NFT Project Spotlight: Hume’s Music NFT Metastars 

Hume is a Web3 record label that has developed a roster of virtual artists called “Metastars”.

What is Hume?

Hume is one of the first Web3-native record labels in the world. It focuses on harnessing the power of blockchain technology to create deeper connections between music artists and their fans.

The label launched what it calls “Metastars,” fully virtual artists that Hume NFT holders help influence and grow.This Hume website Define Metastars as Metaverse-native, universally influential virtual music artists who exist in both the Metaverse and the physical world. Hume’s goal is to become the leading Web3 record label dedicated to promoting virtual artists and adding them and their fans to its music groups. Encrypted Briefing Sit down with Hume co-founders David Beiner and Jay Stolar to learn what inspired them to launch Hume, their background in the music industry, and how NFTs play a key role in creating a community-driven platform for virtual artists.

Angelbaby and Metastars

Hume’s first Metastar is angelbaby, an NFT from Non-Fungible Labs’ FLUF World series. Angelbaby was a full-fledged artist in her own right before becoming Hume’s foundational Metastar.They have performed several live performances at leading arts and music events this year, including Art Basel Miami and South by Southwest. also, angel baby music Consistently tops the top selling music NFT charts on platforms like OpenSea and Audius.

In Hume’s world, however, angelbaby takes on a new role, becoming one of the founding members of the Hume Collective. The project sheds light on the background of the mysterious artist, revealing that they are time travelers in the year 3045.

The story goes that in a distant future where censorship is rampant and all creative expression is controlled by an oppressive force called the Shani Republic. Angelbaby returns in time to form a group of rebel artists to fight the Shani Republic. This group, known as the Hume Collective, works to preserve creative expression and an open metaverse at all costs.

“Angelbaby went through a gate that took them back in time, they met me and David, and they kept introducing us to other Metastars. So while it sounds crazy, the story is deep,” Storall said, and highlighted Hume as an exercise in creative world-building and a new way for fans to connect with their favorite artists. “Our world isn’t just about developing these tools to let you interact with your fans in new ways, it’s about developing each Metastar as part of a larger narrative universe of which they’re all part,” he added road.

Creator Background

Aside from Hume’s innovative world-building through the eyes of angelbaby, each of the group’s other founders has their own story to tell. Jay Storall, Hume’s Chief Artist Officer with an extensive background in acting, songwriting and music production. His rise to fame includes writing songs for Aloe Blacc, Selena Gomez, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Demi Lovato, and producing music for popular multiplayer games like League of Legends and Fortnite.

While Stolar was composing music for other artists, he realized that the lines between the real and the virtual were increasingly blurred. “I’m starting to realize that, essentially, a lot of these projects are seen as [for] A virtual artist,” he explained.

For example, Stolar’s project with Riot Games for League of Legends involves making music for virtual artists who are also playable characters in the game.While some initially wondered whether fans would be able to connect with virtual artists the way they would in the real world, such as Seraphim and K/DA Demonstrating that virtual artists can succeed, opening the door to a whole new paradigm of music production. “That put us on a path to really fall in love with the idea of ​​a virtual artist,” Storall said.

While Stolar saw the untapped potential of virtual music artists, his Hume co-founder David Beiner was exploring blockchain technology and the emerging ideas of Metaverse. “I started digging into Web3 and Ethereum, starting to think about NFTs and the metaverse, and the more I talked to Jay, the more I thought, what’s the difference between writing songs for Selena Gomez or virtual artists we can develop and build on, ‘ he recalled.

The realization marked the beginning of what is now called the Hume Collective, something the couple never looked back on. “We have a general belief that seems obvious now – we’re going to have digital products, we’re going to have digital identities, and these digital identities are going to blur the lines between physical and digital, so you’re going to have completely virtual artists who also blurs the line between these two worlds,” added Beiner.

Hume Genesis NFT

To pioneer a platform for virtual music artists, Hume chose to use virtual assets in the form of NFTs to bridge the gap between artists and their fans. When asked why NFTs are the best choice for the Hume Collective, Beiner cites two main reasons: community and intellectual property.

NFTs have long been recognized for their ability to inspire online communities. Emerging blockchain-based technology makes it easier than ever to coordinate communities and reward members by granting holders privileges such as voting rights, Discord access, or airdrops.

However, Byner goes a step further in the context of the relationship between music artists and their fans. In addition to knowing exactly who fans of the virtual artist are, Hume’s Genesis NFT will allow its holders to make decisions about the future of the Hume community. “We’re big fans of decision-making,” said Storall, carefully distinguishing Hume from the existing token voting mechanism promoted by the DAO’s governance structure. “The reason we don’t like the word ‘vote’ is because Hume is not a DAO; we won’t have community proposals. It’s more of a story, [in the story] In the future Hume Genesis, everyone has one, and they’ll meet in one place and make decisions together,” explains Benner.

There are 1,000 Hume Genesis NFT Those who meet certain conditions are discarded for free, such as holding angelbaby POAP or owning angelbaby music NFT. After dropping, Genesis NFTs appear as one of three tiers: Rare, Ultra Rare, and Legendary. Depending on the tier, each genesis NFT will give its holder greater influence in the Hume decision-making process.

Regarding the additional benefits of holding higher-level NFTs, Beiner hinted at perks such as exclusive dinners, backstage at events, and priority access to Metaverse concerts. “I’ll let your imagination run through all the possibilities you can do,” he said. “Angelbaby wouldn’t be very happy if we started talking about what’s going to happen on each floor,” Stolar added jokingly.

Starting with Hume’s first Metastar angelbaby, every virtual artist launched through Hume will have their own Genesis NFT campaign, and all Hume Genesis holders will pledge NFTs for all artists for the next 18 months. Little is known about the subsequent Genesis descents, except that each will be larger than the Hume Genesis series.

Each Metastar genesis NFT will provide holders with an opportunity to help them grow their music careers. Possible decisions around music production include which songs should go on the album, which songs the artist should release as singles, and deciding on album cover art. “If you have 1,000 passionate fans, let them ‘in the room with the artist’ and let them be part of the process. They are the listeners. They are the ones who love it the most,” explains Beiner.

the future of music

Although Hume is still in its early stages of development, Beiner and Stolar believe that NFTs will eventually change the way we interact with and consume music. They see Web3 and blockchain as the next big technological evolution in how people interact with music, similar to record players that allow ownership or digitization to make music portable.

At the same time, the duo admitted that bringing music NFTs into the mainstream will not be easy. “Music NFTs definitely don’t get as much love or attention as PFP projects or visual arts, and there are definitely big barriers,” Beiner said.

In terms of virtual artists, Stolar recommends checking out angelbaby and their music to fully understand the concept of virtual artists. “I think we’re only a few years away from an era when millions of people use virtual avatars to represent themselves as artists,” he assumed, sharing his optimism about the idea.

The success of Hume’s vision of becoming the premier Web3 record label depends largely on the success of music NFTs as a concept. Other Web3 music platforms like Audius, Table of contents and RŌHKI Also helping to develop music NFTs, but like Hume, have yet to find mainstream adoption. Nonetheless, as blockchain technology develops, more artists may see music NFTs as a viable option to connect with their fans in an unprecedented way.

Disclosure: At the time of writing this feature, the author owns ETH and several other cryptocurrencies.