United Musicians

United Musicians is an independent music collective founded by Aimee Mann, Michael Penn and Michael Hausman. According to UM's Web site, it is "founded on the principle that every artist should be able to retain copyright ownership of the work he or she has created and that this ownership is the basis for artistic strength and true independence."

Albums released through United Musicians are usually on the artist's own label; for example, UM's first full-length release, Mann's Bachelor No. 2, was on Mann's SuperEgo Records imprint. It is also not limited to musicians; stand-up comedian Patton Oswalt is among the collective's artists.