Photo Credit: Even
Universal Music Group (UMG) is looking to take its superfan game to the next level with Even, a self-described “infrastructure platform powering direct-to-fan music sales before streaming release.”
The major label and four-year-old Even confirmed their “multi-year agreement” today. Unsurprisingly, however, the companies have been testing the partnership waters for a while – including by collaborating to promote J. Cole’s The Fall-Off.
In the lead-up to that project’s February 6th debut, Even coordinated the release of a pay-what-you-want EP entitled Birthday Blizzard ’26. Additionally, the company developed J. Cole’s “Inevitable” website and integrated a “forum-like hub” for diehards to communicate and ask the artist questions.
On that same site, superfans can also purchase different pay-what-you-want digital products and limited-edition physical releases. Even itself appears to be handling the former, with UMG’s Interscope powering physical checkouts directly via Inevitable.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: This framework will seemingly remain in place moving forward, with Even continuing to spearhead all things digital as UMG leverages its “global D2C, vinyl, and merch infrastructure” to move physical items.
(On Even’s end, “all things digital” technically refers to a “consumer-facing discovery platform” called Marketplace and, when it comes to transforming existing sites into superfan destinations, Studio.)
Addressing the UMG pact, Even co-founder and CEO Mag Rodriguez underscored the importance of superfan monetization for artists as well as the wider industry.
“Superfans are the foundation of sustainable artist careers. EVEN exists to support artists and labels at everystage by giving them the infrastructure to own their fan relationships,” said Rodriguez. “This collaboration reflects what we’ve always believed: that direct-to-fan engagement is now an essential layer of the music ecosystem, working alongside streaming.”
Meanwhile, UMG EVP of digital business development and strategy Jonathan Dworkin emphasized the superfan-side significance of Even’s “unified, scalable solution.”
“As we continue to build strong, diverse superfan capabilities,” Dworkin added, “EVEN provides a unified, scalable solution for artists and labels to produce creatively and commercially meaningful moments around release campaigns. The platform fosters safe, engaged, and loyal fan communities, all while fitting seamlessly within the broader social and entertainment ecosystem.”
Though the involved developments have largely flown under the radar, it’s been a busy few months for Even. According to Crunchbase, the a16z-backed business quietly closed a $10 million Series A this past November.
And on the personnel front, the company recently bolstered its team by adding a head of marketing, a head of business development, a COO, and other execs yet.
