Audius Implements NFT-Gating for Exclusive Artist Access

Web3 music platform Audius said it’s implementing a non-fungible token ($NFT) gating feature intended to allow artists to release exclusive content to $NFT holders. This follows recent news that streaming service Spotify is testing token-gated playlists.

Artists on Audius who have released their own NFTs can “gate” their content so only token holders of the corresponding collection can have access to it. Listeners can link their wallets to Audius to confirm their $NFT ownership and access B-sides, unreleased tracks and other special types of content.

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“A big focus of Audius from day one is enabling deeper connections and deeper interactions between the fans and the artists directly,” Forrest Browning, chief product officer and co-founder of Audius, told CoinDesk. “In the future there will be many other ways that you could demonstrate to an artist that you're a superfan, but if you purchase one of their NFTs that feels like a fairly strong signal.”

Additionally, Audius aims to cater to artists who are active $NFT community members but may not have their own collections. If an artist is a holder, or has an affinity for another $NFT project such as popular Bored Ape Yacht Club or CryptoPunks collections, they can gate their content with those NFTs.

Audius has been working away to integrate features to boost fan engagement over the past year. Last month the company upgraded its ongoing partnership with TikTok, allowing Audius users to integrate their favorite songs from the platform onto the social media application. In July, the company rolled out its tipping feature, allowing listeners to “tip” their favorite artists in the platform’s native AUDIO token.

See Also: Napster Revives Its Music Ambitions With Web3 Acquisition of Mint Songs