Music tech company Serenade has announced the launch of a groundbreaking new artist/fan-centric platform, which aims to break down the barriers to entry surrounding Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and make them easily accessible and affordable for artists and their fans.
The eco-friendly platform, which produces 1/44,000th of the carbon emitted by a standard NFT (or 1/10th of the energy usage of a tweet,) uses a 'Proof of Stake' authentication method that is far more efficient than a direct-to-Ethereum 'Proof of Work' approach and eliminates expensive ‘gas’ fees, the prohibitive costs that can be a major barrier to entry for anyone wanting to create affordable NFTs.
Purchases are made with a credit or debit card via Serenade’s innovative checkout facility that has been designed to function like a standard e-commerce cart, where the creation of a digital wallet and the transfer of traditional payments into cryptocurrency is handled directly by the platform.
Fans join a community of like-minded music lovers where they can build a profile, showcase and chat about their collectibles, be confident they are not harming the environment, access affordable digital collectibles, and do all of this without knowing the first thing about NFT technology.
Founded by Australian tech entrepreneur and music fan Max Shand, Serenade’s mission is to enable artists to build closer relationships with fans while creating dynamic new revenue streams. This is accomplished via music-related digital collectibles including specially recorded tracks, limited edition artworks, intimate live performances, rare or unreleased gems, and unique documentary footage and material. Digital collectibles are purchased by fans as NFTs and can be collected and resold, with artists receiving an ongoing share of the revenues every time they change hands.
Serenade, which works collaboratively with record companies, music publishers, artist management companies, and trade associations to ensure its platform respects rights and benefits all parties involved, will launch with an eclectic range of acclaimed artists who are offering exclusive and limited digital collectibles to their fans. These include, among others: Jungle, ArrDee, Kaiser Chiefs, Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip, The Game, Strawberries & Creem Festival, Young MA, Ride, Scouting For Girls, Ladyhawke, State Champs, Super Furry Animals, Ash, S1mba, Muki and more.
As part of the launch of Serenade, Mercury Nominated production duo Jungle made available a series of exclusive NFTs on August 13th to accompany their third album, Loving in Stereo,
Available for auction are special micro-videos to accompany each of the album’s fourteen tracks. Furthermore, Jungle are giving four fans the opportunity to bid to join them for a production masterclass. The star prize of the auction is the Loving in Stereo season pass, which will allow 2 people guestlist access to an unlimited number of Jungle live shows on the Loving in Stereo Tour.
Also, Cambridgeshire, UK based Strawberries & Creem Festival are announcing the S&C Limited Edition 2021 NFT Series, a collection of trading cards that will unlock special festival experiences and will go on sale later this month via Serenade.
Teaming up with British-Namibian creative director, illustrator, and music producer HAM the Illustrator and Soga World, Strawberries & Creem Festival have created 8 limited edition NFT trading cards.
Limited to just 8 collectible cards at 200 editions each, with one special ‘Founders Card,’ which in turn is limited to just 20 editions, owners of these unique NFTs will have access to VIP perks and special privileges at the festival including backstage access, VIP hospitality, exclusive content, special memorabilia and the ‘best seats in the house. Each edition will be minted on the blockchain and the series will never be replicated.
William Young, Founder of Strawberries and Creem Festival said, “We want to establish ourselves as one of the most progressive festivals in the world and NFTs give us the opportunity to reach a new audience in a rapidly growing market. Giving the option for customers to purchase experiences through NFTs adds an exciting new dimension to the event.”
Max Shand, Founder, and CEO of Serenade, said, “Serenade has been built from within the music industry, for the music industry, and respecting rights & creativity is at the heart of what we do. Our ambition is to simplify and demystify the NFT process among rights holders, artists, and music fans by creating an easy-to-use platform where those fans can buy amazing, affordable digital collectibles with their credit/debit cards, be confident they're not harming the environment, exist in a community of their peers and interact, purchase, showcase, trade & promote the work of their favorite artists. We already have some incredible artists on board and are passionate about building value for everyone involved.”
James Sandom, Managing Director of Red Light Management UK, which represents Kaiser Chiefs and Ride among others said, “We’re delighted to partner with Serenade on two forthcoming projects. Their NFT modeling empowers the fan and artist connection and suits any artist with a rich legacy and deep archive, creating highly collectible assets for dedicated fans. Serenade’s approach offers a more inclusive fan experience which was key to our thinking in working together.”
Ted Cockle, President, Hipgnosis said, “We’re eager to explore so many opportunities with Serenade. They are a progressive company that has arrived, really helping to demystify and simplify NFTs, with an excellent platform which delivers digital collectibles in an accessible and environmentally friendly way to true fans.”
Please visit www.serenade.co for more information.
