Universal Music to launch NFT collections with Curio NFT marketplace

Universal Music Group, one of the 4 biggest record labels in the music industry, has officially announced its entrance into the web3 industry with this new partnership with Curio, a digital collectible marketplace. Curio’s mission is to bring fans closer to their favorite artists, businesses’ characters, stories and moments.

Using the agreement, UMG becomes the first major music company to collaborate with the marketplace, and all future NFT projects from its operating companies and catalog artists will be launching through Curio. Curio gives UMG artists the opportunity to launch their own NFT projects supported by the label and to create new ways to interact with fans directly. UMG witnesses this partnership as a new revenue stream for itself and its artists, providing innovative ways for collectors and fans from all over the world to purchase NFTs from their favored artists.

We’re excited to announce our partnership with @UMG for its record labels and artists!

This unprecedented deal is only the beginning for entertainment/music NFTs ?

NFTs are one of the best new ways to give your top 10% of fans a way to gain access, status and so much more ? pic.twitter.com/kLay9i3tsD

— Curio NFT (@CurioNFT) February 17, 2022

Unlike OpenSea, Curio is somewhat a new player in the scene. In 2021, the marketplace has helped launch over 75,000 NFTs with major entertainment companies in music, cinema, and graphic novels. Starting in March, Calum Scott the British singer will be dropping his first NFTs on the platform, with collaboration from Capitol Music Group. Universal has been experimenting with methods to cash in on the rising popularity of digital collectibles, even forming a singing group, Kingship. Its characters are all from the extremely successful Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection: one Mutant Ape and three Bored Apes.

NEWSFLASH: UMG’s next-gen label 10:22PM forms ????????, the First-Ever Group Consisting of NFT Characters from Bored Ape Yacht Club.? pic.twitter.com/zMSAq4HI2Z

— Universal Music Group (@UMG) November 11, 2021

In 2021 UMG also partnered up with Genies, a leading avatar technology company. Genies will provide artists with official virtual identities for usage in Web 3.0 and virtual characters to sell as NFTs, allowing them to communicate with fans in creative and authentic ways across the metaverse.

Universal Music Group is not the first major record label to make a move into the web3 space, just recently Warner Music Group partnered up with The Sandbox by buying a big land to bring a new experience for fans to witness their favored artist performing live in the metaverse.

Image credit: press