What Unsigned Only does

Unsigned Only, Inc. is a Nashville, Tennessee-based private company that has operated the Unsigned Only Music Awards since 2011. It runs an annual online music competition exclusively for unsigned and independent artists worldwide, with 23 genre categories ranging from AAA and Americana through Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul, Latin, and a dedicated Teen category, plus a new Best AI Artist category for AI-generated or AI-assisted submissions. Entries are priced on a per-song, per-category basis across tiered deadlines ($25 Early Bird, $30 Regular, $35 Extended, $40 Final), with additional revenue from recurring special promotions such as Triple Play, Video Only, Win Some Love, Hop To It, Network Now, Get Published, and Sad/Happy Song.

Submissions are accepted globally through the company's own website, the Radio Airplay partner platform, and mail-in entries, with integrations accepting streaming links from SoundCloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook. Winners are selected by a panel of high-profile judges including recording artists, producers, record-label executives, and journalists, and each category winner receives a custom Society Awards sculpture (the same firm that manufactures the Emmy and Golden Globe); the Artist of the Year receives a $20,000 USD cash grand prize, and total annual cash and prizes exceed $150,000.

The business is primarily community-led and volume-driven, monetized entirely through entry fees and supplemented by sponsor contributions from brands such as Hella Awkward, Pachyderm Studios, Radio Promo, Booking-agent.io, Playlist Supply, Baby Audio, Prodigy Camp, and technology partner Songproof. Distribution is amplified through 40+ institutional partners including ASCAP, APRA AMCOS, SOCAN, A&R Worldwide, the Americana Music Association, TAXI, and Folk Alliance International. The company is founder/owner-operated with 1-10 employees, no disclosed external funding, and a deliberately lean cost structure; entrants retain 100% ownership of their songs with no rights transferred to Unsigned Only.

Name

Unsigned Only

Legal name

Unsigned Only, Inc.

Website

https://unsignedonly.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Unsigned Only Music Awards operates an annual online competition exclusively for unsigned and independent artists worldwide, offering 23 genre categories judged by industry professionals and awarding over $150,000 in cash and prizes, including a $20,000 Artist of the Year grand prize.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Awards & Competitions

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

A&R / Artist Development Services (MPAIAGAL)

Keywords

• Music awards competition
• Independent artist recognition
• Online music competition
• Unsigned artist discovery
• Genre music awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Competition Entry Fees: Unsigned Only generates revenue through charging entry fees for music submissions. Artists pay per song per category, with fees varying by deadline period (Early Bird: $25, Regular: $30, Extended: $35, Final: $40). The company offers various special promotions throughout the year that also generate entry revenue. Entrants retain all ownership rights to their songs with no revenue share or rights transfer to Unsigned Only.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Unsigned Only runs an annual online music awards competition exclusively for independent and unsigned artists worldwide. Artists pay entry fees to submit songs across 23 genre categories (including a new Best AI Artist category) and a range of special promotions such as Triple Play, Video Only, Network Now, and Get Published. Winners are selected by a panel of high-profile musicians, producers, label executives, and journalists, with the Artist of the Year receiving $20,000 cash and all winners receiving custom sculpture awards designed by Society Awards.

Product overview

Unsigned Only Music Awards is an online music competition platform for independent and unsigned artists, offering a core awards competition with 23 genre categories where winners receive custom abstract sculpture awards and cash prizes up to $20,000 USD for Artist of the Year. The platform supplements the main competition with special promotional programs including Triple Play (Get Feedback, Get Published, Get Paid), Video Only, Win Some Love, Hop To It, Network Now, and Get Published promotions. Additional features include Fandemonium public voting. Entry is accepted through the company's own platform as well as partner Radio Airplay, with support for streaming links from social media platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unsigned Only Music Awards Competition Annual online music awards competition for independent and unsigned artists worldwide, featuring 23 genre categories with judging by industry professionals including recording artists, producers, label executives, and journalists. Artists submit original or cover songs via streaming links or file uploads and pay entry fees ranging from $25 to $40 per submission based on deadline.
• Artist of the Year Award Grand prize award recognizing the top overall artist across all competition categories, including a $20,000 USD cash prize and a custom abstract sculpture award designed by Society Awards (known for designing Emmy and Golden Globe awards).
• Fandemonium Public Voting Online public voting feature allowing fans and supporters to vote for their favorite finalists, with separate prizes and recognition awarded to the winner.
• Triple Play Promotion Three-week special promotion offering opportunities for Get Feedback, Get Published, and Get Paid with specific prizes and mentorship opportunities including industry executive networking.
• Video Only Promotion Limited-time promotion for music video submissions separate from regular categories, awarding prizes for both professional and homemade video categories.
• Network Now Promotion Mentorship-focused promotion connecting winning artists with industry professionals including producers, managers, talent buyers, and label executives.
• Get Published Promotion Music publishing-focused promotion connecting artists with executives from major publishers including BMG, Disney Music Publishing, and Kobalt Music.

Quantifiable outcome

• Winners receive $20,000 USD cash prize and custom award sculpture
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• A&R WorldwidecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerA globally respected platform specializing in artist discovery, development, and the intersection of music, media, and technology. They have brokered thousands of deals including record label deals, publishing deals, licensing opportunities, synch placements, and more. They serve as a central hub connecting artists with the entertainment industry.
• Americana Music AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerA professional not-for-profit trade organization advocating for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. Produces events including AMERICANAFEST and the Americana Honors & Awards program.
• Americana Rhythm MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAn Indie/Roots/Bluegrass/Folk publication offering print and digital coverage to fans and musicians. Founded in 2005 with over 15,000 readers reaching regional, national, and international music lovers.
• APRA AMCOScoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAn Australian performing rights organization that works to ensure composers, songwriters and publishers are rewarded whenever their musical works are performed. Administers performing and communication of works for 115,000 members.
• ASCAPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is a membership association of more than 920,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. In 2022, ASCAP reported record-high financial results of $1.522 billion in revenues.
• BackstageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerA premier resource for talent and musicians seeking opportunities with a database of 247,231 performers. Artists can use promo code UOFREE for casting calls.
• DownBeat MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHas shaped the attitudes of jazz fans since 1934, delivering music reviews, trends and insights from around the globe with interviews with the greatest musicians.
• Folk Alliance InternationalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe largest and leading non-profit organization for folk music representing the global community of artists, agents, managers, labels, publicists, arts administrators, venues, festivals, and concert series presenters. Hosts the world's largest annual folk music conference.
• SOCANminorGTM or Marketing PartnerA Canadian performing rights organization representing the Canadian performing rights of more than three-million Canadian and international music creators and publishers. Represents over 120,000 Canadian members.
• TAXI MusicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe world's leading independent A&R company for more than 30 years, with thousands of success stories. Songwriters, composers, and artists from more than 100 countries have used TAXI's service to get Record Deals, Film/TV Placements, and Publishing deals.
• ArtistPRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVoted Top 10 Music Public Relations Firms based in Hollywood, CA. A dedicated team with unique insight to develop successful PR campaigns for music and entertainment sectors.
• Play MPEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCaster connects record labels, promoters, and artists with verified music curators across six continents. Promote music to real, active, industry contacts in radio, media, music supervision, and curation.
• Durango Songwriters ExpominorGTM or Marketing PartnerAn opportunity for songwriters to pitch songs to publishing companies, major record labels, and music supervisors at events in Ventura, CA or Broomfield, CO.
• Radio AirplaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAn online entry platform partner that allows artists to enter the Unsigned Only competition. Artists can build fan bases on internet radio and connect music with listeners through Jango.com.
• Hella AwkwardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGame development company that is a sponsor of Unsigned Only.
• Pachyderm StudiosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecording studio that sponsors Unsigned Only and provides prize offerings for winners.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Great American Song Contest: Direct peer — US-focused annual song and music competition targeting independent songwriters and artists with genre categories and industry-judged entries. Operates with a similar fee-for-entry, prizes-for-winners model.
• John Lennon Songwriting Contest: Direct peer — annual international songwriting competition with tiered entry fees, judged by industry professionals, and focused on unsigned songwriters across multiple genres. Highly comparable model and target customer base.
• TAXI Music: Direct peer — a longstanding independent A&R company connecting unsigned songwriters and artists with record deals, publishing, and sync placements. Operates adjacent to Unsigned Only's competition funnel and serves as a partner; competes for the same indie-artist mindshare and development outcomes.
• Unsigned Music Awards: Direct peer — separately branded competition-style recognition program also targeting unsigned artists; converges on the same niche and could be a competing submission destination for indie musicians.
• Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI): Direct peer — Nashville-headquartered non-profit that serves unsigned and aspiring songwriters through workshops, song evaluations, and industry networking, with comparable focus on artist-development services within the independent songwriter community.
• International Songwriting Competition (ISC): Direct peer — ISC runs a long-running annual online songwriting and music competition for unsigned artists globally, charging entry fees by tier and awarding cash plus industry exposure. Same business model, same core customer, and very similar value proposition to Unsigned Only.
• Song of the Year Songwriting Contest: Direct peer — established online songwriting competition with genre categories, entry fees, and cash prizes, targeting independent and amateur songwriters worldwide. Functionally interchangeable value proposition for the same indie-artist customer.
• A&R Worldwide: Direct peer — globally active A&R platform that connects unsigned artists to label, publishing, sync, and management deals; listed as a core partner of Unsigned Only but also operates independently with similar artist-development services.

Emerging players

• Bandcamp: Emerging player — independent-artist music platform with discovery, sales, and direct-to-fan tools; does not run a competition but competes for the same indie-artist attention by offering an alternative free path to discovery and monetization that could substitute for paid awards entries.

Broad incumbents

• Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA): Broad incumbent — established industry-facing awards program covering music in film, TV, and media; while broader in scope and including signed artists, it overlaps the recognition/awards function and targets musicians seeking industry validation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unsignedonly
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnsignedOnly
• Instagraminstagram.com/unsignedonly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unsigned-only

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unsigned Only