cryptocurrency
What is BitClout and Why Are Electronic Music Artists Flocking in Droves?
Electronic music artists from all walks of life are flocking to BitClout, a new social media platform rooted in the ever-evolving field of blockchain technology. For years, proponents of blockchain have claimed that the technology had the ability to support decentralized social media networks. In this case, decentralized just means that there isn’t one point of failure, such as the private server room owned by a traditional social media company. Instead, the decentralized network is supported by thousands of independent nodes run by consumers from all over the world. To make a long story short, BitClout is one of the first successful applications of blockchain as it relates to social media. And word is getting around fast. A large part of BitClout’s early success is ...
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Jauz Has Launched His Own Cryptocurrency to Change How Artists Interact [Exclusive]
As cryptocurrency grows more valuable than ever, electronic music luminary Jauz is set to ride the wave. In partnership with crypto community Rally, Jauz is launching his own exclusive token, $BTX Coin. With an artist-centric goal in mind, Jauz’s $BTX Coin was developed to help nascent producers and performers grow by releasing music, offering them valuable exposure, and even granting the opportunity to collaborate with him. Fan benefits will include exclusive audio and video content, merchandise giveaways, meet-and-greet opportunities, and VIP access to events. Watch Jauz dive into his ambitious new crypto venture below in an exclusive interview for EDM.com. Within the $BTX Coin ecosystem, artists will be able to collaborate and compete for a shot at being featured on Soun...
Blockchain-Powered Streaming Platform Audius Announces Foray into NFTs, Audius Collectibles
Rising blockchain-based streaming platform Audius has seen some massive growth this year. The service now boasts over four-and-a-half million active monthly users and its in-house cryptocurrency token, $AUDIO, has become more valuable than ever. With the rising popularity of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, it only seems natural that Audius’ next big move would be to breach into the space. That’s exactly what the streaming platform is now set to do after Audius announced its newest feature, Audius Collectibles, today. Dillon Francis’ NFTs on his Audius Collectibles tab. CoinDesk Audius Collectibles will make it possible for artists to showcase and merchandise their own unique NFTs through the platform, providing a direct-to-fans approach. The goal is to make...
M.I.A. to Sell Digital Artwork as NFT
Over the past few months, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have taken off as a popular way for rich artists to get even richer and for everyday people to label themselves art connoisseurs. Everyone from Elon Musk to that viral Fleetwood Mac skateboarder have made hundreds of thousands by selling NFTs lately, and now M.I.A. wants to join in on the fun. As we’ve previously reported, NFTs are one-of-a-kind artworks that exist on a cryptocurrency blockchain. While exact replicas of an NFT may be widely distributed on the internet, the NFT itself is a limited edition virtual property that can be bought, held, or sold. For example, Kings of Leon released NFT packages that featured their new album When You See Yourself a few weeks ago. While anyone can listen to the record for free online, only select ...
Never Say Die Becomes First Record Label to Offer Free NFTs
Never Say Die officially joined the NFT rat race this month with the debut of their “Rebirth” collection, which was made available on Nifty Gateway. Now, just a few short weeks later, they are making history in an industry first for electronic music labels by dropping a free NFT to their fans. The free release comes in partnership with Sweet to commemorate the legacy of the now-defunct Never Say Die: Black Label imprint, which recently shuttered indefinitely. The one-time-only NFT drop will have a limited run of 2,000 copies and is officially available as of today, March 31st at 3PM ET (12PM PT). Never Say Die understands the desire to own a rare piece of its history and wants to make it more accessible to a wider audience. Following this first free drop, they will b...
Visa Could Soon Allow Users to Settle Payments with Cryptocurrency
Image sourced from Headquarters Office Visa has revealed that it could soon let customers settle transactions using cryptocurrency. According to Reuters, the company has launched a pilot programme that uses USD Coin – a stablecoin that is pegged directly to the US dollar – across its payment network. “We see increasing demand from consumers across the world to be able to access, hold and use digital currencies and we’re seeing demand from our clients to be able to build products that provide that access for consumers,” says Cuy Sheffield, Head of Cryptocurrency at Visa. This comes shortly after crypto-enthusiast and Tesla founder, Elon Musk confirmed that the electric car company will now accept Bitcoin as a form of payment – news that has caused the price of Bitcoin to rise 5%. ...
ILLENIUM Announces Debut NFT Drop to Celebate 5-Year Anniversary of “Ashes”
To celebrate the five-year anniversary of his debut album, ILLENIUM is pushing his chips into the NFT craze. The electronic music wunderkind took to Twitter today to announce his first-ever NFT collection, a celebratory drop that will commemorate 2016’s Ashes LP. For those in need of a definition, NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, refer to unique digital collectibles that are sold and traded using blockchain technology. Fans can purchase the items using various forms of cryptocurrency. Check out ILLENIUM’s announcement below. When Ashes dropped back in February 2016, it effectively propelled ILLENIUM on the path to superstardom that he glides through today. The 12-track album featured a number of songs that longtime fans consider to be classics, like the Echos-assisted &#...
Aphex Twin Hid a Secret Clue In His NFT Sale
It seems that Aphex Twin has hidden a secret clue in his recent NFT that went up for sale earlier this month. The legendary electronic music producer dropped his first NFT in early March 2021 alongside longtime collaborator and world-class visual artist Weirdcore, selling it within 24 hours for a whopping $127,000. The winning bidder obtained Twin’s debut NFT, titled afx\/weirdcore\blockscanner, which features the iconic smile depicted on much of his album covers and has become a classic visual during his live performances. Much like the vast majority of his musical releases, the audio accompanying the digital artwork was no less haunting and eerie. Just two weeks later, digital artist and “creative mercenary” Freeka Tet, who also contributed “additional technical input to t...
Ja Rule’s Fyre Festival NFT Fetches $122,000 Bid
In a bizarre reversal of fortune, Ja Rule has monetized his involvement in the infamous Fyre Festival in a way no one could have predicted. The rapper is the latest celebrity to join the NFT craze, and has successfully auctioned off a piece of Fyre Festival history. This particular NFT is of a 48″ x 60″ poster that once hung in the company’s office, and in addition to the digital file of the asset, the winner will also receive the physical version. Like so many other NFTs as of late, this festival poster fetched a jaw-dropping winning bid. An anonymous buyer took home the work for $122,000. The original painting was created by Tripp Derick Barnes, an artist Ja Rule found on Instagram, who was paid around $2,000 for the job. The poster most recently wa...
Calvin Harris Shares Preview of NFT Debut With Never-Before-Heard Music
As the NFT hysteria continues to grip the arts sector, dance music luminary Calvin Harris is the latest to enter the fray. Harris’ debut NFT drop is a joint effort with longtime collaborator and creative partner Emil Nava, who has worked with the Grammy Award-winning artist on a bevy of videos, graphics, and live show visuals. The nature-inspired digital art collection, dubbed “TECHNOFISH,” features five kaleidoscopic videos alongside exclusive, never-before-heard music. Check out a preview of “TECHNOFISH” below. Considering the immense carbon footprint of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, Harris has opted to direct a portion of the funds from sales to organizations working to reduce carbon emissions. “Working with decarbonization advisor Aerial a ...
Joe Conyers III, Crypto.com’s Head of NFTs, on the “World-Building” Intersection of Digital Art and Music
He’s a music executive of over a decade, a four-time consecutive Billboard Digital Power Player, and now the new head of Crypto.com‘s soon-to-be-launched NFT platform. It may sound like an unlikely transition going from Chief Strategy Officer at Downtown Music Holdings to the Wild West of blockchain technology, but for Joe Conyers III, there’s a discernible through-line: a passion for helping artists share their stories. With new artists entering the space everyday, the rise in NFT popularity has been nothing short of meteoric. While Conyers acknowledges there’s a bit of a “gold rush” right now to tap into the trend, he still sees a long runway for growth for the space. “We have a very interesting art movement happening,” Con...
Elon Musk Isn’t Selling His Techno Song NFT After All
After announcing he’d be selling a new techno song as an NFT, Elon Musk has had a change of heart. Just one week ago, the eccentric billionaire Tesla founder and occasional electronic music producer took to Twitter to announce the NFT drop. The trippy animated digital art was soundtracked by a thumping techno tune, which was thought to be produced by Musk, who famously released a house track called “Don’t Doubt Ur Vibe” back in January 2020. However, Musk went on to reply to his own tweet and pull the plug on the sale. “Actually, doesn’t feel quite right selling this,” Musk wrote, refraining from offering a concrete reason. “Will pass.” Believe it or not, one of the world’s richest individuals has a deep connection to electro...
