As a label owner and musician/producer, selling music has been nothing short of a daunting task. Bandcamp has been good, while the idea of continuing to use a distributor has increasingly lost its value. I’ve spent hours upon hours attempting to figure out the Spotify game and how it can benefit independent artists. While there is no expectation of revenue from Spotify, there was an expectation that Spotify could be used to “point” fans to Bandcamp or even directly to other sites. Again, this has been a very dry endeavor. As hope was at its lowest point in a long time, I was introduced to Pianity.
Last month, a studio client of mine emailed me a link to a song I recently mixed for him. I was puzzled at first. It wasn’t a Beatport link or similar outlet I’m accustomed to seeing in the dance music world. He had stated he was minting his music as an NFT with Pianity.
I was instantly curious. I’ll be the first to admit that NFTs and the crypto world was utterly over my head. But after looking at the site, it hit me. This is the future.
What’s interesting about this as well is that on Bobby Owsinki’s podcast in December of 2021, Owsinski stated that he thinks (in 2022) “NFTs will thrive for sports, but not for music.” This is because some NFTs turned out to be a scam, or that people just didn’t understand them.
After listening to this particular podcast, I agreed. I thought NFTs were a scam, but honestly, this is because I didn’t understand them. After seeing my client’s music on Pianity, it clicked. It all clicked.
In a way, I see music NFTs just as I see the art community buying and selling art. For example, in art school, you have almost a revolving door of art buying between students and communities. I sell a small painting to a friend for a few bucks, that friend then buys a piece of my art. We all support each other in this way and then in return, we own a piece of art that’s tangible. That’s the way I’m looking at music NFTs. It’s a way for the community to support each other, yet get something tangible in return.
What I also find interesting about Pianity is the fact that you need to engage with the community in order to be successful. While somewhat frustrating in the era of “now,” the platform enforces a wait list, leader board and participation criteria. This ensures you need to put in some work before your music is minted.
I can’t say enough how excited I am about this platform and minting my first NFT. We’ll see how Bobby Owsinki’s predictions turn out, but I can tell you, this is something exciting. I personally predict this is the future and it’s here now.
You can check out my first attempt at an NFT here. Hopefully it’s minted by the time you read this.
https://pianity.com/waitlist/the-rays-sweep-through_b65c3
Music IS Grid Based Beats ™