What’s holding web3 music back?
It’s more about the technology than the music.
It's more about the fact that it's an NFT than the fact that it's a great song.
And that needs to change.
Music drives culture. Not technology.
I’m the first to talk about how exciting web3 is. The benefits of on-chain payments.
But the reality is - no one cares.
People want what’s cool, and Music NFTs in their current form are only cool to a very select amount of people.
They’re exciting, but they’re not cool.
I want to figure out how to change that.
We need to focus on the best songs.
Those that define and reinvent culture.
The songs that college kids blast in their dorms and the songs that compel us to feel something deeper.
It needs to be less about the financialization of music, and more about the fact that music has value.
It’s a fine line to walk - but here’s how this manifests.
Spinamp is a Music NFT aggregator.
It allows you to listen to (and collect) every song that has been minted on platforms like Sound, Catalog and Decent.
Spinamp has a Trending Section. It’s not based on sales, it’s based on culture.
Focus on Spinamp Trending.
I grew up fully immersed in the culture of artists like Pretty Lights, Griz and STS9.
Music was my identity, and my social circles were defined by the music that I liked.
We collected hat pins, we cherished setlists - we were superfans.
We need more superfans. People who strive for the Golden Egg. People who say Gm every morning. People who live and breathe for discovering new music.
How do we do that?
Frankly - I don’t know.
It’s about creating a movement. Something bigger than any one artist.
To this end, I credit groups like LNRZ, Hume, Nvak, Dreams Never Die and RŌHKI.
Collectives that are bigger than any one artist.
Focus on collectives.
Why are we here?
Why does any of this matter?
Why should someone base their identity around you?
What do you stand for, and why?
Web3 has its pocket.
And that pocket is growing.
But it needs a breakout moment.
It needs a hero and a champion.
Early bets are in, but its far from being proven out.
Most labels think web3 is a joke (but they won’t say it to your face)
Most fans think NFTs are lame (and they will say it to your face)
It’s up to us to change that.