Master Of The Game

American Actress Madonna recently spoke about her rise to fame when exposure platforms such as Youtube were non-existent. The eighties and nineties were an exciting time for artists in the music business. Major artists had awakened to the endless possibilities for furthering their success and gaining more riches than what they were earning from the record labels by taking control of their music density. Except for Madonna, the three top earners of those decades, George Michael, Prince, and Michael Jackson, had engaged their record labels in public disputes with both Prince and George Michael wanting out of the recording contracts they had signed in their teens.
Prince wanted to gain ownership of the masters for the music he recorded while signed to Warner Bros Music. Those came to be known as the “Slave years”, which saw Prince change his name to an unpronounceable symbol.
After the changes that enveloped the music business landscape, Prince signed an exclusive deal with Tidal, the platform owned by Jay Z.
UnitedMasters artist Ali Hugo discussed the importance of musicians owning the master recordings of their releases. “ I’m lucky to be a cusp between generation X and the Millennials.” What makes Hugo different, is that he has the strong foundation and know-how from generation X music industry as well as the cutting edge skills needed to succeed in today’s landscape, while also working on accurately forecasting and strategically planning for tomorrow.”
Possessing this adroitness is what made Ali Hugo sign with UnitedMasters. “Besides the fact that I get to keep 100% of the royalties from my upcoming catalogue, the agreement with UnitedMasters allows me to retain ownership of the master recordings of my releases and giving me access to endless sync & distribution opportunities.” “Having witnessed the “Slave years”, today; I understand the financial gains which can accrue from owning my masters’. “ it is all about believing in the value of my catalogue, which is the best financial investment I’ve made for myself and the future of the Ali Hugo estate.”
Hugo’s is currently working on “Afrodisiac,” which will be his first release with UnitedMasters.