‘Cash for Change’ spotlights artists advocating for social justice with powerful protest music

Artists received payment directly to their Cash App accounts with half of the winnings being donated on their behalf to a social justice organization of their choice

Cortney Wills

Sep 11, 2020

After thousands of submissions, the Cash for Change program has come to a close having given away $100,000.

UnitedMasters, the leading platform for independent artists, partnered with Cash App earlier this summer to launch the Cash for Change grant program, giving a total of $100,000 to 25 artists over 25 days. These artists received payment directly to their Cash App accounts with half of the winnings being donated on their behalf to a social justice organization of their choice.

As social unrest and a rallying cry for change continue to envelop our nation, UnitedMasters and Cash App partnered to amplify voices from around the country that might not otherwise be heard. Through this program, any artist could speak up through their music by submitting their songs for consideration.

The campaign highlighted stories and messages from young artists and gave them the chance to support social justice organizations that mattered most to them. Some of the organizations that received support throughout the campaign were: Black Lives Matter, The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, My Block, My Hood, My City, The Equal Justice Initiative, The Bail Project, Color of Change, Campaign Zero, and Know Your Rights Camp.

The 25 winners saw a significant increase in streaming activity after being selected as a Cash App winner, with streams for some artists increasing from 50% to +1,000%. Break out artists include Makis Raqeem, who saw a +7,541%, increase, and King Fatai, who saw a +1,374% increase. Twelve-year-old Atlantan Devon Sangs was handpicked by UnitedMasters’s Founder Steve Stoute on the very last day of submissions and saw significant growth with a +1,113% increase on streams following his participation in the campaign.

“We launched this project in partnership with Cash App to make sure that the voices and messages of our young generation of artists could be heard – at a time of great need in this country. Throughout the process we’ve discovered tremendous talent and deeply impactful stories.” said Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood, President of UnitedMasters. “These artists have furthered the dialogue that is so necessary right now and we’re proud to support them and the social justice organizations they’ve chosen.”

Cash App’s Artistic Development Lead, Garrett McManus, added: “Teaming up with UnitedMasters on this impactful program has allowed Cash App to provide more artists with the space and the means to create freely. We’ve always been committed to uplifting artistic expression, and we couldn’t be prouder to lend our support to artists during this important moment in time.”

Artists submitted their song through the UnitedMasters app with winners selected by the UM A&R team. At the end of the contest, a #CashForChange playlist was created and shared via social platforms.

About UnitedMasters

Launched in 2017 by Translation founder and music industry veteran Steve Stoute, UnitedMasters provides a new industry alternative for independent artists. UnitedMasters gives artists access to premium music distribution services, a suite of tools to help them directly connect with fans, and opportunities for unique partnerships with some of the world’s biggest brands. The UnitedMasters platform enables artists to operationalize their independence and maximize their creative and economic potential while allowing them to maintain full ownership over their master recording rights.

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