NEWS

MUSIC NFT COMPANY ANGERS ARTISTS

and, yes, we'll explain what NFT's are

News edited by Bethan McConnell

Amusic NFT website called HitPiece has been reportedly shut down, following industry backlash from a range of artists.

HitPiece appeared to be trying to sell NFTs of artists, using their photographs, names and album artwork. They were founded in 2021, and according to an interview with Billboard, the company aimed to create NFTs of “every song”.

The website gained traction after artists like Geoff Barrow (Portishead) and Wolf Van Halen spoke out against the new business. The industry figures suggested that the business “needed a good lawyer” and that it was “criminal”.

‘NFT’ stands for non-fungible token. ‘Nonfungible’ means that the token is unique, and essentially can’t be replaced with something else. An easy example of a fungible asset is something like money, as one £20 note can be interchanged for 20 £1 coins, or four £5 notes. What this means, is that there are a variety of different values, depending on the NFT.

Rather than owning a file, an NFT is essentially a digital certificate of proof of ownership of a token. This means that the original copyright lies with the creator.

The issue with the HitPiece business plan is the fact that they do not have the right to make a profit from the artists’ likeness and cover art. Essentially, it’s like when you go to a concert, and there’s a group of guys outside selling bootleg shirts. The bootleg sellers are making a profit from someone else’s work, which is protected by copyright law.

Following the pandemic lockdowns, artists have been particularly relying on the sales of merchandise and music to keep afloat. It could be argued that money invested in these music NFTs could be better spent on music merchandise, vinyl releases or future concert tickets, directly financially supporting the musicians you love.

Music industry entrepreneur Jamal Edwards passes away AT 31

Edwards helped launch Stormzy, Dave and more

Jamal Edwards, founder of SBTV, has passed away at the age of 31. Edwards was a highly respected member of the music industry, described by BBC as a “pioneering figure in British rap and grime music”.

SBTV was launched in 2006 by Edwards as a media platform dedicated to discovering emerging artists. The platform’s development helped to launch the careers of artists like Ed Sheeran, Dave and Stormzy. He initially worked independently, filming amateur footage of many British grime artists like Tinchy Stryder and Dizzee Rascal. SBTV was particularly notable as it provided an essential platform for grime artists, giving the genre a great deal of exposure. “For me, SBTV was about creating as much exposure for the genre as possible, and that in turn helps be a part of the story – in terms of SBTV being a part of the UK music story, with grime, rap and hip-hop,” Jamal Edwards told Why Now in 2020.

In 2012, SBTV celebrated reaching 100 million views across all of their Youtube videos and as of February 2022, the SBTV YouTube channel had amassed over 818 million views. In 2014, Edwards was appointment a MBE to commemorate his services to the music industry, and became an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, an organisation which looks to help young people launch their own businesses.

Figures such as Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Idris Elba took to Twitter to pay their respects to Edwards and his family. Khan described Edwards as being one of British music’s “biggest stars”.

Jamal Edwards: ambassador, mentor, pioneer.

Viola Beach's first album is now available on vinyl

Viola Beach’s debut album has been released on vinyl for the first time. The self-titled album features nine tracks, with some very special packaging.

The vinyl has been released to mark the album’s fifth anniversary, featuring a rainbow coloured picture disc. Viola Beach’s iconic photoshoots featured a prominent rainbow umbrella, now immortalised in record form.

The Warrington four-piece (and artist manager Craig Tarry) were involved in a fatal car accident in 2016, following a concert in Sweden. Six months after the accident, their self-titled album entered the UK Album Charts and reached the Number One spot. A variety of fan campaigns were launched, asking others to purchase and stream the album online.

The tragedy led Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin to commemorate the band in their 2016 Glastonbury set. Martin stated that Viola Beach reminded him of Coldplay in their early days, and wanted to give the band the opportunity to essentially perform at Glastonbury, posthumously. At the festival, Martin also urged the crowd to purchase the single of ‘Boys That Sing’, to help it rise in the UK Chart.

The record will be released by Fuller Beans Records, the record label set up by Viola Beach and their management. The families of the band have shared that the artists would have been proud to release a physical record, and that “the boys’ lives will continue through their music”.