Universal Music Group has quietly rolled out House of Carmen, a creator marketing app that connects influencers directly with the world’s largest music company. Launched in September 2024, the platform represents Universal’s bold move to bring creator marketing in-house rather than relying on third-party services. 1
What House of Carmen Does
House of Carmen operates as a creator community where social media influencers can earn money by promoting Universal’s massive artist roster. The platform works across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, giving creators campaigns featuring some of the biggest names in music. Creators need at least 1,000 followers to participate, making the barrier to entry relatively accessible for micro-influencers. 2
The app uses two main campaign types. Challenge campaigns offer fast rewards based on performance metrics like views and engagement. Bespoke campaigns provide guaranteed fees for specific promotional content. This gamification approach lets creators compete against each other for the best-performing content around Universal’s releases.
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Market Context and Industry Growth
Universal’s timing aligns with explosive growth in creator marketing. The influencer marketing industry reached $24 billion in 2025, marking a 13.74% year-over-year increase. More impressively, 94% of brands now believe creator content delivers higher ROI than traditional digital advertising. 3
The broader creator economy is valued at $191.55 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $528.39 billion by 2030, growing at a 22.5% annual rate. With 207 million people identifying as content creators globally, Universal is tapping into a massive talent pool.
Behind the Strategy
Janey Stride, Director of Commercial and Creative Innovation at Universal Music UK, explained the reasoning. “As creator marketing has continued its growth trajectory, we realised there was a real need to bring it in-house”. The company wanted to build a global creator database, categorize creators effectively, communicate directly with them, and deliver prompt payments while integrating data sources for campaign analysis.
Universal considered acquiring a third-party platform but chose to develop House of Carmen internally. This decision reflects the music industry’s broader shift toward owning marketing technology and data rather than relying on external services.
Creator Experience and Community Feedback
App Store reviews reveal mixed but generally positive creator experiences. Users praised the earning potential, with one creator noting “I have been using the app for a week now and won some awards! It’s competitive but a great way to make some money from your content”. Another reviewer called it “the best app out there to monetise your content”. 4
However, the platform maintains a 3.3 out of 5 rating, suggesting room for improvement. Some technical issues persist, with users reporting loading problems and app crashes.
Global Expansion Plans
House of Carmen launched first in the UK market, with Germany expected to follow. US trademark filings indicate Universal plans American expansion, aligning with its longer-term goal of creating a global creator network where any regional division can brief creators worldwide.
The company recently added capabilities to onboard entire talent agencies and their creator rosters, not just individual creators. This scaling approach could significantly expand the platform’s reach and professional creator participation.
Industry Impact
Universal’s move reflects the music industry’s pivot from traditional celebrity endorsements toward authentic grassroots creator campaigns. Internal data suggests this direct approach delivers significantly better results than working through third-party platforms.
The development comes as 93% of brands plan to increase creator marketing efforts in 2025. With 70% of brands attributing their highest ROI campaigns to creator marketing, Universal’s investment in House of Carmen positions the company at the forefront of this shift. 5
Looking Forward
House of Carmen operates in “stealth mode” while Universal builds legal and tax compliance frameworks for multiple markets. The platform’s success could influence how other major entertainment companies approach creator relationships and digital marketing.
For creators, House of Carmen represents a direct pipeline to work with Universal’s roster of global superstars while earning competitive compensation. For Universal, it’s a strategic investment in controlling creator relationships and campaign data in an increasingly creator-driven marketing landscape.
The platform’s evolution will likely determine whether other major labels follow Universal’s lead in developing proprietary creator marketing solutions or continue relying on existing third-party platforms.
- https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/universal-has-quietly-launched-a-creator-marketing-app-that-pays-influencers-to-post-content-on-tiktok-and-instagram-meet-house-of-carmen/ ↩︎
- https://support.houseofcarmen.app/hc/en-gb/articles/24662733268881-What-platforms-is-this-for ↩︎
- https://www.tribegroup.co/blog/top-creator-marketing-statistics ↩︎
- https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/house-of-carmen-creators/id6483939037 ↩︎
- https://www.socialnative.com/articles/2025-creator-marketing-statistics/ ↩︎
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