We know what “NFT platform” and “Web3 music” sounds like to most people. We've read the same horror stories. This page exists to show you — with full transparency — exactly who we are, what you're buying, and why your money and music are safe here.
Artist Ascend (No. 16935915) and UC Records (No. 13314012) are both registered limited companies in England and Wales. We have legal addresses, directors on record, and full accountability under UK company law. ↗ Verify Artist Ascend
Every NFT minted on this platform has a publicly verifiable smart contract deployed on the blockchain. Before you spend a single penny, you can read exactly what you're buying — the licence terms are encoded in the contract itself, not buried in a PDF.
Your NFT is on the blockchain — not on our servers. If Artist Ascend ceased to exist tomorrow, your token still cryptographically proves your right to that music. We cannot revoke it, lose it, or take it from you.
Every download is DRM-watermarked to your specific licence token. If a licensed file appears on YouTube, Spotify, or anywhere else, we can trace it to the exact token. This protects the artist's revenue stream — which protects the long-term value of what you hold.
Smart contracts execute royalty payments at the moment of sale. There is no “we'll transfer your earnings next month.” The contract pays the artist the instant a transaction completes. Platform fees are deducted transparently. Everything is visible on-chain. No trust required — the math does it.
When you purchase a music NFT on Artist Ascend, you are purchasing a limited personal licence to that recording — not ownership of the copyright, not a share in the artist's earnings, not a financial investment vehicle.
⚠ IMPORTANT NOTE ON VALUE
NFTs on this platform are utility tokens and cultural collectibles — not financial investments. We make no representation that their value will increase. Do not purchase with money you cannot afford to lose. Any secondary market value is determined entirely by fan demand, not by Artist Ascend or UC Records.
You have the right to see the full licence terms, contract address, and all associated conditions before completing any transaction. Nothing is hidden behind a purchase wall. All terms are public on-chain before you spend anything.
Every NFT is minted against a recording registered with UC Records. The chain of custody — from composition to master to minted token — is documented and verifiable. You will never receive a counterfeit or unauthorised release on this platform.
If something goes wrong — a failed transaction, an access issue, any technical problem — you have a clear path to resolution. Real humans respond. We are bound by UK consumer protection law.
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to access, correct, or delete any personal data we hold about you. Your wallet address is pseudonymous by default. Any analytics data collected is subject to your explicit consent.
You may resell your NFT licence on any compatible secondary marketplace. The smart contract will automatically execute the artist's royalty split (10%) at point of resale. Your right to resell cannot be removed by Artist Ascend.
A smart contract is a programme that lives on the blockchain and executes automatically when conditions are met. Think of it as a vending machine — you put the money in, the item comes out, and nobody can intercept the middle.
Before anything is minted, UC Records registers the master recording. The registration creates a legal and on-chain record of who owns what. No work is tokenised without this step.
Artist Ascend deploys the NFT smart contract. Encoded inside it: the licence terms, the total supply, the royalty percentage on resale, and the artist's wallet address. This cannot be changed after deployment.
When you complete a purchase, the smart contract simultaneously: transfers the NFT to your wallet, sends the artist's share to their wallet, and sends the platform fee to Artist Ascend — all in one single transaction.
Your wallet holding the NFT is your key. The download system verifies token ownership before granting access. If you sell the NFT, you lose download access. The new holder gains it. No passwords that can be deleted.
If you resell your NFT on any ERC-721 compatible marketplace, the smart contract enforces the royalty split. The artist receives their percentage without any action from Artist Ascend. We cannot override or intercept this.
Minting an NFT through Artist Ascend does not transfer any rights to us or to UC Records. You retain 100% of your master recording copyright. The NFT is a licence — not a rights transfer. Any deal with UC Records is a separate, explicit, artist-approved smart contract with terms you review before signing.
Before you mint anything, you see exactly how revenue is split. Primary sales. Secondary royalties. Platform fees. All encoded in the contract before deployment. Once deployed, even we cannot change these figures. What you agreed is what happens — always.
The blockchain timestamp of your minted NFT serves as documented prior art evidence — a public, immutable record of when this work existed. Combined with UC Records' formal registration, your music is legally anchored before it reaches any streaming platform or market.
Your Artist Ascend dashboard gives you complete visibility of who holds your NFTs, resale activity, fan engagement, and streaming data. You own this insight. We will never sell your audience data or use your analytics to benefit another artist without your explicit consent.
We want fans to enjoy the music they've licensed — freely, on their devices, forever. But we also need to protect the artist's livelihood. Here's how both things are true at the same time.
Every download contains an inaudible forensic watermark tied to your specific NFT token ID and wallet address. If the file is uploaded anywhere, we can identify the source token within minutes.
Downloads are only accessible by the wallet currently holding the NFT. Transfer the NFT and you transfer the access key. There is no separate login that can be shared, stolen, or cracked.
Uploading a licensed file to a streaming platform is a breach of the licence agreement. We work with UC Records to enforce takedowns via DMCA and UK Copyright Law. Repeat breaches result in licence revocation.
ℹ PLAIN ENGLISH: WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
You can play your downloaded file on any device, any time, forever. You can move it between your own devices. You simply cannot upload it, publish it, or share it publicly. Think of it like buying a vinyl record — you can play it at home whenever you want, you just can't broadcast it on a radio station.
We have designed this platform to be compliant with the regulatory bodies that govern digital assets, consumer protection, music rights, and data privacy.
$ASCND and our music NFTs are utility tokens — they grant access and licence rights, not financial returns or equity. This places them outside FCA security regulations under current UK guidance.
Applying the Howey Test: our tokens fail the 'expectation of profit from others' efforts' criterion. We explicitly prohibit framing $ASCND or NFTs as investments.
We are UK GDPR compliant. User data is collected only with explicit consent. You have full rights to access, amend, or delete your data. Wallet addresses are pseudonymous by default.
All recordings released through UC Records × Artist Ascend are registered with the relevant collecting societies before tokenisation. Mechanical and performance rights remain with the artist.
Both Artist Ascend and UC Records are active, compliant limited companies with filed accounts and registered directors.
↗ Artist Ascend · 16935915↗ UC Records · 13314012Blockchain timestamps serve as prior art evidence internationally. Combined with formal registration, artists have a multi-layered protection framework covering 181 countries.
Legal Disclaimer
This page represents our good-faith interpretation of applicable regulations as of February 2026. The regulatory landscape for digital assets is evolving rapidly. Nothing on this page constitutes legal or financial advice. Artist Ascend and UC Records work with qualified legal counsel to maintain compliance. If you have specific legal concerns, please consult an independent solicitor.
| Situation | Resolution | Eligible for Refund? | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transaction failed but funds were deducted | Full investigation and reimbursement or retry at no additional cost | YES | 72 hours |
| NFT not received after payment confirmed | Manual issuance or full refund | YES | 48 hours |
| Download link not working | Technical fix issued. Replacement download provided | Technical Fix First | 24 hours |
| Changed mind after purchase | NFT licences are digital goods delivered immediately. Resale is your route to exit. | NO | — |
| Purchased by mistake (duplicate transaction) | Review on case-by-case basis within 24 hours of purchase | Case by Case | 24 hours |
| Platform ceases to operate | Your NFT remains valid on-chain. UC Records retains artist registration. Documentation for independent download access will be published. | Licence Remains Valid | Permanent |
General platform queries, technical issues, NFT access problems. Response within 48 hours.
Rights disputes, licence questions, DMCA notices, regulatory correspondence.
UC Records. 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX. Artist bookings, press enquiries, A&R.
Registered Offices
Artist.Ascend Commercial Ltd · No. 16935915 · Registered England & Wales
UC Records Ltd · No. 13314012 · 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX