Sterling Proffer

The artists complaining about TikToks aren’t exactly condemning the platform. But they are showing that being on all the time, influencer-style, takes effort and talent that is different from the kind it takes to perform a great song. Do we really want our entertainers demystified and desperate? Are we too cynical and distracted to enjoy... See more

2. Fractionalize ownership with royalty-bearing NFTs: “Fractional ownership” is one of the more widely discussed use cases around NFTs. Here, a fraction of a song is sold as an NFT, with the owner then being entitled to the equivalent portion of royalties generated from the commercial exploitation of the song.

Streaming has changed all the rules. Musicians can upload songs on to a streaming platform without a label. If they still want to sell physical albums, Bandcamp has made it very easy—no label required. They can deal directly with fans, journalists, promoters, booking agents, etc. without a label. They can set up a publishing company with almost no... See more

12. Curate your own marketplace: The more new content gets created, the more curation matters. As the music industry transitions to web3, curators who add context and meaning to music, and guide us through what’s good and what’s not, will become increasingly important.

Humans are unique because we compete when it isn’t necessary. We could reason our way to more sustainable processes, but we use our intelligence to outsmart each other. We compete for fun, for ego.