A VERY NON-FUNGIBLE STORY

Since we first wrote about NFTs (non-fungible tokens) in March—even attempting to explain what they are—we've seen ever more entities and individuals jumping into this lucrative if somewhat intangible pool. Live Nation, YellowHeart and Timbaland have all boosted the industry's ties to the crypto-adjacent NFT market, while the Recording Academy has announced Grammy Award NFT collections in association with a Quincy Jones-backed marketplace.

Live Nation and YellowHeart have both unveiled ticket-related NFTs, with the former introducing Live Stubs, a collaboration with artists that will allow them to offer collectible NFTs at scale, including the ability to integrate unique experiences and rewards. It's being launched in conjunction with Swedish House Mafia's upcoming tour (their first in 10 years), available at any LN-promoted stop or Ticketmaster-powered venue. “Our Live Stubs product brings back the nostalgia of collecting ticket stubs while also giving artists a new tool to deepen that relationship with their fans," said LN chief Michael Rapino, adding, "We can’t wait to see what the creativity of this community dreams up as it grows. Also, I'm willing to part with my HITS 35th Anniversary NFT for 11 cents, or best offer.”

NFT marketplace YellowHeart, which drove notable NFT drops this year for Kings of Leon and Maroon 5, has debuted an NFT ticketing mobile app, YellowHeart Wallet. It will eliminate the need for physical tickets by connecting users directly to its platform. As with Live Nation's offering, fans will also have opportunities to reap unique benefits, content, access and collectibles. This not only enhances the fan experience but provides artists and event organizers with new tools for monitoring ticketing cycles and secondary markets.

Legendary producer Timbaland, meanwhile, is collaborating with NFT inventor Kevin McCoy to create a collection of NFTs—NFT Producer Mix Series—based on his upcoming EP, Opera Noir. Each song will feature five to eight NFTs "editioned" differently based on the uniqueness of the music elements. They will amount to 50–90 digital collectibles per song. Collectors of multiple Opera Noir NFTs will be issued an online mix board so they can create their own designs with Timbaland's beats. The full-length songs will be released in 2022. Learn more here.

Time will tell who else moves into the space, but the pace of adoption is only picking up. As for us, we're feeling more fungible than ever.