A Web3 record label plans to redefine how you experience music

Miku Hatsune was seen as an oddity when she released her first demo track in 2007. A seemingly disembodied voice created by Crypton Future Media, Miku was a marvel at the time, only able to exist via a synthesizer technology called Vocaloid.

Over the years Miku’s influence grew and she became a virtual pop star. From influential collaborations to world tours, this animated and all-digital recording artist helped the music industry explore the possibilities of what was achievable through virtual reality, paving the way for the likes of Yameii and FN Meka to become viral sensations.

Now, with the power of creators via Web3 and blockchain technology, virtual influencers are becoming a regular part of pop culture. From users creating entire personas around their own NFTs to CryptoPunk rappers and Bored Ape DJ duos headlining events, physical and digital experiences are merging in new and exciting ways.

Just as the music ecosystem has changed in response to NFTs, yet another iteration of the recording industry is emerging in the wake of virtual artists. And at the forefront of the new iteration lives Player Zero, a Web3 label that, like the rise of the virtual pop star, is changing how we perceive the future of music.

What is Player Zero?

Player Zero is a Web3 label that, as labels go, is about as digitally native as you can get. While most legacy labels are rooted in the real world and focused on acquiring and building real-life talent and brands, Player Zero is creating an ecosystem that revolves entirely around Animated Virtual Artists (AVA).

A joint venture between hitmaker Dr. Luke and the Web3 collective Digital Arts & Science, Player Zero aims to develop a large variety of AVAs and corresponding metaverse experiences. To do so, Dr. Luke has already brought in a strong group of music industry veterans who have worked with Demi Lovato, Zara Larsson, Twice, Fergie and many more.

Like Miku, Yameii, and FN Meka, AVAs are virtual artists who exist solely in the digital realm. Some may be powered by Vocaloid and artificial intelligence, others may be the product of a team of producers, singers and songwriters, but every AVA exists digitally, on the blockchain.

AVAs are powered by NFTs, which is perfectly illustrated by Player Zero’s first virtual offering, Amari. Although Amari is quickly transforming into a metaverse pop star with his debut single “Deeper”, the character himself comes from the popular PFP NFT collection CyerBrokers created by crypto-art OG Josie Bellini.

However, Player Zero didn’t just get the Amari NFT for use as an AVA. It worked directly with the CyberBrokers community to create her background, personality, voice and more. As other AVAs are created in the image of NFTs, such as Doodles, Meebits, Bored Apes and more, communities around these projects can be offered a say in their development.

“We love working with communities that already exist,” said Lawrence Vavra, music industry veteran and co-founder of Player Zero, in an interview with nft now. “Because we are members of these communities and have been very positive on Web3 for the last year and a half now. So we have a bunch of cool NFT community AVAs, but then we also have ones that we’ve built from scratch. »

Through initiatives like Amari digging right into the heart of the NFT community, Player Zero is building itself as more than a record label, hoping to become a comprehensive entertainment brand rooted in Web3 music.

“To us, [a Web3 record label] really means you’re able to make community-centric things come to life,” Vavra said. “We come from the record business, and we understand what it takes to build an artist,” Vavra said. “As fans, we all know the musician, but in most cases there are tons of people—like singers, songwriters, and producers—behind an artist that help make it happen.”

With Player Zero, Vavra said he and his team are trying to give artists and creative communities the ability to release art in a digitally native way that bypasses the dilution of the music industry. This is why AVAs are made for the NFT community, by the NFT community, bound only by the limitations of blockchain technology and collective imagination.

How does Player Zero work?

Like other blue-chip NFT projects, Player Zero works on a membership-based model. At the very top of this model is the Player Zero Founders Pass, which is essentially a golden ticket that grants holders access to nearly every future drop and initiative from the burgeoning Web3 label.

Founder Passes are exclusive, with only 100 ever released. The first 50 passes were minted at an exclusive pre-sale event, the remaining 50 were only available via auction. One pass will be auctioned every 24 hours, and the final Founders Pass will be sold on November 3, 2022.

But Founders Passes aren’t the only way for NFT enthusiasts to access the Player Zero ecosystem. As AVAs are developed and released, Vavra said collectors will have the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of these characters’ “careers”.

“Every AVA that we put out is going to have a Genesis Pass, which should really incentivize early adopters to get into the project,” Vavra said. “Think about how it’s always worked: you come across a band, and you love this band, and the band gets bigger and bigger. Then it hits the mainstream, and as an early adopter, you’re on to the next thing.”

With Genesis Passes, Vavra said early adopters have the opportunity to be rewarded rather than rejected by their favorite artists. As AVAs evolve, collectors of their Genesis passes will have a say in creative direction.

The Player Zero team worked with our community-led Writer’s Room to develop Amari’s backstory and motivations to fit within the parameters of the CyberBrokers universe.

Keep an eye out for Amari’s origin story, coming soon @PlayerZeroHQ!👀 pic.twitter.com/WJ3WwCsAPu

— CyberBrokers (@CyberBrokers_) 16 September 2022

For Vavra, greater creative control could mean deciding which artists to work with, what kind of merchandise to release, or even which versions of their songs to stream. In short, Vavra’s vision is that fans and early adopters have real incentives to embed the Player Zero universe.

Could AVAs be the future of Web3 music?

As the Web3 and metaverse era entices more people to live their lives entirely online, AVAs seem perfectly aligned with the interests of a digitally native culture. Just as we saw concerts and festivals transition to virtual experiences during the COVID pandemic, it is possible that music acts could also become completely virtual experiences.

Crucially, Player Zero is very different from the other native Web3 music platforms that have emerged recently. Services like Sound.xyz and Catalog have allowed independent artists to release their creations on the blockchain, but Player Zero is more of an incubator for community-driven projects that align with both the general NFT ecosystem and the back end of the music industry (so, songwriters , producers and more).

That doesn’t mean the lines between established platforms and Web3 labels like Player Zero can’t be blurred. Instead, it is more of a reminder that the NFT ecosystem may be ready and receptive to such an entity. As for Vavra, the NFT space and the world at large are undoubtedly ready for Player Zero, and a future where virtual beings can become top stars on the map.

“Even five years ago, I would have said that I don’t think people are really going to connect with music unless there was a story behind the musician,” Vavra told nft now. “I think now, because of Web3, because of Zoom and because of COVID, people will connect with the music and it doesn’t have to be a human person for them to connect.”

However, it is too early to say for sure whether changes occurring in the music industry due to Web3 will last. But as the metaverse continues to expand and consumers continue to show a desire for virtual experiences, Player Zero could become a leading voice within the Web3 music ecosystem.