The future of music production could very well live on the blockchain. One Web3 startup with promising potential has developed the first on-chain digital audio workstation (DAW), and in doing so, has attracted the attention of a number of major electronic dance music artists. Arpeggi Labs’ use case differs fundamentally from the vast majority of successful developments at the intersection of music tech and blockchain technologies, which may prove to be a key competitive edge. While many new platforms in the space are leading with a focus on facilitating the tokenized ownership of music, Arpeggi is focusing on revolutionizing the way the music itself is made and published. The platform accomplishes this while maintaining a proprietary crediting system that ensures samples ...
Audius, a blockchain-based streaming service, announced over the weekend that a hacker managed to steal and sell millions of dollars worth of AUDIO tokens from the platform. The hacker was able to find and exploit a bug in Audius’ smart contract — the code that allows decentralized platforms to function without intermediaries. Other companies have been hit in a similar fashion: The blockchain security firm Beosin recently estimated that close to $2 billion has been lost to hacking incidents in the first half of 2022. “The most common hacking techniques continue to be contract vulnerability exploitation and flash loans,” Beosin noted. On Saturday, Audius tweeted that it was looking into “reports of an unauthorized transfer… from the community treasury.” The following day, the company publis...
In the midst of a blistering $2 trillion crypto crash that has roiled the blockchain industry, the world’s leading blockchain-based streaming platform has sustained a seven-figure attack. In a malicious exploit that used the platform’s built-in governance structure as a means to withdraw tokens, Audius reportedly sustained a hack which saw the perpetrator make a speedy exit with over $1 million. According to Cointelegraph, the hacker was able to solely request the transfer of 18 million $AUDIO tokens by establishing themselves as the singular guardian of the contract, known as “Proposal #85.” The 18 million tokens were originally worth $6 million at the time, but due to the hacker’s move to hastily dump the reserves on the open market simultaneously, the resul...
This feature was co-authored by Lev Kotia, Nakul Sharma and Bayleigh Bogan. As the streaming landscape competition continues to get more competitive between the likes of Spotify, Apple, Amazon and others, finding competitive advantages to drive paid subscribers has never been more complex. Despite a crowded landscape, some platforms have carved out a unique place for themselves in the world of music streaming that creates a focused and unique value proposition for creators and fans. One such platform is Audius, which uses blockchain technology to offer clarity and transparency for artists. Through Audius’ disruptive platform, artists can upload their music and have an immutable record of owning that content. If the content is misused, musicians can easily prove ownership of the intell...
“Strap on your headsets and gather all your assets,” commands Stehreo in the introduction of Gramatik‘s new album, Water 4 The Soul II. Gramatik’s passion for blockchain technology is nothing new, but his latest effort reveals the multi-genre producer has only become more entrenched and enamored with the promises of the metaverse, digital collectibles and more. The nine-track effort is only available on blockchain-based streaming platform Audius thus far, and is chock full of nods to emerging cryptocurrency tech with titles like “Wagmi Express” and “Hodlers in Paris.” Musically, Gramatik continues to derive inspiration at the intersection of funk and electronic with twangy pluck basses, jazzy piano riffs, and lively brass fanfare. Recom...
Like most blockchain-based protocols, Audius boomed to new heights in 2021, netting nearly seven million monthly listeners. To celebrate, the community is recognizing the platform’s many highlights with the advent of the Audius Awards. Clayton Blaha, Audius’ Head of Partnerships, touted the meteoric user acquisition and artist adoption as big wins for the platform as Audius aims to carry momentum. “Like many communities in crypto, 2021 was pretty insane for Audius,” Blaha said. “The network saw tremendous growth in terms of users and it launched some amazing product features and partnerships. More and more artists are using the network to get their music out and to connect with fans directly; it’s inspiring to see folks who began their careers on Aud...
Blockchain-based streaming service Audius has announced it recently closed a $5 million funding round in partnership with some of the contemporary music scene’s most popular creators. Artists such as The Chainsmokers, Disclosure, Steve Aoki, Katy Perry, Jason Derulo, Pusha T, Mike Shinoda, and many others are throwing their weight—and their cash—behind Audius, helping to grow the crypto-powered platform’s footprint in the streaming economy. The high-profile capital infusion represents a powerful endorsement from the creator economy for the decentralized future of music. From a creator standpoint, Audius’ unique decentralized infrastructure offers creators a censorship-proof, direct-to-consumer experience. These characteristics have led artists to treat Audius as a t...
Audius just picked up a massive competitive edge. The blockchain-based streaming platform just announced that they have reached a partnership with TikTok and are currently the sole partner powering the short-form video platform’s “TikTok Sounds” library. It’s no secret that any artist releasing music today wants to be on TikTok. From Lil Nas X to Olivia Rodrigo, TikTok’s potential for breaking artists into mainstream consciousness is undeniable. As CoinDesk notes, a survey from TikTok showed that the majority of its U.S. users (75%), discover new music and artists by using the platform. However, in order for artists to have music distributed to TikTok, they previously needed to have the right distribution partner. But those days are changing. Recommended...
Despite a highly competitive battleground for users, blockchain-powered music streaming platform Audius has held its own thus far against its massive competitors, like SoundCloud. That is impressive in itself, but it’s important to remember that Audius offers a value proposition unlike any other streaming platform out there: the promise of a decentralized network governed by blockchain technology. While the Audius team is no doubt discovering the benefits and limitations of this decentralized future as they go, it’s clear that artists and fans are eager to help fulfill their vision. Here are some of the takeaways we took from the leadership team’s recent Reddit AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) published on r/electronicmusic. Audius Audius’ Approach To ...
For well over a decade, Zeds Dead have been a mainstay in the bass music world. While they have tons of modern, high-profile releases under their belts, some fans enjoy looking back at the early days for a quick hit of nostalgia. Luckily for those who enjoy those flashbacks, a number of the Toronto duo’s unofficially released bootlegs and classic remixes have been uploaded to Audius for all to enjoy. Included in their first drop of classics is “The Twilight Zone,” “Dark Side Dub,” “1975,” and “Journey of a Lifetime.” With their production skills and the technology involved upgrading each year, it’s interesting to look back at these singles and see how far they’ve come in their careers. At the time of writing, Zeds ...