable to provide.
  
  Our team also informed Sueing that we would be withholding funds associated with the material in question, as permitted by the Terms.
  
  At Sueings request, our team has provided additional reporting detailing the amount of these funds.
  
  Sueing has been allowed to withdraw funds not related to this material.
  
  We ask that they make sure all their User Content, whether submitted in the past or in the future, complies with the Terms.
  
  They can find more information about common copyright issues in our help center (***********************************************************************************) and on our blog (***********************************************************).
  
  But, if they have additional questions about this, they should not hesitate to reach out to *************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/01/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]
  I am rejecting the businesss response because their handling of this situation was dishonest and inconsistent. At first, UnitedMasters told me my royalties were incorrectly displayed due to a visual bug. Later, they admitted that the $3,565 in earnings were real, tied to a specific flagged song, and removed based on copyright. Thats a direct contradiction. I never saw those earnings reflected clearly in my dashboard while the song was live, and they only provided royalty reports after I filed this BBB complaint. I was unaware the beat contained a sample, and the communication from UnitedMasters was confusing, inconsistent, and felt like they were trying to avoid accountability. While Im moving forward and will protect my content better next time, I am not satisfied with how this was handled, and I want other artists to be aware of how royalties can be stripped without warning or proper documentation. This case may be closed, but I do not consider it resolved. When I wanted to cash out thats when they locked it and then apparently investigated and took my funds but you had a chance to remove the funds if it was copyright.

  
   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********** ******
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/16/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been using these services for a while now and has been able to cash out with no problem yet since December this company has been taking all of my royalties with no explanation. When I reach out I never get a response yet when I check my dashboard it eventually shows me royalty adjustment and the company has then took all of my royalties except for $1/$2. Very unacceptable. Their is no reason for United Masters to keep 100% of my royalties when their site says they don't do that. Also they need to respond when people are reaching for clarity on what this company is doing with their money. I just had $1200 and now they have took everything but $4. This company is operating like scam artist and something needs to be done to stop them. I'm a independent artist and I work hard on my music. People are streaming my tracks in different parts of the world and no one is benefiting except United Masters. I WANT MY MONEY!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 04/29/2025

  This is the second complaint that *** **** has filed regarding this issue. While we already addressed this issue in December 2024, we will reiterate the information that has been communicated to *** **** numerous times, directly and through the Better Business Bureau. 
  
  By agreeing to our Terms of Service (*******************************************), *** **** has agreed, among other things, that he will not distribute any User Content that infringes any intellectual property or other proprietary rights of any party.
  
  *** **** has also agreed that, upon request, he will promptly provide us with copies of agreements and such other documents and information as we request, including the identity of, and contact information for Rights Holders, in order to ensure compliance with the Terms.
  
  On November 26, 2024, it came to our attention that there might be third-party material in a track from a release distributed through *** ***** account ********* despite the fact that *** **** had specifically indicated that it was entirely original when he uploaded it to our service.
  
  Our team removed the release from distribution, as permitted by our Terms of Service.
  
  *** **** has never responded to our requests for more information about this material: Not when our teams initially communicated with him about this on December 11, 2024; not when we responded, in detail, to his previous complaint with the Better Business Bureau; and not when we specifically requested this information from him, again, on April 16, 2025.
  
  To be clear, *** **** has emailed our team a total of 17 times about this same issue since December 2024. We have continued to reply to his requests in a timely manner. Our team has informed him of our concerns about the release, given him the opportunity to provide licenses or more context (which he has not), and informed him that we are withholding funds attributable to content he uploaded that we suspect is infringing, as permitted by our Terms of Service.
  
  *** **** has been allowed to withdraw funds not related to this material.
  
  If he has any additional questions about this or would like to respond to our requests regarding the material in question, as required by our Terms of Service, he should reach out to **************************************************************. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/20/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  They are holding my royalties for no reason, plus they charged me for the membership, knowing they are not going to pay me anyhow. Plus, they have my tax 1099 forms but have not contacted accurate tax information to the ***. I want my royalties!

  Business Response

  Date: 03/15/2025

  By agreeing to our Terms of Service (*******************************************), *** ******* has agreed, among other things, that he will not distribute any User Content that infringes any intellectual property or other proprietary rights of any party.
  
  *** ******* has also agreed that, upon request, he will promptly provide us with copies of agreements and such other documents and information as we request, including the identity of, and contact information for Rights Holders, in order to ensure compliance with the Terms.
  
  On October 16, 2024, our team notified *** ******* that one of his tracks, **** ** *** ***** ***** ************), was included in litigation proceedings between Epidemic Sounds and Meta. Per our Terms of Service, we removed the infringing content from all digital service providers, restricted his accounts payment access, and asked *** ******* to provide documentation demonstrating his right to distribute this content. *** ******* did not respond to this email notification from our team.
  
  *** ******* then wrote in to our support team on December 18, 2024 and inquired about the payment access on his account being blocked. Our team responded promptly on the same day and reiterated the information that we had sent to him back in October. *** ******* was not able to provide any of the requested documentation to prove that he was the Rights Holder for this content.
  
  At this point, we have removed the payment restriction on *** ********* account, and he has successfully cashed out the remaining funds from his account balance. The payment to *** ******* was processed on March 5, 2025.
  
  *** ******* decided to take down all of his content from music services on January 20, 2025. This was after his UnitedMasters membership was renewed. It was *** ******* obligation to cancel his membership if he no longer wished to use our services. 
  
  And in response to his claim that we have not provided accurate tax information, this is incorrect. Amounts paid to *** ******** and only amounts actually paid to *** ******** have been reported to the *** as required.
  
  Should *** ******* have any additional questions or want to provide the requested Rights Holder documentation, hes welcome to reach out to *************************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/13/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ive been using United Masters as my distribution company for my music since 2022 and in the last 7 months I partnered up with a playlist company that I did extensive research on before using them to make sure I was getting real promotion with real vetted playlists to make sure I drive authentic traffic to my music because to me reputation is everything and I understand theres a lot of scams out there promising a certain amount of streams in exchange for money. The company I used was **************** who were not promising any of the sort. All they did was inform me that depending on my music certain playlists will accept me or decline me if the music is fitting and good enough for the playlist owners. I personally better all playlists that my music was added on and all checked out perfectly. After 7 months of consistent playlisting and pushing my music to the maximum level I reached about 195k streams and rapidly growing faster and faster. (I had a budget for each song which was ******* per song). United masters flagged my account saying my music was growing to fast and that they noticed abnormal growth patterns. I took this as an accusation hence I added the CEO Of ************ on the email so that everyone was held accountable. Playlistpush was more than willing to disclose their vetting process to prove the validity of their network of playlists and we asked United masters to disclose what they found as far as abnormal activity but United masters refused to explain what they found as abnormalities. They shut down my entire account and took down all my releases which in turn caused thousands of promotional dollars to go down the drain. At the moment Im in the process of hiring a lawyer and taking legal action against all parties involved. I was getting traffic to Apple Music, ******* and iTunes just by using Playlistpush hence I know the traffic was authentic and illegal inflation of numbers. United Masters is a scam and is not taking accountability. #Lawsuit!

  Business Response

  Date: 02/21/2025

  On January 20, 2025, during an internal investigation, our team detected abnormal streaming activity on *** ******** release, UPC ************ - specifically a ***** in streams-per-listener. The expected streams-per-listener number for a release is anywhere between 1-10 and *** ******** release showed a streams-per-listener number of 19. Also 91% of his streams in ******* were coming from a single source, which is not typical of a release that is being streamed organically.
  
  Per our Terms of Service (*******************************************), which *** ******* agreed to upon signing up for a UnitedMasters account, artificial streaming is strongly prohibited. As such, we took down the aforementioned release from ******* and notified him via email. 
  
  As part of our internal investigation process, we requested evidence of promotion efforts for this release from *** ******** Our team reviewed the information provided by *** ******* and let him know that the company that he used for promotion is one that weve seen in multiple instances of artificial streaming across other artists. We advised him to discontinue using their services, but he refused. As a one-time courtesy, we reinstated his release to ******* but let him know that if we continued to see abnormal streaming activity on his content, it would result in further takedowns and an account closure.
  
  Then on February 10, 2025, our team detected additional abnormal streaming activity on *** ******** content. The streams-per-listener number had grown to 44, which is much higher than the number we would see with organic listening. As we had previously discussed with *** ******** and per our Terms of Service, we proceeded with removing all of his content from all stores and closing his account. However, we did keep payment access open on his account, so that *** ******* could cash out any funds that remain in his account.
  
  As an additional piece of evidence, we also received reports of artificial streaming from one of our store partners related to *** ******** content. Between May 2024 and December 2024, ****** streams associated with his content were reported as artificial by our store partner.
  
  Should *** ******* have any additional questions, he is welcome to reach out to us via email at *******************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/03/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   As per my attachments Ive been added on various playlists resulting in real streams and real Apple Music listeners and saves have occurred. If the company I used which is **************** was promoting me with falsified streams it would not be possible for my Apple Music plays and my iTunes plays to go up as well without promoting those outlets especially that all Ive been promoting my music with one company for the last several months which was specifically just getting all my music catalog specifically ****************************************** my streams to spike and go up at a rapid pace. Im an artist with a budget which allowed me to be able to accomplish such marketing strategies which not many artist can do without a budget. I offered to provide proof of such and playlist push also was willing to provide proof that all playlist have been vetted but United Masters refused to allow us to prove the validity of the streams nor was willing to provide proof of what they based their decision on. Ive done my own research on playlist push and *** also had a lawyer review playlist push and they are an accredited company they might have had one or two complaints against them but all companies do including United masters. Ive also done research on United Masters and they are notorious in kicking people out of their platforms without the proper vetting so they also are victims of complaints against them. No company is perfect but ultimately the point is that Ive had legitimate plays on various other outlets besides ******* hence meaning real listeners are finding my music and saving it due to the efforts playlist push has taken alongside me. Ive been added to over 2500 playlists and United masters has the audacity to say my music isnt able to spike in ways it has and thats blasphemy. They can say all they want but the fact still remains that Apple Music and ITunes and ******* have grown due to playlist push and my efforts to promote my music through them and Ive attached proof. United Masters has no proof my streams were falsified by bots and has refused to provide proof. Its there word against mine and playlist push and the proof weve set forth. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/06/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hi United Masters, you have taken my song-single down tilted Mastermind again due to what you believe to be artificial streaming. The promotion for Mastermind overall especially via ******* has been legitimate and the promotion is with ****** Ads PPC, ******* ****** Ads and press. I am not aware of any bots or using bad promotions only legitimate ways to push my single. Here is a small report of ways the song and its companion book (short story) are being promoted and its stats. I would appreciate my single being put back up reinstated on *******, bless. Which the promotions have been started back up-resumed starting January 2025. If this is not handled properly I will be taking legal action. I paid for this service for the biggest package to have your distribution represent my music.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/14/2025

  Starting in July of 2024, we began receiving reports of artificial streaming from a store partner in regards to *** ******* content. Between July 2024 and December 2025, our store partner reported a total of ******* of *** ******* streams as being artificial. This is a significant number and indicative of flagrant artificial streaming activity. Per our Terms of Service (*******************************************), which *** ****** agreed to upon signing up for a UnitedMasters account, artificial streaming is strongly prohibited.
  
  The first takedown of *** ******* content occurred on August 29, 2024 for the release UPC ************, due to receiving reports of substantial artificial streaming from our store partner. *** ****** wrote into our Support team on September 8, 2024 inquiring about this release being unavailable on *******. We informed her of the reports of artificial streaming activity that we received and requested promotion evidence from her, as per our usual process when artificial streaming takedowns occur.
  
  *** ****** was cooperative and provided a lengthy report of the promotion efforts for that release on September 15, 2024. Our team reviewed the information provided by *** ****** and let her know that we would be reinstating her content to ******* given her cooperation in our investigation and since her participation in this artificial streaming activity was unintentional. Her content was promptly re-delivered to ******* on September 16, 2024.
  
  Then several months later, on January 26, 2025, our internal systems detected artificial streaming activity again on her release UPC ************ and as a result, this release was taken down from ******* and distribution access was temporarily restricted. *** ****** wrote into our Support team on February 4 inquiring about this release being unavailable on ******* again. Our team followed our usual process and requested promotion evidence from her regarding this release. 
  
  *** ****** provided the same promotion evidence as she did back in September 2024. Our team let her know that we expected to receive updated promotion evidence, as the activity was a separate instance from the prior activity. After several email correspondences, our team decided to reinstate *** ******* content as a courtesy, given that she is claiming the activity is unintentional. That being said, if we continue to receive reports of artificial streaming or detect artificial streaming internally on her content, it will result in an account closure, per our Terms of Service.
  
  At this time, *** ******* release UPC ************ has been reinstated to ******* and her distribution access has been restored. She is welcome to continue using our services, given that the artificial streaming activity stops. Should she continue to use our services, *** ****** must abide by our Terms of Service and we expect that there will be no further artificial streaming since we have given her multiple warnings at this point.
  
  If there are any additional questions that we can answer, *** ****** is welcome to reach out to us via email at *******************************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/04/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  United Masters has (on numerous occasions) had my songs removed from *******, without a justifiable cause. Each time it happens, they take eons to respond, and give me invalid information (or no information at all). Or they (United Masters) claim the reason theyve removed my songs was due to artificial streaming. Theyve even gone as far as to say that Ive been paying for streams (even though the marketing tools Ive used were/are being promoted on the United Masters app. Every time I make progress or hit a new audience with my music, or whenever its time to analyze streams and payout I randomly have issues with my account and payout. It almost seems as if theyre (United Masters) is purposefully manipulating my account and streams to affect the payout.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/14/2025

  On October 17, 2025, *** ****** reached out to our support team inquiring about why his release *** ************ was not live on streaming platforms. Our team responded promptly and notified him that we had internally detected artificial streaming on this release and that it was not removed from all stores, but only removed from ******** Per our Terms of Service (********************************************* which *** ****** agreed to upon signing up for a UnitedMasters account, artificial streaming is strongly prohibited. As such, we took down the aforementioned release from ********
  
  As part of our internal investigation process, we requested evidence of promotion efforts for this release from *** ******* He then provided a promotion service that our team investigated. We communicated to *** ****** that this service appeared to guarantee playlist placements, which is often an indicator of fraudulent activity. We advised him to discontinue using this service in order to avoid artificial streaming in the future. Our team then let *** ****** know that we would be reinstating his content to ******* given his cooperation in our investigation and since his participation in this artificial streaming activity was unintentional. *** ******* content was promptly re-delivered to ******* on October 21, 2024 - only four days after his initial email to our support team.
  
  Then on December 5, 2024, our team once again detected artificial streaming on *** ******* content. His release UPC ************ had 19 streams-per-listener, when we expect a normal range to be between 0-10 streams-per-listener. This release also had a drastic ***** in streams that was isolated to one day, which is not typical for a release that has organic listening. Due to these indicators, we issued a takedown for this release from *******, temporarily restricted distribution access on the account (due to this being the second instance of artificial streaming) and notified *** ****** via email.
  
  *** ****** did not provide additional promotion evidence as requested in our notice that was sent to him on December 5, 2024. Then on December 18, 2024, *** ****** wrote in to our Support team again asking about the distribution access restriction on his account. Our team promptly replied on December 19, 2024 and provided the same information that was given to *** ****** in the December 5th notice, which detailed that we would need additional information to restore his account distribution access. *** ****** again did not provide additional promotion evidence and our team had to ask several times for any relevant information that could possibly explain the activity that we detected.
  
  After several back-and-forths, we decided to reinstate *** ******* distribution access and UPC ************ as a one-time courtesy, given that the artificial streaming activity would stop moving forward.
  
  *** ****** was still unhappy at this point and accused UnitedMasters of stealing streams from him. Our team let him know that we did, in fact, receive verified reports of artificial streams in relation to his content from one of our store partners and that these streams would not be paid out to UnitedMasters on his behalf. Those totals can be seen below:
  
  November 2024
  UPC ************ ****** artificial streams
  UPC ************ ******* artificial streams
  UPC ************ ******* artificial streams
  
  After all of these communications, the artificial streaming activity on *** ******* music did not stop, which resulted in additional takedowns from ******** We continued to receive reports of artificial streaming from our store partner (which was relayed to *** ******** found below:
  
  December 2024
  *** ************ **** *** * ****** * ***** ********** *******
  *** ************ ******** ******* ****** * ***** ********** *******
  *** ************ ********* * ***** ********** *******
  *** ************ *********** *** * ***** ********** *******
  *** ************ ****** ** *** ***** * ****** ********** *******
  
  Again, we requested additional promotion evidence from *** ****** on February 3, 2025. He let us know that he was using a promotion service that UnitedMasters has verified, so we decided to reinstate his releases UPC ************, ************, ************, ************, & ************ to ******* given his cooperation.
  
  Finally, *** ****** wrote into our Support team on February 12, 2025, after a ******* artificial streaming penalty fee of $30.83 was deducted from his account balance. Our team replied promptly the next day and let *** ****** know that ******* charged UnitedMasters penalty fees because they detected flagrant artificial streaming on his tracks Waiting, Gritted Teeth (Intro) and Hands To The Moon during the November 2024 streaming period. These fees were passed along to *** ****** as the owner of this content. Since *** ****** did not have enough funds in his account balance to cover these fees, his account balance went into the negative. We informed him that as he continues to earn legitimate royalties, they will be added to his account balance and once he gets out of the negative, he will be able to cash out again.
  
  Should *** ****** continue using our services, he must abide by our Terms of Service and we expect that there will be no further artificial streaming since we have given him multiple warnings at this point. If he has any additional questions, he is welcome to reach out to us via email at *******************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/17/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

  Well I find very ironic that United Master finds abnormal/artificial streams on the same day they have a temporary outage (which had lost all of my streaming data up until that point). its also very convenient for them to take my music down and flag me for using their verified promotion services and not promptly getting back to be (which they havent specified for being prompt in February). Also after confirming my response and proper usage of promotion along with my organic streams, it took 2 days to re-upload my music. I didnt even receive an apology for their mistake. Also they dont give detailed reports with a proper source to cross verify their information. At this point it could just be speculation along with whatever intent/ motive they (United Masters) have for manipulating artists streams.

  
   I have more pictures of our conversations if necessary. I have done nothing but work my **** off and to make and distribute my music fairly with United Masters and theyre punishing me for my success. In October (during the first time United Masters had my music taken down) I had cooperated with them and showed them the platforms I used to help promote my music through organic playlists. After theyd urged my immediate discontinuation of those platforms, I had only used their platforms since and have still been punished for doing so.

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2025

  While we do apologize for any inconvenience that *** ****** has experienced, we hope that he can understand that when artificial streaming activity is detected or reported, we must take action, as outlined in our Terms of Service. UnitedMasters takes this type of activity very seriously and we have no reason to fabricate this information in *** ******* case.
  
  Regarding *** ******* claims about our team not prompting responding to his inquiries in February, this is simply not accurate. I can confirm that we received an email from him on February 12, 2025, where he asked about the artificial streaming penalty fee that was deducted from his account. Our team promptly responded to him the next day on February 13, and let him know that this fee was charged to UnitedMasters by ******** due to his content being associated with artificial streaming. As the owner of this content, the fee is being passed along to *** ******* as per our usual processes.
  
  At this point, we have detailed to *** ****** and the Better Business Bureau that we have not only internally detected artificial streaming on his content, but also received reports of artificial streams from our store partner (which were detailed in our initial response) and fees from this store partner as a result of *** ******* music generating artificial streams. We have provided more than enough evidence to indicate that artificial streaming is definitively occurring on his content.
  
  As for his promotion efforts, while there are some companies that we recommend using, ultimately his music and related streaming activity is his responsibility as the artist and owner of this content. Should *** ****** notice any suspicious activity on his music or any suspicious playlists that his music has been added to, we urge him to reach out to us proactively with this information so that we can avoid any further reports of artificial streams.
  
  Lastly, to address his claims about his data being lost, I can assure *** ****** that if UnitedMasters temporarily experienced an outage in displaying streaming data, that does not mean that his streaming data was lost. All available streaming data related to *** ******* music is visible in his UnitedMasters account. If he feels otherwise, he is welcome to reach out to ********************************** to report this. That being said, if a service like ******* reports artificial streams, they also are likely to remove those streams from an artists total stream counts. Since *** ****** had multiple reports of artificial streams on his content, it is possible that ******* removed those streams from his stream counts and ******* for Artists account.
  
  As previously stated, *** ******* releases have been reinstated at this point and he is welcome to continue using our services, should he decide that he wants to, given that there are no more instances of artificial streaming on his content.