David Bowie, OMGKirby, Blocktones – Billboard
There are signs of life in the music NFT space again after a slow summer.
Several Grammy Award-winning producers entered Web3 in September while the late David Bowie debuted on the blockchain. Meanwhile, a number of new projects tested the waters with larger collections (more than 2,000 NFTs) after a few months of post-cryptocrash caution. And leading NFT marketplace OpenSea leaned heavily into music, launching an exclusive drop experience for lo-fi generative music project OMGKirby. OpenSea also announced a partnership with Warner Music for an exclusive drop in early October.
Total volume in the top 10 in September reached 1,434 ETH ($1.95 million) – a 71% increase in crypto (838 ETH) terms and a 50% improvement in dollar terms ($1.3 million), compared to August. (Note: crypto values saw declines throughout the month.)
Based on analysis of sales data from 19 different NFT platforms, independent releases and secondary sales volume on OpenSea, here are the 10 best-selling music NFTs and compilations in September 2022.
1/ SAN Origin
Total turnover volume: 425 ETH ($575,875 at month-end conversion rate)
Primary sale (September): Free mint
Secondary sales: 425 ETH
Drop date: Sept. 16
SAN Sound is a project that aims to launch a Web3 music streaming service, using a “listen-for-earn” model where holders will earn crypto-tokens while streaming. Founded by Asian DJ Jon Kaku, it also uses a new concept in crypto called ‘soul-bound tokens’. Holders of the NFT can choose to “soulbind” it to the wallet, meaning it will be permanently attached and cannot be sold.
By doing this, holders unlock access to the streaming service, as well as live events, music hardware and future airdrops. The original NFT coin of 10,000 was free, but it quickly gained more than 400 ETH volume on the secondary markets.
See the collection at OpenSea.
2/ Block tones
Monthly turnover volume: 314 ETH ($425,470)
Primary sales: 275 ETH
Secondary sales: 39 ETH
Delivery date: 24 September
Blocktones is an ambitious Web3 music project founded by Grammy-winning producer Gino the Ghost and Michael Mauro – a live music veteran who has worked on shows for Diplo, Future and A$AP Rocky. The project tapped hip-hop royalty in the form of Timbaland and a host of A-list producers and songwriters to create a generative music soundtrack. Each NFT comes with a unique piece of music created via an algorithm. The 2,500 Genesis NFTs unlock access to an immersive virtual world with a sci-fi story.
See the collection at OpenSea.
3/ Bowie on Blockchain
Monthly turnover volume: 233 ETH ($315,715)
Primary sales: NOW
Secondary Sales: N/A
Drop date: September 30
David Bowie spent his entire career experimenting with music, identity and technology – he foresaw the “unimaginable” impact of the Internet – and on the last day of September he debuted in the NFT space. Bowie on the Blockchain is the first collection from the David Bowie estate with all proceeds donated to the CARE charity. The project invited nine leading artists in the Web3 space to create artwork based on Bowie’s legacy. The collection includes a unique one-of-one of FEWOCIOUS – considered one of the breakout names in crypto art.
See the collection at OpenSea.
4/ KINGSHIP
Monthly turnover volume: 154 ETH ($208,670)
Primary sale: NOW
Secondary sales: 154 ETH
Drop date: 15 July
The Bored Ape supergroup made the top ten for the third consecutive month thanks to continued strong secondary sales at OpenSea. In September, KINGSHIP announced the Grammy Award-winning artists working on the band’s music – Hit-Boy and James Fauntleroy. The team also added a “music” feature to the NFT metadata. It is a unique way to credit the musicians involved in a music NFT project.
See the collection at OpenSea.
5/ OMG Kirby x CT
Monthly turnover volume: 91 ETH ($123,305)
Primary sales: NOW
Secondary sales: NOW
Delivery date: 23 September
OMGKirby is a lo-fi YouTube channel turned Web3 music project. The anonymous team have already released two popular NFT compilations, but they return to the top 10 through a new collaboration with Channel Tres – RCA’s latest signing. Holders get the mastering and publishing rights to the music in the NFT, so they can remix it, sample it, use it as a podcast intro or even upload it to Spotify. It’s another Web3 experiment with permissive licensing.
See the collection at OpenSea.
6/ Dannyboi Styles – “Acquainted” (The Weeknd)
Monthly turnover volume: 56 ETH ($75,880)
Primary sale: 34 ETH
Secondary sales: ~22 ETH
Drop date: 22 Sept
Fans of The Weeknd can now own a small portion of future streaming royalties on his track “Acquainted,” via one of the song’s producers Dannyboi Styles. The songwriter offered a portion of his ownership as an NFT collection, totaling 1% of the song’s streaming rights. The 400 tokens sold out in minutes, giving each holder 0.0025% of future streaming royalties. Published on Anotherblock, the platform estimates that holders will see a return of 9% – 15% over the next year based on current estimates.
See the collection at OpenSea.
7/ Amari Artist Pass
Monthly turnover volume: 48 ETH ($65,040)
Primary sale: 11 ETH
Secondary sales: 37 ETH
Drop date: 22 Sept
Amari is a new virtual artist with a bouncy debut pop single called “Deeper”. Not only is she a virtual singer, she is also an NFT from the CyberBrokers collection created by legendary crypto artist Josie Bellini. Amari is the first artist from a new metaverse label called Player Zero, co-founded by Dr. Luke. The Amari Artist Pass NFT allows holders to vote on the future of Amari’s career and gain access to future experiences and collectibles.
See the collection at OpenSea.
8/ The Orbs
Monthly turnover volume: 43 ETH ($58,265)
Primary sale: NOW
Secondary sales: 43 ETH
Drop date: February 14
The Orbs is a series of 3333 audiovisual NFTs created by DJ and producer BT. Each NFT has a musical soundtrack designed to play forever without looping or repeating. The collection was released back in February and has been generating steady secondary sales ever since.
See the collection at OpenSea.
9/ Hume Genesis
Monthly turnover volume: 39 ETH ($52,845)
Primary sale: NOW
Secondary sales: 39 ETH
Drop date: 21 July
Hume Collective is a metaverse record label home to a roster of virtual artists. In September, the label announced it had raised $11.7 million in a round led by TCG Crypto, which also included participation from the Winklevoss Twins (aka “Bitcoin Billionaires”). The news sparked a flurry of secondary purchases on OpenSea ahead of the label’s next single release. Hume Genesis NFT holders will have the chance to vote on which track is released.
See the collection at OpenSea.
10/ PLC&TY
Monthly turnover volume: 31 ETH ($42,005)
Primary sale: NOW
Secondary sales: 31 ETH
Drop date: August 8
PLS&TY made their name as an electronic producer with over 100 million streams on YouTube, Soundcloud and Spotify. In August, he dropped a collection of 15 different audiovisual collectibles on GameStop’s brand new NFT platform. With each priced at a different entry point — from $9 to $620 — the PLS&TY collection continues to attract buyers into its second month. PLS&TY was one of the earliest musicians to experiment with Web3. He first released 1/1 audiovisual art on SuperRare – the leading high art NFT platform – back in October 2020.
See the collection at Gamestop.
Methodology: The chart was compiled using data from primary music NFT sales across 19 different NFT platforms, independent releases and secondary volume data from OpenSea. Data was captured between September 1 – September 30, 2022. Ethereum to US Dollar conversion rates were calculated on September 30.
