UMG Partners with Direct-To-Fan Platform EVEN

Universal Music Group (UMG) has signed a multi-year agreement with direct-to-fan platform EVEN, which enables artists to sell music and engage with fans directly.

The deal:

• EVEN will provide UMG’s labels and artists with a turnkey solution for engaging their most dedicated fans through early access to music, exclusive content, and community features.

• It will also allow UMG artists to sell physical music and merchandise through EVEN using UMG’s global D2C vinyl and merch infrastructure.

The platform:

• EVEN offers EVEN Marketplace, a consumer-facing discovery platform, and EVEN Studio, a white-label solution that can help transform an artist’s website into a dedicated superfan destination.

• Since its inception in 2024 it claims to have onboarded 500,000 artists through direct signups and distribution partnerships across 3,000+ labels and distributors in 110+ countries.

Wider play:

• As Music Business Worldwide points out, UMG’s deal with EVEN is its latest move in building out its superfan infrastructure.

• In February 2024 UMG acquired a stake in youth media platform Complex; a month later it invested in HYBE’s Weverse, the K-pop giant’s superfan platform.

• In January 2026 it acquired a minority stake in superfan app Stationhead.

• UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge has previously identified superfan monetization as a key 2026 focus.

What they said:

• Jonathan Dworkin, Executive Vice President, Digital Business Development & Strategy, UMG: “As we continue to build strong, diverse superfan capabilities, 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.”