NFTs unlock physical biodegradable vinyl records

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The hype around non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has died down, but innovative use cases for these digital assets continue to emerge on the scene. Particularly in the music industry, which has been fertile ground for emerging Web3 tool use cases in recent years.

On April 5, DJ, producer and eco-warrior BLOND:ISH announced a new NFT project, which once purchased unlocks physical copies of her latest album on vinyl.

Cointelegraph has reached out to BLOND:ISH for more details on using NFTs as a gateway to unlocking physical items as part of a new music release.

The next biodegradable vinyl from BLONDISH. Source: BLOND:ISH, Bye Bye Plastic, Evolution Music

The vinyl itself is made from “natural bacteria” which mimics plastic and can break down in any environment, including the ocean. Typically, vinyls are pressed from the material polyvinyl chloride, also known as PVC, and releases twelve times more greenhouse gas emissions.

NFTs have been used in the past by artists as a component of album releases, and even as a new way of delivering music. This latest vinyl drop is an example of the growing phygital trend in the NFT scene, in which digital assets have a physical component.

Related: Preserving and Reinventing the Legacy of Music Festivals in the Metaverse

Last August, popular rock band Muse released an album NFT. The album released as NFT was a music industry landmark as it became the newest chart-eligible album format to be added in seven years.

Many mainstream music artists like Snoop Dogg, who is a longtime champion of the Web3 space, have used NFTs in one-off releases or to promote additional content alongside their music.

There have even been questions about the arrival of a new genre of NFT-based music for artists who inextricably tie their releases to NFT projects.

Music industry giant Sony Music filed a trademark application for NFT-authenticated music in September 2022, while last month Spotify tested a new Web3 wallet integration for token-enabled playlists.

Magazine: Andy Warhol would have loved (or maybe hated) NFTs