\u201cCultivating a scene or a community, that\u2019s really important, and that\u2019s what drives culture. […] My hope still is that decentralized tech helps us do that better and helps us do that in more equitable ways.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
During the \u201cWeb3: Balancing Niche and Mainstream on the Road to Adoption\u201d session, participants discussed the importance of first understanding one\u2019s community before launching crypto music projects. Melanie McClain, a Web3 consultant and founder of Blurred Lines \u2014 a community of Web3 tastemakers supporting left-of-center Black music \u2014 said that if fans want free shows, artists can experiment with NFTs that give collectors free access to concerts. And if the artist blows up, that free-performance NFT will suddenly become much more valuable.<\/p>\n
Related: <\/em><\/strong>Music NFTs are helping independent creators monetize and build a fanbase<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking to Cointelegraph, McClain said that crypto-native and crypto-newbie artists alike could use blockchain tech to build stronger communities, but each approach must be tailored. \u201cThey have to be self-aware,\u201d she said. If a musician\u2019s community is not native to Web3, \u201cthey might not say words like NFTs or social tokens. They can lead the conversation in other ways while still using the tools in the back end.\u201d<\/p>\n Many facilitators and other attendees expressed that Web3 solutions offer particularly unique advantages for musicians, with Gremore telling Cointelegraph that \u201cone of the biggest strengths of [Web3] is the ability to build community and sustain community.\u201d<\/p>\n Perhaps part of the reason for this is that blockchains are generally designed for efficiency. According to Hu, this allows artists and their teams to better utilize \u201csmart money\u201d \u2014 when a musician doesn\u2019t have much money to spend and therefore must use their funds as efficiently as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cIn music and Web3, I\u2019m noticing instead of just random artists dropping NFT projects that happen to gain a lot of money, there\u2019s more focus on \u2018what\u2019s the actual use case?\u2019\u201d Hu told Cointelegraph. \u201cWhat is blockchain actually adding to music in a way that makes things easier and not harder from a technical standpoint?\u201d<\/p>\n One thing that stood out at the Wavelengths Summit was how many online friends were meeting IRL \u2014 in real life \u2014 for the first time. Having many internet friends is not unique to crypto, but it is particularly pronounced in the space, given its inherently decentralized nature. For most people, meeting an online friend in person is special, and the summit was designed to facilitate those connections.<\/p>\n The internet allows for a level of community building previously impossible, especially between musicians and their fans. But as Gremore told Cointelegraph, \u201cThere\u2019s a magic in IRL that just can\u2019t be replaced.\u201d She added, \u201cURL is where so many of the conversations start happening, and then IRL \u2014 it\u2019s a chance to deepen those bonds.\u201d<\/p>\n For Hu, building in-person relationships is critical for the long-term success of Web3 communities. \u201cIRL events make or break trust in a community,\u201d she said. When internet-based communities meet in person, that community\u2019s carefully curated online image disappears, and people see it for what it really is \u2014 whether good or bad.<\/p>\n \u201cEvents are so important for online communities because if the name of the game is long-term sustainability, that will make or break trust. If it succeeds, it could be a huge kickstarter to a whole new stage or a whole new level for the community or for the brand. But I\u2019ve definitely seen it go the other way around also.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n For those unable to participate in IRL experiences, online ones still offer opportunities, such as allowing fans to connect virtually with their favorite music artists. \u201cI think using virtual things, not necessarily the metaverse but using live-streaming platforms, things like that \u2014 I think you can simulate the same thing,\u201d McClain said. \u201cEverybody can participate no matter where they are.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think online spaces are safe havens for a lot of people, and I think that that should never be discounted,\u201d believes Davies. \u201cBut I think the power of meeting somebody in person and being like, oh, you\u2019re like a real human being, and we have similar thoughts about this, and maybe a block on a chain helped us find each other \u2014 but really what it\u2019s about is us hanging out in person.\u201d<\/p>\nURL meets IRL<\/h2>\n
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