Music

web3 creators face unique challenges. One of the biggest is the need to balance creating art with building a personal brand to market and sell that art. In part 2 of this series I share 3 more keys to tackling this problem effectively!

Recently Apple announced it is demanding a 30% commission on NFT sales through apps on its marketplace. Here's what you need to know...

Less than six months after his controversial (and as usual, long deleted) Instagram post that read “don’t fucking talk to me about NFTs”, Kanye West joined the growing list of celebrities who have filed trademark applications for NFTs in the past year.‍

Celebrities that own Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs Celebrities who bought and joined BAYC created the trend of NFT profile photographs. Celebrities have joined the elite, pricey world of Bored Ape NFTs from the sports, entertainment, and business spheres. 

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the latest craze in the crypto world.So, what exactly are NFTs? NFTs are one-of-a-kind digital assets that are irreplaceable. In contrast to a currency, which is fungible and easy to swap for other currencies, NFTs are not. NFTs are unique, collectible, and cool. A perfect example is the Rug Radio Genesis NFTs.

You're a creator. It's why you came to web3 and why you've stayed this long. It can be hard to stay motivated to keep creating when the market around you is going to shit. For that very reason though, you have to stay consistent in your practice. When things get tough around you, there’s always calm in going back to the basics.If you were making a piece each day when the market was up, do the same thing in a down market. What's a collection you've been thinking about but haven’t had the time for previously? What's a new medium you've been excited about exploring? Who’s an artist you would love to collaborate with? 

The “Run Ed" collection by Ed Balloon, an artist, community leader, and musician, illuminates the reality of many web3 artists. People who, in the face of adversity, continue to work on their craft as they seek to unbox themselves. The Run Ed is a one-of-a-kind collection, both in production and representation. Ethereum-based, the collection generative sound and motion picture project. 1000 animated pieces that combine stop motion, 2D and 3D animation, music, and sound.

During the global epidemic, Black Dave committed his craft to music, producing, mixing, mastering, and designing EP cover art. Including producing, mixing, and mastering over 400 beats every month. When we arrived in the NFT scene, his only ambitions were in music as a rapper and producer. That was until he minted his first NFT - an unused, and unreleased piece of cover art he had created. That was December 2020. Soon after he was selling art on Nifty Gateway and tapping into his passion for anime and even minting characters. His unique and diverse body of work incorporates a blend of wit and musical prowess.

Web3 is an exciting time for creators, but it's also a confusing time. How do you make money in a decentralized network? What are the ways that I can sell my work? Does all digital art sell, or just certain mediums?‍The good news is that, in web3, the artists are in a position of power. Their work, their medium of choice, their creative expression. But selling NFTs on an open market is one of many opportunities for an artist to earn income in web3. 

The decentralization ethos of web3 has dealt a blow to the antiquated art market system. Digital and traditional artists alike have used NFT (non-fungible token) technology to kick start a new art revolution. Artists, like Cory Van Lew, debuted at Sotheby’s London in 2021 with a digital/physical piece, and artist, FEWOCiOUS, earned over $2 million in his auction debut at Christie’s. According to music business research DAO, Water & Music, music NFTs generated over $86 million in total revenue in 2021. The arts are thriving as they flip the tables on traditional industries. ‍