Unchained Music, an independent music distribution platform, has announced a partnership with the NOISE Foundation to develop new infrastructure aimed at improving transparency and accountability across music funding, promotion, and rights management. The collaboration addresses long-standing industry challenges such as unclear marketing spend, opaque recoupment arrangements, and limited visibility into how promotional support is structured and measured. The partnership brings together Unchained Music's global distribution platform with the NOISE Foundation's work on structured, auditable campaign support for independent artists.
Under this arrangement, artists using Unchained Music may have access to optional, clearly defined services including curated marketing campaigns, promotional support, and publishing administration. These services are offered separately from distribution and are designed to give artists greater insight into campaign structure, costs, and outcomes. Independent artists often struggle to understand how promotion is funded and how returns are calculated, according to Matthew Waters, CEO of Unchained Music, who stated this partnership is about creating clearer, more accountable systems so artists can make informed decisions about their careers without sacrificing control.
Unchained Music will continue to operate as a standalone distributor, with no changes to artist ownership, royalty flows, or existing account terms. Participation in any additional services introduced through the partnership is entirely optional, with no automatic enrollment or obligation. The NOISE Foundation operates as a service and infrastructure organization focused on documenting and managing music campaigns in a transparent, standardized way. Its role is to support artists and partners through clearly scoped agreements, consistent reporting, and long-term stewardship of supported projects. Additional details on participation and available programs will be announced in the coming months.
Unchained Music is built around transparency and independent artist ownership, offering distribution and optional professional services without exclusivity or opaque deal structures. The platform enables musicians and labels worldwide to release music to major streaming and download services while retaining full rights, transparent royalty flows, and non-exclusive terms. Unlike traditional distribution and label models, Unchained Music separates distribution from optional professional services, with each service clearly defined, scoped, and reported. More information about the platform is available at https://www.unchainedmusic.io.
