Setting Music Free
Artist Invitation & Manifesto
A private community of artists,
reclaiming the value of music.
If you’re here, you’re invited.
This is a call to arms.
Intro
The tragedy of our time,
is that the art that heals us,
that makes us feel alive,
has been stripped,
of all its value.
It used to cost millions to make
a record; studios, engineers,
CDs, global shipping.
So the industry wrote contracts,
to front the cost,
and own everything in return.
But the world has changed.
Music is made on laptops.
Shared in clicks.
So why haven’t the models?
90/10 splits.
Advances are still loans.
Net 90 payments.
And even if we stay independent,
We’re ruled by algorithms.
Our art is reduced to content.
Food for an insatiable machine.
Think about your last release.
You sent fans from Instagram.
To a link-in-bio.
To a pre-save page.
To a streaming platform that pays $0.004/stream.
A maze of clicks.
Just to reach your work.
About
Unreleased is a secret society of artists fighting back.
A shared blueprint — and free tools — for releasing art on our own terms.
We write our own record deals.
Invest in each other’s work.
And thrive in the current system.
While building one where music holds its value.
Manifesto
Act before release.
The moment before a record drops, is when it holds the most value.
That’s when we act.
Before it’s reduced to $0.004/stream.
Release it like art.
When it’s time to share a record,
its artistry should be felt fully.
We’ve crafted Free DIY Tools to make every release experiential.
Layered reveals, listening parties,
unseen footage, fan contests.
LIKE LINKTREE.
ON STEROIDS.
A GLASS CANVAS.
FOR YOUR ART.
Double tap to expand.
Swipe to see more.
Build direct relationships.
Let fans play a track for a number.
5 or 500, it shouldn’t matter.
Text them directly.
Build a CRM that’s yours forever.
Double tap to expand.
Swipe to see more.
Let fans and peers support your work.
Offer access — before DSPs.
Keep it pay-what-you-want and accessible.
A private experience,
for your biggest fans.
High-fidelity sound, offline listening.
In a space built to honour artistry.
Double tap to expand.
Swipe to see more.
Make access matter. Empower those who support.
Let those who back your unreleased record, also be the ones to bring it to the world.
Distribution becomes social.
Organic. Human. Valuable.
You control how far it spreads,
and turn support into status.
Double tap to expand.
Swipe to see more.
Turn records into investable artworks.
Keep some records off DSPs forever.
The only way in?
Through your supporters.
So there’s more of a reason to pay and become one.
Also make them limited in supply.
Like rare vinyl, but from the future.
If they sell out, early supporters can resell their editions to newer fans.
With each resale earning you a royalty, for life.
A new kind of record deal.
Where it pays to back art early.
A way for artists to invest in each other, and win with their fans.
Double tap to expand.
Swipe to see more.
Create a home where art is valued.
Designed to remind us,
why a record is worth paying for.
A space where independents break out -
on the strength of their art and nothing else.
No clickbait.
No ads.
No anxiety.
Just art.
And the humans it moves.
Double tap to expand.
Swipe to see more.
Why this matters
The ideas above —
artists investing in each other,
sharing upside with fans,
owning their data,
releasing without labels or platforms —
are only possible because of one thing: smart contracts.
Beautiful technology,
that removes the middleman.
But it’s not just music.
Every art form is trapped in a ‘free content’ economy of endless supply.
Where algorithms reward reactions, not craft:
Outrage, comparison, fear.
Because clicks fuel billions in ad revenue.
But this is a chance to break the cycle.
To stop feeding a machine,
that forgot why we create in the first place.
To build something new.
Independent.
Human.
Undeniable.
Welcome to the future.
Got a project releasing?
Make it experiential. Build direct fan relationships. Unlock new income. Grow your community. Our tool is free to use.
CREATE YOUR OWN LINK
Want to feel inspired?
Welcome to a world where the economics of music favor the artists who create it, and the humans who live for it. See for yourself.
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Want to create with us?
Come by our studio in Los Angeles. We’ll help you strategize, shoot your creative, and get your release ready. This is for our private artist community. Let’s make art.
HIT US ON INSTAGRAM