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 ...
Foreign Family Collective is providing a platform for their artists to release music without expectations. Amid a stressful past year for musicians due to the pandemic, ODESZA’s flagship label has brought forth an innovative album and NFT compilation, Rare.wavs Vol. 1. The record is jam-packed, consisting of 15 tracks from a number of the brand’s high-profile names such as Kasbo, MEMBA, Robotaki, and many more. From the spritely synths and quick-cutting drums of Jai Wolf‘s “Hikikomori” to Phantoms‘ cascading melodic slow jam “Do It Again,” the compilation reinforces this roster’s versatility in a multitude of genres and sound palettes. This particular compilation stands to weather the test of time in more ways than ...
Legendary Israeli DJ and production duo Infected Mushroom are kicking off their 25th year of music-making with a massive project that includes new music and a revolutionary new NFT concept. The Shroomeez EP boasts four new Infected Mushroom tracks in their signature style, which fuses elements of trance, hard rock, and bass music. Inspired by art presented to the duo by digital artist FARGO, the concept behind Shroomeez is otherworldly. “The Shroomeez EP came to life from the NFT art that was presented to us,” said Infected Mushroom in a joint statement. “We imagined a planet full of mushroom creatures and a mushroom collective. It was super fun writing 4 futuristic trance tracks that will suit a society of shroomeez. Dropping this EP as an entrance t...
In the cutting-edge world of NFTs there’s almost no greater compliment than to call a piece “timeless.” In their perennial pursuit of value and utility, NFT creators and collectors alike constantly question what combination of creative and immutable qualities have the ability to leave a lasting impact. Given the feverish mainstream interest in the space, most NFT (non-fungible token) projects have borne little meaning beneath their superficial qualities. However, every once in awhile, a project with the organic confluence of superior design, noble intention, and historical relevance comes along. The rise in popularity of digital collectibles immediately grabbed Aloe Blacc‘s attention, and soon the Grammy-nominated artist became consumed with an idea that had t...
The collision course of EDM and NFTs (non-fungible tokens) has been one of hyperactive harmony. An immeasurable number of electronic music artists have dropped a dizzying sequence of intricate digital artworks in recent months, selling them to collectors looking to cash in on the NFT craze. The latest major artist to push their chips into the blockchain-powered virtual art pot is Seven Lions. The melodic bass titan and founder of Ophelia Records—one of the dance music scene’s most venerated tastemakers—is primed to drop his debut NFT collection on Crypto.com/NFT. Crypto.com/NFT is a marketplace that allows NFT enthusiasts to discover exclusive digital collectibles and their non-fungible tokens. Crypto.com/NFT Developed by illustrator and graphic artist Evelyn Abermotio...
Believe it or not, it seems 3LAU‘s NFT endeavors are just getting started. CoinDesk reports that the famed electronic music producer and cryptocurrency pundit has helped bankroll a $7.6 million injection for Showtime, a new “NFT social network.” Crypto investment firm Paradigm also backed the funding round for the platform, which allows users to discover and showcase NFT (non-fungible token) art. Showtime operates in a similar fashion to Instagram. The platform has a dedicated News Feed and allows users to like, comment, and even bid on NFT art shared by creators. “We’re turning the world of social media on its head by putting users beyond platforms,” said co-founders Alex Masmej and Alex Kilkka in a statement. Showtime “Paradigm is inspire...
Dillon Francis is gearing up for a new NFT drop starring his famed and festive sidekick, Gerald the Piñata. It’s a particularly unique crossover that’s part dance music, part gaming, and part cryptocurrency and it’s all coming to a head at the new Atari-themed virtual casino. Part of the Decentral Games network operating on the Ethereum blockchain, the Atari Casino is going live on April 28th with a grand opening ceremony. To commemorate the occasion, attendees will have the exclusive opportunity to bid on Francis’ Gerald NFTs, which were designed by virtual artist Merda. Giveaways will be aplenty. Attendees will have the chance to score $10,000 in prizes, including limited edition NFT wearables designed by Francis. The event will also feature a live...
Where would we be without NFTs and memes? Bag Raiders understand this well and have combined the two into a memorable—albeit completely absurd—digital offering that is likely to be one of the weirdest things you’ll see today. Bag Raiders announced that there’s even more star power behind this “Shooting Stars” NFT than initially realized. This particular collectible was minted by the creator of the viral meme, which was a sensation online in early 2018. The origins of the meme go back a decade earlier, however, with the release of Bag Raiders’ song by the same name. It’s catchiness went under the radar in the years immediately after, only to eventually blow up with the meme-based trend to the tune of over 130 million views on YouTube alone at the time of ...
In one fell swoop, Beatport has announced their embrace of digital currency, joining the red-hot NFT game in a groundbreaking partnership with industry leader Crypto.com. The world’s largest music retailer for DJs has made a bold decision to begin accepting Bitcoin as a payment option effective this June. Beatport’s acceptance of Bitcoin makes the company the first institutional music retailer to recognize cryptocurrency as a viable medium of exchange. In a statement to EDM.com, Beatport CEO Robb McDaniels suggests this is only the beginning as the company is likely to expand its list of acceptable digital currencies in the future. “The decision to start accepting Bitcoin, and likely a few other cryptocurrencies, is part of an overall long term strategy to embrace an...
The world’s most popular meme-based currency, Dogecoin has had an NFT collection made in its honor, backed by sounds derived straight from the cryptocurrency’s charts. Let’s unpack that a bit. It all started when music producer ill-esha considered what it would be like to “hear” the sound of Dogecoin. Though it sounds like an impossible task, she achieved her end goal by effectively transforming the Dogecoin cryptograph into a wavetable that could be processed and interpreted by her virtual synth. ill-esha minted the output of that process into an NFT complete with a cyberpunk-like aesthetic, which is now available on the OpenSea marketplace. She has expanded upon this innovative idea to create a line of similar NFT assets she’s calling “Cryptowave...
Just over a month following their NFT debut, Calvin Harris and longtime creative collaborator Emil Nava are back at it with a unique follow-up. Their new collection “Growth” is said to focus on the themes of evolution, change, and freedom of expression. Harris’ latest NFT drop comes with a twist. Only collectors who currently possess 100 NFTs or more works on the Nifty Gateway platform will be allowed to bid. Considering the average NFT will run an investor hundreds, if not thousands, this minimum will undoubtedly present a high barrier of entry for most. Harris’ offering is an experiment of sorts, as it is the first drop of its kind to implement such a threshold. Calvin Harris and Emil Nava join forces once again on “Growth,” an NFT drop centered ...
Techno legend UMEK is the mind behind a seminal career that spans well over two decades. From his sensational hit “Lanicor” in 1999 through his most recent release, the thrilling Cryptic Speech EP, UMEK’s storied career is constantly evolving. As artists like Grimes, Steve Aoki, Kygo, and a multitude of others have been pushing things forward in the wild world of NFTs, UMEK has found a way to elevate his entry into cryptocurrency realm. With his new NFTs, UMEK will become the figure behind the world’s first NFT live performance, and is offering even more when the tokens drop on April 29th. In the 24-hour run, UMEK will offer up three one-of-a-kind remixes of “Lanicor,” a livestream performance, and a live gig. In other words, the highest ...