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Blockchain powered culture, community & art in the big apple

Preview: NFT NYC 2023

The Black Dave Report

tl;dr: I’m dropping a song on Sound called 

 featuring Stonez the Organic using their new drop format, Sound Swap. It goes Live on April 4th, at 3PM Eastern.

Hi. Been a while. My first personal NFT drop of the year hits the streets very soon (tomorrow(!!!) as of the writing of this post), and I’m taking a dive into a new type of drop, and since I have many thoughts about it, I decided to write about it. I hope you’re doing well. Let’s go:

 Featuring Stonez the Organic, and I know no one cares about the song itself, but it reminds me of those interludes in albums where the song isn’t actually the artist but is almost completely a different artist. This one has Stonez almost all through it and I just produced and capped it off with a…hook? Is it a hook? Think about Drake’s song Buried Alive Interlude, which is actually all Kendrick Lamar with no Drake vocals, or Kendrick’s song Savior (Interlude) which is all Baby Keem with no Kendrick vocals. That’s kinda how I think about the song…if anyone cares. Insert a paragraph about how we’re in an obnoxious financialization period of Music NFTs and a lot of the content doesn’t matter if the hype machine is properly set up.

I think the song is wonderful and really reflects the type of energy I’m going for, but what’s most interesting about this drop is the mechanics surrounding it. I’m not new to trying things on Sound, I was the first artist to do a free mint, I marketed my first drop with 20 minutes of behind the scenes content, I minted an edition of 12 NFTs, making 11 of them free and the last at the max price of .1 ETH…I’ve played around with things. The way this new drop works, dubbed Sound Swap, is that it takes place in two phases. The first phase is an open edition NFT, nothing new or special there. The pricing is set at .005 ETH ($9.06 as I type this) per edition. The second phase is the where you enter the swap period, allowing you to sell your NFTs without a buyer, as long as the demand is higher than the supply in this period. The pricing adjusts based on demand. If more folks are buying, the price in phase two is higher, If more folks are selling, the price in phase two is lower, all the way down to the initial mint price. We’ve seen models that appear similar to phase two with Glass’s Prism drop format and Decent’s Crescendo format (which are both 

 different under the hood)…but Sound sets themselves apart, to me, with the open edition at the front of the model. The open edition allows the artist to capture as much value as possible from the folks who were there on time, and as things grow, the folks who are a bit later can still get in, but it comes with a bit of a penalty through the increased price if the demand is high enough.

Sound is looking to move away from the (often toxic) sellout culture and is looking for ways that artists have an opportunity to capitalize on their growth, and especially on viral moments. I’ve expressed similar beliefs in this long term, “always on” model, where you always something in an open/unlimited edition for sale as people discover you and want to find a way to financially get into your ecosystem. I wrote about it 

. I’m a firm believer that you don’t have to own someone’s NFT to be involved in their community, but I do think that a lot of artists see it as an opportunity to build with folks who have built (bought) with them. The open edition, followed by the Sound Swap, allows for you to build the community as large as it could possibly get. The larger the community, the more possibility you have to activate at a larger scale around token ownership.

Although I’m largely disinterested in market mechanics that overly support collectors (because I’m more interested in providing experience), this is also useful to them because as long as there’s any amount of continued demand for the specific NFT, they can sell at a possibly higher number than they bought in. The only utility that seems to actually matter in web3 is if the number goes up, so that’s important to consider…even as an artist.

If you circle back to the viral moments I mentioned in the beginning of this section, if a song has a viral moment and you’re able to direct everyone to the Sound Swap, you’ll have a big opportunity to make money, in larger amounts and much faster than DSPs. Collectors who got in during phase one will be able to sell with no need to wait on a secondary buyer and be able to make a profit from that belief in you.

There are many upsides to this model and using this approach, if you’re looking to play/use it the right way.

Sound Swap, in its experimental glory (one of my favorite things (experimental glory)), doesn’t fully align with how I wanna move in web3. I’ve been excited about the opportunity of NFTs, specifically music, to have the same value as fine art. This really resonated with me as someone who makes rap music, which has massive cultural value that I believe should translate to financial value. 

 was a motto of the bull market that really resonated with me…and as we cross being in the bear market for a year, from experimenting with free mints, cheap mints, open editions and more, I think we’re getting further away from the idea of music as fine art and more to the idea of music as a commodity. Maybe commodity is the wrong word and if I spin it into something like “music as a community” then my marketing team (it’s me I’m the marketing team) might like it more.

When I think about NFTs, I am still a fan of the ideas of scarcity and uniqueness, and I worry that making things too easy to get may have an adverse effect on the idea that NFTs are inherently unique and rare.

Obviously the answer is “just don’t do it then” but in spite of this con, I think if there’s a home for this style of drop in your system you should consider it.

This is the first real week of Sound Swap, but I’m seeing mints happen in large amounts, and it makes me wonder if we should have continued down the path of a differently priced open edition instead. I’ve seen folks offer different perks for minting in bulk. In the days leading to this post, and the drop, I’ve been trying to think about this sort of methodology myself, and there were a couple things I wanted to try to do, but because of the splits of this specific song, it requires people to mint multiples higher than I would want people to have to get in order to make it happen. Adding to this, I’m not so much interested in saying “give me as much money as you can” as I am saying “go ahead and get one” and hoping that I can reach a very wide audience, as opposed to trying to stick my hand as deeply into the pockets of folks as I can. These are the very beginning phases of this drop, and I know it will iterate and evolve over time, so I’m approaching this drop with an open mind to anything. I’ll worry about what sorts of experiences I’ll build for collectors later, but it’s definitely on my mind.

I believe any web3 tool built by a marketplace/platform/etc is only as powerful as we, the artists, make it, so I’m going to approach this with an open mind and think about all of the best ways I can present this to the world.

I hope that everyone who has ever wanted an NFT from me gets one of these, and if you want to mint many to show your support, go for it.

Black Dave on Sound Swap

Prizem Post

Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in Prizem NFTs, the Spatial.io metaverse, and Prizem web3 services with the Prizem Post newsletter.

Create Your Own One-of-a-Kind Digital Collectible and Support Cutting-Edge NFT Music Development

 NFT project is an exciting collaboration between 

 and myself that offers buyers the chance to own a truly one-of-a-kind customized digital collectible. The project began when SongsOfEden painted a 

 with his piano, and asked the community to help come up with a name for the DJ. I suggested that the community could not only name the character, but also customize the colors of their own 1-of-1 MiDiPunkz DJ.

This level of customization is a breakthrough of this community created collection, and the 

 project takes it to the next level. When you mint a 

, you'll have the opportunity to select a unique DJ name (uses a lightweight version Ethereum name service or .eth domains), choose from a range of custom color options, and even remix your name or colors from the project's library of options. With attributes automatically for every mint, including names for all the colors available, you can rest assured that your MiDiPunkz DJ will be truly unique and personalized to your tastes. You can see the top 5 headphone colors minted so far!

But the customization options are just the beginning. If you join the MiDiPunkz family you will be added to the fun MiDiPunkz family tree and you can participate in the MiDiPunkz DJ music collage collaboration.

Our family has a new member - Mama Goose! She's already teaching us so much about patience, resilience, and the importance of family

MiDi Punkz family is growing. Lets welcome:
@LegendQueenWEB3 

#midipunkz #nfts https://t.co/hcAOnDvcje

 prizes for hitting certain minting milestones. If the project reaches 200 mints, there will be a raffle for a beautiful 

 hat. At 300 mints, there will be a raffle for a MiDiPunkz DJ shirt. And at 400 mints, a custom Lego set will be raffled off, allowing fans to build their very own 

134 mints! 97 unique holders!

Raffle Milestone activities moving forward:

200 mints - Cap with your MiDi Punk DJ printed on it
300 mints - T-shirt with your MiDi Punk DJ printed on it
400 mints - Lego brick set in the shape and color of your MiDi Punk DJ
500 - TBA https://t.co/fgDoeCHfAP

Beyond the fun of these raffle prizes, supporting the minting of these NFTs also helps to fund important work from SongsOfEden and their team. Specifically, the support from the community will go towards the production of new music from SongsOfEden, as well as the continued development of a unique vault that allows NFT music holders to play NFT music using just their voice. This kind of cutting-edge development and exploration is a hallmark of the NFT art world, and it's exciting to see this project pushing boundaries and breaking new ground.

 project is a unique and exciting opportunity for collectors and fans of NFT art. With the chance to own a truly one-of-a-kind customized digital collectible, as well as the opportunity to win exciting raffle prizes and support important work in the field, there are many reasons to get involved and support this project. So head over to 

 today! Minting ends 48 hours after the last mint!

Customize Your Own One-of-a-Kind Digital Collectible and Support Cutting-Edge NFT Music Development

Introducing MiDiPunkz DJ

The Web3 Music Vault is a new way to play Music NFTs using your voice! Compatible with Alexa and works with Solana NFTs with MP3 files added into a darkblock.io (decentralized unlock-able protocol). Here are some of the Alexa prompts you can do when you are beta testing. 

Alexa ask web3 music vault to start the party!
Alexa Ask web3 music vault to play my NFT music!
Alexa Ask web3 music vault to play [name of song]
Alexa Ask web3 music vault what song is playing?
Alexa Launch web3 music vault!
Alexa Ask web3 music vault reload songs. 

While playing music..you can ask...
Alexa Next (play the next song)
Alexa Previous (play the previous song)
Alexa Stop (stop playing)
Alexa Cancel (cancel playing)
Alexa Resume (resume playing)
Alexa Start over (start song over)

Web3 Music Vault project started as a contribution to the Magic Eden Creator Monetization Hackathon in December 2022. Since the hackathon, in January we started a beta where beta testers are helping with feedback and listening to incredible music is currently going on. I hope you enjoy me opening up with the process in how this product is being developed. 

Here are the current goals of the web3musicvault.xyz:

We are starting small to make sure we build the features needed to support artists and have a minimum viable community.  Are you on the waitlist? If not go to 

 and connect your solana wallet (the site will create one if you don't have one using a torus wallet), login with Solana, and enter your email address.

Number of Music NFTs being listened to during beta: 1 (with 6 songs)

Currently we have a great group of beta testers helping to make Web3 Music Vault the best product it can be and something they would love to use! This week it was winter break I had parenting duties so my capacity was reduced but I wrote up this plan to get community input. Let me know what you think!

When you prompt Alexa the prompts require you to say .. Alexa ask web3music vault to _________.I agree the name is too long to say to Alexa. Alexa development requires that the skill must be at least 2 words, and be unique and I think it would be best if it was under 4 syllables. We can shorten it after we publish the skill if there is no skill with the same name. One idea we have had is to drop Web3 and just Alexa ask 

to play! Stay tuned on this. If you have an idea send me a DM on twitter, instagram or send email to hi @ prizem dot art.

wen polygon (not yet but here is the plan)

wen ethereum (not yet but here is the plan)

Improve the mobile wallet connection experience 

(Alexa app -> Phantom app requires copy paste link instead of deep linking in Phantom)

Multiple language is needed some locales display incorrectly

Planning:  asked ChatGPT for help here. Also comparing with other sites.

Provide a web page that introduces web3 music vault.

Filter to show supported music NFTs in wallet

Currently Planning this out. We could just show all and have a music play button to indicate it is a music album.

Beta is having issue with UK region working with Amazon 

Heard back from Alexa team and made adjustment. Waiting to hear back from tester in the UK to verify it is working. It should be fixed once out of beta.

Every day I am currently listening to SongsOfEden's new album on my Alexa app and Echo device to help with the ongoing testing. I have noticed that sometimes the music skips or repeats unexpectedly. There is also sometimes a delay in playback when resuming a song. I have done some research and I am reaching out to darkblocks and also doing some testing with more music files on decentralized servers.. 

I started to listen to this Spotify playlist about 

 which I thought was fascinating and helpful to understand the challenges that Spotify faced when they first started. Here are some of the tweets I have made since listening to the first few episodes.

Listening to the Product story Spotify.. and history of the music industry ... Doing more #research

1. We used to buy MP3 files on CD sold in real life
2. Napster revolutionized music distribution.. peer to peer network of Mp3 files
3. Metalica lawsuit. fan friendly vs an… https://t.co/YvK8DzXGGh

More research is needed to know more about the following events:

I wanted to leave you with more ideas to help improve this from just being a super 

I hope you like this type of update. It helps me stay organized and I am sure I may have missed something. There is a lot going on and I just wanted to write it all out. Have a nice weekend. Let me know what feature you want me to go deeper into. 

Building the future of NFT music

Web3 Music Vault Update 2/24/2023

Songcamp is a collective of people undertaking some of the most groundbreaking experiments in the world of NFTs and music creation via series’ of predominantly digital “camps”. 

It’s latest camp, CHAOS, generated over $569,000 in NFT sales and has sold over 9300 NFTs so far (a combination of visual elements with 45 unique songs in differing iterations). A six week virtual camp that birthed them comprises 45 musicians, 9 visual arts, 7 project managers, 6 programmers, 5 radio producers, 3 economists, and 2 scribes from around the globe. 

The result of these efforts: a collection of 21,000 NFTs [

], each featuring a one-of-a-kind cover artwork as well as one of the songs created during the camp. The NFTs are organized into 4-song packs, similar to baseball cards, with only a maximum of 5000 limited-edition packs available. Collectors can choose whether to open their packs, to reveal the randomized songs inside, or keep them minty fresh as a collectors item. With secret songs, and complex derivatives of songs in play (alchemy tracks for instance are innovative remixes combining stems from multiple original songs), this is part of the creative dynamic that makes participating in the CHAOS ecosystem so novel. 

Despite the bear market, the CHAOS project launched to widespread excitement and critical acclaim, quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most comprehensive and collaborative music NFT ventures the NFT space has ever seen. Collectors of the CHAOS NFTs include 

. In June 2022, CHAOS took the top spot in the first 

, solidifying its place in the history books.

As the project continues to evolve, CHAOS is pushing the boundaries of collective creativity by engaging in experimental initiatives such as: 

As a holder, participant, and stakeholder who loves music and is passionate about its future HAVE YOUR SAY on the weekly heartbeat calls (Monday 1pm PST) as the community decides on a new cadre of ideas including live performances, a burning mechanism, allow listing for future drops, and closing the mint 👀 — 

 — these decisions are all pending community governance and participation to (try) shape the flow of Chaos.

The emergence of the Present Material record store, created by the Songcamp collective, is a shining example of the potential of web3 technology.

Built on the Ethereum blockchain and powered by Zora, Present Material is a community-driven record store that allows holders of CHAOS and SONGCAMP NFTs to list and curate records for the Songcamp community, providing indie artists with a new and unique way to share their music, and fans a novel way to experience it.

But Present Material is more than just a record store. It’s a glimpse into a new future for the music industry, where artists and communities have more control over their content and are able to create new and innovative ways of sharing and promoting their music.

Value alignment is accrued through building tangible ways to connect with the pathos, logos and ethos of an artistic work that are innately different from what we’ve seen in the past decade. With smart contracts and blockchain technology, projects like Present Material are able to think long-term incrementally find avenues to reward collectors by immersing them more deeply in the lore underpinning their creations.

Music aggregators, like Present Material, are emergent in the web3 ecosystem, with unique curatorial aspects akin to the playlists that have powered music selection in the recent past. As experimentation around this format progresses, we can expect to see a shift in the way music is shared and promoted, with both power and agency being infused into artists and their communities.

What an amazing year it has been having fun exploring with @songcamp_ @headless_chaos and so many talented and dedicated humans. And to top it off, we are finishing the year with our CC0lab songs on @catalogworks , how wonderful! Stay tuned for the stems coming very soon 💚🙏 https://t.co/nqLeljNGkK

An experimental minicamp, open to 77 CHAOS (camp three) members, saw 18 musicians come together to create 16 songs within the two-week timeframe. The CC0 agreement ensured that all participants were free to create and shape the project together.

By minting an NFT you become part of the CC0lab journey. Once 77 are minted, the stems to all songs in the mixtape are unlocked with copyright and related rights waived via 

The CC0 Lab project was stewarded by @dmwjmusic with support from others, including @youngisdavid, @Onabolu_Inc, and @greydientmusic. The mixtape was put together by @oceantiedmusic, the website was built by @neatonk, and the artwork was created by @privatewoman777, @dmwjmusic, and AI magic.

On June 16th, 2022, an NFT Auction took place, followed by a live event in Brooklyn, NYC, on June 23rd during Fashion Week. The live event was a collaboration between Emma-Jane (

) and the CHAOS Network, featuring CC0 music synced with Web3 3D animated fashion designs and physical versions for model and auction.

Bring your lab coats today at 5pm est as we sit down &amp; discuss the new @songcamp_ project 'CC0lab'. 🧪

They are now aiming their chaotic &amp; creative energy towards creating a fully public domain to be used by any &amp; everyone on their web3 music journeys.

https://t.co/89MtUo1xH2

The mixtape can be found on rarible and the music can be listened to and collected on 

. The CC0lab project has been received with excitement by the music community as a quirky experiment for the Chaos Network giving participants an opportunity to make music with someone they hadn’t worked with before or to repeat the experience with someone they enjoyed working with. The CC0lab project has been described as a space where the worlds of web3 Fashion and Music collide, providing a unique and exciting experience for those involved.

We are in the @SuperRare Space Race! 🏁

This would give Chaos an independent gallery on Super Rare, such that we can curate and showcase original artwork by the Chaos Visual team ❤️🧡💛

Vote with $RARE here → https://t.co/FMxueB1bTg https://t.co/FJQlr3vnT1

CHAOS was thrilled to announce our partnership and collaboration with SuperRare Space Race after the community rallied in the most beautiful way to enable a fitting showcase of the work of our talented visual team. As an experimental creative collective that pushes the boundaries of music and the new internet, we see NFTs as a new canvas for artistic expression. With the ability to hold and value our works in history, we can continue to delve into uncharted creative territories alongside one of the premier decentralized digital art marketplaces for collecting and trading unique, single-edition digital artworks.

We’re currently in 8th place in the @SuperRare space race!

— 6 more days to vote 🏁🔥 https://t.co/wFegSw5Y6m

For our first release, we’re auctioning 8 NFTs of original physical paintings, each with its associated physical piece. Samples of these paintings were used in the cover artwork for our music NFTs, and we’re excited to finally showcase them in their full clarity. Our focus is on exhibiting the work of our 9-person visual team, with opportunities to collaborate with other artists in the future. Commission rates for artists will be determined through a survey/vote with a range between 60% to 90% going to the artist and 10% to 40% going to CHAOS.

We believe in the power of NFTs and the crypto art space to revolutionize the way artists express and value their work. In five years, we see NFTs becoming an increasingly prominent and respected medium for artistic expression and preservation. As always, CHAOS will continue to experiment at the forefront of this exciting and evolving landscape.

To build momentum for our artwork and brand, we dropped a merch collection using alternate painting prints. As a community-driven platform, we are proud to experiment with the applications of digital generative works being translated into IRL properties, textiles, and products. This will include physical paintings as well as further emergent ideas this that bring vibrant visual elements of CHAOS to life.

MERCH DROP INCOMING—&gt; 
Chaos en Los Angeles 12/10 👀 

for sale to all our fwens who come thru 🥲

RSVP: https://t.co/lR2yoOZ5zs? https://t.co/h1N6tKJGhN

The first print of Chaos Painting shirts was a limited run of 30 shirts that cost $75 featuring the iconic CHAOS artwork. These shirts were available for purchase at the IRL Chaos event in LA on 12/10/2022, featuring NFC chips for added interactivity. Our community poll results showed overwhelming support for a beige shirt with a LA Apparel fit, and a custom size distribution.

@headless_chaos ✨🐳📢

@greydientmusic https://t.co/bgTuFSoOcU 
@songcamp https://t.co/t4fhVeR8Xp
@rosaliesongs https://t.co/ARzLVbnqzT
@jmack_ent https://t.co/AkncrjtPad
@jackintheway https://t.co/LVl76Y7JlP
@shamanic_arts https://t.co/3xHdknpjPo

check it! 

#music #musicnft https://t.co/G0ykfCmVJI

Songcamp’s CHAOS project, with its focus on collective creativity and NFTs, is an innovative concept in the world of music. The Present Material record store, CC0 Lab minicamp, and explorations into IRL applications of digital generative art are unique initiatives that unravel the potential of web3 technology and community-driven music creation.

The Present Material record store is built on the Ethereum blockchain and provides indie artists with a new way to share their music. The CC0 Lab minicamp saw 18 musicians collaborate to create 16 songs within the CC0 agreement framework, promoting creative freedom and collaboration. Chaos paintings and merchandise are only just starting to deliver on the radical approach that characterises each iterative experimental murmuration from the collective.

The project is unleashing new models for open collaboration across disciplines, with the ambition to unlock new ways music can be created, shared, and experienced. With the growing popularity of NFTs and web3 technology, projects like Present Material and CC0 Lab have the capacity to nudge the music industry forward in shifting norms for artists and fans alike.

Part Two coming soon featuring more details on the Web2 song releases, HeartBeat Calls (a review of the first one HUNDRED weekly songcamp calls), upcoming live shows and meet ups plus → Chaos Fully Realised.

“…one of Web3’s biggest hits.” — Billboard

Songcamp — CHAOS — The Grand Finale Is Upon Us 

Platformless

A weekly newsletter educating creators and brands on how to succeed in web3.

Welcome to the 25 new creatives who joined us since we 

My childhood dream was to be an artist and producer. In fact, I’d be lying if I said I’ve completely given up on it!

Web3 is changing the music industry for the better. In this guide, we’ll review the tools that are making this change possible.

As always, let’s start with why web3 is important for musicians.

Record labels also stand to benefit from web3. Here’s how.

Early adopters will have the advantage and enjoy the above benefits first.

I already covered some tools and use cases that apply to web3 music in issue 

Let’s unpack some more that are specific to music.

There are many more tools but I believe the above list is a reasonable starter kit.

It’s impossible to list all the amazing artists and builders in the web3 music scene.

However, here are some of the most innovative ones I’ve seen.

You can find more artists, record labels, tools, and web3 music communities in my directory.

It now has 300+ listings across 15 categories and growing every day!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZQiPOpTLdHiCx_taZB5eMATs-UFJRP3DkZ5YRZWwsDE/edit?usp=sharing

This issue is available to mint as a collectible!

 One lucky collector will receive my first and only music NFT to date! It’s a beat I made 12 years ago in school.

I’ll share toolkits for podcasters, video creators, and consumer brands in the following issues.

Afterward, we’ll start covering simple tutorials and novel ideas for using these tools.

I’d be happy to chat if you ever need more in-depth guides. Feel free to book a call 

Did you enjoy reading this post? If yes, please share the subscription link below with your friends and fellow creatives. 🙏

Nothing I share will ever be financial or investment advice. No content will be sponsored unless otherwise stated.

A curated list of web3 tools for musicians and record labels

Platformless 002: The Web3 Toolkit For Musicians And Record Labels

OMGjazz

Weekly updates to keep you up to date on everything OMGjazz! Sign up here!

 is up & running with some key updates on what's to come for Season 1 of OMGjazz! Join us tomorrow for our twitter spaces: 

https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1nAKErDAZWVGL

. We're revealing another part of the website there and also talking more about the brand & Season 1.

Website updates

OMGupdate#4

Hi I am Prizem, I am a NFT artist and Metaverse educator. Please check out my art gallery on 

. I have 3 collections in the space as well as my friend SongsOfEden MidiPunkz collection. I am very happy that you have subscribed to my newsletter! Thank you for your valuable time and attention. In this AMA I will be discussing where I started in web3, my motivations to create, my inspiration, the Magic Eden Creator Monetization Strategies Hackathon, and the beta of Web3MusicVault.

I guess it started before web3 / blockchain when my grandma who was a well known water color artist asked me how to sell art online and I didn't have an answer for her.

Then in 2017, I studied web3 / blockchain / smart contract technology online.

I was very interested in Smart contracts and distributed networks and part of my specialization I had to run a local Ethereum node and deploy write Solidity code and test smart contracts. I added web3 to my resume on linked in but it didn't really have any traction so at the end of 2018 I shelved web3 due to not enough understanding of the market.

Fast forward to 2021 Mrs. Prizem wanted me to purchase a VeVe NFT for a Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney statue and I had also been following the uptick in the crypto market. I had to pay closer attention and in October 2021 I entered the NFT art space with my own generative artwork as a way to answer my grandma's question about how you can sell your artwork online in a safe way. Now the answer is to use the provenance of the blockchain and verification by participating  in the metaverse digital art community. I know that my grandma would be so happy that I am going to have my art featured at the 

I was burned out for a startup and from the pandemic and the artwork was therapy. The artist community that my grandmother started in inspired artists to create and now my online Spatial / twitter spaces community.

Can you share your inspiration for creating the Music Vault?

It came to me as a dream. I was helping SongsOfEden and I wanted to see how I can enable NFT music to work on Alexa and combine Darkblock protocol. Darkblock was a partner for the Magic Eden. It would be incredible if we can have the worlds first steaming NFT album using Alexa. SongsOfEden was so inspired that he wanted to create an album for it. Hearing my friend MyCreativeOwls was talking to Alexa to ask her to play some dad jokes solidified my plan.

SongsOfEden is a multi-platinum Swedish music producer, NFT creator, and pianist based in Stockholm. With a strong interest in new technology and a desire to explore new avenues for his music and art, web3 and NFTs were a natural progression.

 "The key to my career success has always been to not follow the herd. But to create something completely new and unheard of," he explains. 

He figured out how to paint PFPs with his piano as the brush. Being the first to create this type of NFT resulted in the first drops being completely sold out.

The MiDi Punkz is also a membership token that grants the holder access to a variety of experiences and utilities. For example, free meta verse concert tickets. Future drops are completely free. Web3 exclusive albums and live performances are available for free.

One reason for becoming a holder is that a MiDi Punk is a possible future investment.

SongsOfEden already has a large fan base in the web2 community, so the MiDi Punkz's chances of becoming valuable over time, once NFTs become mainstream, are real. 

I met SongsOfEden during a Metaverse spatial.io concert hosted by Jahan in August 2022. It was so cool hearing someone playing on the other side of the world playing the piano. Here is the tweet from the original concert I attended on 

twitter.com/j_hanL/status/1559941651178586112?s=20&t=Gm3MYfm6oAjaXn76EizO9A

I also found a few photos of when I first heard SongsOfEden play during that same concert.

I can't believe about a month after this event I reached out to him on twitter and he needed some help and we started working together!

How did you hear about the Magic Eden Hackathon?

 twitter space in October and I saw they were going to discuss their new rental strategies and partner with Magic Eden.

How do you manage a work-life balance as a creative?

Blocks of time allowed for specific tasks. Sometimes exploring cause detours. If you can't go to far off the road it is good to make a note of the item and return to it later. Taking great notes. We can't do everything. Family first. Priorities, Having goals and publicly saying the goals. Especially for goals that are shared with community... you never know when a community member can help you with a word of encouragement or support.

Tell us about the Web3 Music Vault Beta Testing, the goals for the future.

The web3musicvault.xyz is an Alexa skill and decentralized web application that was a 2nd place award winner in the recent Creator Monetization hackathon. It works on any Alexa enabled device or the free Alexa App (no device is required). We are the blockchains that are possible to add. Today it is a Solana based product. I want to focus on the music. We want to focus on the feature set for a full fledged music player. The music is protected by darkblocks. MP3 files are locked behind a NFT token gate and are stored for 200+ years. You have to unlock the music on the 

 and ask for the music from Alexa. I am looking for ways to reward users for listening to music by using something like a POLP Proof of listening protocol. Where you can get rewarded by NFTs for the artists and listeners. Getting the music on Magic Eden is something I am focused on since the initial efforts are being focused.

Reach out on one of these social media platforms:

Had a great chat with my Friend @HiCeeCee and friends in the Prizem spatial gallery on Metaverse Monday 

Prizem AMA discussing Web3MusicVault.xyz

The Web3/AI blog

Independent musicians and artists are increasingly relying on the internet to reach their audiences and earn money. Investing in independent music is a great way to support artists, learn about industry trends and emerging technologies, and potentially make a return on your investment. This article will discuss why it is beneficial to invest in independent music and provide tips on how to go about it, if you are an audiophile, like me.

The biggest reason to invest in independent music is the potential to help budding artists and small businesses in the music industry build a strong foundation that will grow and  develop over time. By investing in their tech and music, you are giving them the financial support they need to create  and promote their work. Additionally, investing in independent music can be a great way to learn more about the industry, as the artist and their team will likely share their experiences, advice, and insights with you. Furthermore, investing in independent music can also be financially rewarding; while supporting an upcoming artist, you could potentially earn a return on your investment

The most obvious way is to buy the artist’s CD. Here is an example from 

 and also buy her CD if you want own it and support her career. 

I imagine she will make more revenue than streaming on Spotify for example, or selling CD’s on Amazon, since so much of the revenue in those cases go to the platforms. In the case of Bandcamp, the prices are quite reasonable, and I believe a larger share goes to the artist. 

The next way is to start learning, using and optionally investing in 

 which explains what is happening in this space in a lot more detail. For the rest of this article I will be giving some examples of how I have been using Web3 for supporting and investing in Web3 musicians and new music. 

I am currently supporting 2 artists on this platform who I really enjoy listening to, and I am sure there will me more in the future. I can stream their music on 

and discuss them with other fans, in the 

 of the site which integrates with the Deso feed. I can “tip” them with diamonds (micro-payments), and also buy their creator coins, which I expect to go up in value, as more people find out about them, and discover their music thru social media, on a global stage. 

You can also participate in live interviews on

and discuss their music with them and other community members. Here is the next interview that E

lizabeth Tubbs will be doing with Iris Camaa.

 Vibehut is a Zoomlike application which allows you to have video meetups and ad hoc meetings, with small groups. And it integrates with the rest of the Deso ecosystem. 

There is a great social platform on Deso (ex Diamondapp) where we can share images, audio and talk about music. There is also a good NFT 

. I expect them to become much more popular. You can also invest in the Deso platform if you think that its going gain adoption, and increase in value.  There is a “Youtube like” platform called 

, and I think that it has a lot of potential for artists to make music videos of their songs. 

Performing to a live global audience is expensive, unless you are a big name artist. There is another Deso app called 

which musicians can use to fund a tour, or a video, or a new album for example. (a crowdsourcing dapp on Deso) There is a market for buying and selling project investments, and It also has a social feed which connects to Deso. 

There are lots of other very useful dapps in the Deso ecosystem, and they are just starting to mature. For now, almost everything is free, and gas fees are extremely low. For, example, $10 could last you months (not including investments) if you decide to indulge, which is completely optional. There are lots of other dapps on Deso for other purposes which I will get into in another blog post.

This is a really nice music community dapp which integrates with the Lens social  platform, which in turn resides on Polygon. The Lens connection provides social interaction for the music which includes music streaming, and aggregates the most popular music NFT markets, and Dao communities. All of the artists are new and independent.  Oohlala will highlight new releases by artists, and there is a lot of music to explore. They also have a mobile app for listening on the go. Here are the platforms that they aggregate:

I think that this service is just getting started, and I see a lot of potential to grow and expand. Maybe one day they will challenge Spotify and Amazon or at least provide an alternative which is owned and run by a community. The development group behind them is called Spiderville, and they are funded by $

 at this point. I imagine that they will eventually start crowdfunding to pay for development, and promotion, if they are successful. 

Investing in independent music can be an exciting and rewarding way to support independent artists while potentially earning a return on your investment. There are a variety of ways to invest, ranging from buying physical albums or digital downloads to investing in streaming platforms or creator tokens. By getting involved in the independent music industry, you can gain access to new tools and technologies, learn about industry trends, and help small businesses and budding artists reach their goals. I believe that this market has a lot of potential for disruption. 

I have created a collection of famous musical artists using AI tools. (See my previous blog posts for more details)

Lastly, here is a list of my social media accounts, where you can subscribe to my blog if you are interested in some of these topics, comment, or reach me:

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Prizem AMA discussing Web3MusicVault.xyz

How to invest in New and Independent Musical Artists

Hey Alexa, Play My NFT Music