Quick take:
- WRM will continue to partner with artists to build communities and explore new revenue streams on Web3.
- Mike Shinoda has released a single as NFT and “Ziggurats”, a generative NFT mixtape.
- Warner Music has been behind metaverse and Web3 experiences including David Guetta on Roblox, digital avatars via Genies for label artists, and others.
Warner Recorded Music (WRM) has appointed Linkin Park co-founder Mike Shinoda as Community Innovation Advisor, the record label announced today.
In what WRM claims is a “first of its kind” role, Mike Shinoda will be working closely with Warner Music’s leadership and business development teams to help shape the company’s artist-centric approach to Web3.
Shinoda will serve as WRM’s sounding board and support the company in partnering with artists to build communities across new platforms, products and experiences and explore new revenue streams.
Rising to fame with his band, Linkin Park, Shinoda has been known for highlighting the connections between music and Web3. In an interview with Input Mag in Feb 2021, Shinoda said: “I’ve been watching NFTs for a while. Linkin Park have like a VC arm, and a few years ago we did a bunch of meetings with different companies about investment and the idea of creating blockchain-related merchandise. And I was like, ‘I feel like we’re ready for it. But fans aren’t ready for it. Nobody’s going to buy it.’ So we just stayed away from it. And it wasn’t until this year when I was like, ‘Oh, people are ready.’”
His most recent Web3 projects include “Happy Endings,” the label’s first single to debut as an NFT in Feb 2021, and “Ziggurats,” the world’s first generative NFT mixtape – a collection of 5,000 unique mini-albums created from Shinoda’s original audio and visual layers – released last December.
Max Lousada, CEO of Warner Recorded Music, said: “Central to our DNA at Warner is that we start with the artist experience. A passionate creative who’s deeply embedded in the rapidly evolving world of Web3, Mike’s perspective here will be invaluable. As we continue to accelerate deals and build out our expertise across the company, together we’ll navigate the possibilities at the intersection of music and technology with thoughtfulness and authenticity – to the benefit of our entire musical community.”
“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to Web3; every artist and community is unique,” added Shinoda. “Warner has made some strong first steps in this space, and I look forward to playing a role in further exploration—supporting artists in creating new opportunities, and connecting with fans in unimaginable new ways.”
Warner Music has been behind metaverse and Web3 experiences including David Guetta in Roblox, digital avatars via Genies for label artists such as Michael Bublé, Cardi B, and CKay; and NFTs including a hi-res digital image of the original lyric sheets from Matchbox Twenty’s megahit ‘Unwell’ and rapper Rico Nasty’s OHFR? NFT drop on SuperRare.
The company has also recently partnered with Splinterlands to onboard artists into P2E gaming.
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