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CAA signs Web3 entertainment company Hume

Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has signed Web3 entertainment company and record label Hume as it bids to encourage growth among virtual artists in the entertainment industry.

CAA, which hired Joanna Popper from HP as its first chief metaverse officer last August, will help Hume identify and create opportunities across areas including licensing and merchandising, brand partnerships, live events, and film and television.

“Hume is fundamentally changing the way fans interact with their favourite artists, experience their music, and benefit from their loyalty,” says CAA agent Phil Quist.

“Together, we believe we can help usher in a new era of musical talent and artistry,” adds CAA agent Jonathan Rodrigues.

A Web3 record label and an in-house entertainment studio, Hume remixes community-building with music creation, digital identity, and storytelling to “redefine the way fans engage with their favourite virtual artists”.

“Working with CAA presents an opportunity to bridge the gap between traditional media and Web3 to bring metastars into the mainstream”

Hume raised $11.7 million (€10.7m) in 2022 from investors such as TCG Crypto, Gmoney, Aloe Blacc, Cooper Turley, and Evan Bogart.

Angelbaby is the first in the firm’s roster of “metastars” – virtual music artists who blur the lines between the digital and physical worlds – and has performed at Art Basel, Fluf Haus LA and SXSW, and opened for both Chromeo and Dillon Francis. All 300 of the NFTs for his latest single All Gold Spaceship sold out within 10 seconds.

“By combining the latest technology with artful storytelling and music, we’re redefining what it means to be an artist,” says Hume co-founder and chief artist officer Jay Stolar. “Working with CAA presents an opportunity to bridge the gap between traditional media and Web3 to bring metastars into the mainstream.”

 


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Ticketmaster enables event organisers to issue NFTs

Event organisers who sell live events tickets on Ticketmaster now have the ability to issue NFTs (non-fungible tokens) before, during and after live events.

According to the ticketing giant, the new digital feature provides fans with the opportunity to extend their live event experience through digital keepsakes that can be shared online or activated to access unique loyalty rewards, VIP engagement opportunities and more.

To mint these collectable NFTs, Ticketmaster has partnered with Flow, a blockchain operated by Dapper Labs which is known for enabling web3 experiences related to fantasy sports and gaming.

“Event organisers who choose to offer fans an NFT with their ticket have a real opportunity to make this new technology relevant and relatable at scale,” says Brendan Lynch, Ticketmaster EVP of enterprise & revenue. “This is why we are partnering with Flow, because their blockchain is custom-built for fan engagement and frictionless consumer experiences.”

“Flow’s blockchain is custom-built for fan engagement and frictionless consumer experiences”

“Our partnership with Ticketmaster will enable millions of live event fans to immortalise, share and enhance their IRL experiences through digital collectables,” says Mickey Maher, SVP partnerships of Dapper Labs. “Ticketmaster has quickly become a leader in this space, so we’re excited to support their work in empowering event organisers to deliver even greater value to fans through the benefits of blockchain.”

Ticketmaster previously utilised Flow to distribute more than 70,000 one-of-one virtual commemorative ticket NFTs at Super Bowl LVI with each attendee’s unique seat location on the NFT itself.

For the 2022 season, the NFL (National Football League, US) will offer NFTs minted on Flow to every attendee at more than 100 select games, including at least three home games from all 32 clubs.

 


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Web3 pioneer Vatom grows leadership team

Venice, California-based Web3 company Vatom has welcomed industry pioneer Steve Machin to its leadership team alongside Elrow president Vicenc Marti.

Marti was announced as the new MD of Vatom Europe earlier this month, with Machin now confirmed to be taking on the role of global director of entertainment. Machin will be based in London, UK and Marti at Vatom Europe’s new Barcelona HQ.

The two newly created roles will be key in strategically growing Vatom’s global presence and partnerships, co-creating “a new era of Web3-enabled fan engagement and experiences”.

“The calibre of live event, entertainment and business acumen that Vicenc and Steve bring to the company is unparalleled”

“We consistently lead the way in Web3, providing a next-generation-experience platform to connect with audiences in ways that offer real value and continuous engagement – the music, sport and entertainment industries are at the forefront of this evolution,” says Eric Pulier, CEO of Vatom and creator of the Smart NFT. “The calibre of live event, entertainment and business acumen that Vicenc and Steve bring to the company is unparalleled and will further enable us to deliver to fans deeper and more meaningful experiences with the brands, creators, and artists they love.”

EDM event company Elrow has produced more than 160 shows across 40 countries and recently announced a strategic partnership with Vatom.

“At Elrow, each day I saw the power of music connect people around the world,” says Marti. “Vatom and Web3 take connection to a whole new level, and I am excited to work with this talented team to evolve how people think about and experience entertainment with Web3.”

“Web3.0 technologies are already fundamentally changing the way we connect with our favourite artists and brands”

Machin, meanwhile, previously held senior corporate positions at Live Nation and Ticketmaster and is well known for chairing the new technology committee at ILMC.

“Like Web2.0 before it, Web3.0 technologies are already fundamentally changing the way we connect with our favourite artists and brands, how we experience concerts and shows, and ultimately how we will connect with each other” noted Steve Machin. “There is always immense innovation at the intersection of any new technology and the creative industries, and I am excited to help bring to life the opportunities that the rapidly evolving metaverse has to offer to brands and creators”

Vatom also recently announced a partnership with iHeart Media to offer fans one-of-a-kind experiences across iHeart live music events, podcasts, experiences, content, and competitions through Vatom’s Web3 platform. Both Machin and Marti will play key roles in the development and execution of these strategic partnerships.

 


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AEG Presents partners with NFT platform Autograph

AEG Presents has announced a multi-year partnership with Web3 firm Autograph, an NFT (non-fungible token) platform co-founded by NFL legend Tom Brady.

The link-up will officially launch at this month’s BUKU Music + Art Project in New Orleans, which will feature acts including Tame Impala, Tyler, The Creator, Alison Wonderland, Baby Keem and Glass Animals from 25-26 March.

Variety reports the BUKU alliance will include a graffiti artist auction featuring eight artists’ works as NFTs. Attendees will also be offered the chance to mint their own NFT festival posters onsite.

“This partnership offers our festival-goers a new, innovative format to commemorate their experiences and create custom NFT collections,” says AEG Global Partnerships MD Andrew Klein. “There is such excitement about BUKU’s return. Autograph will help amplify that special feeling of the festival to a broader community and drive a deeper engagement with the audience.”

“Festival culture creates an opportunity to build and create communities at scale using Web3”

Autograph will also work on similar activations for AEG Presents brands such as Electric Forest, Hangout Music Festival and Firefly.

“Festival culture creates an opportunity to build and curate communities at scale using Web3,” adds Autograph CEO Dillon Rosenblatt. “Our goal is to create an experience that lives digitally and physically to enhance the festival attendees’ overall experience. We are thrilled to kick-off our partnership with AEG Presents through an interactive experience at BUKU defined by celebrating the connection between art and technology.”

AEG’s Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival recently auctioned 10 lifetime passes to the event as part of a series of NFTs, which saw 10 Coachella lifetime passes sold for a combined $1.5 million (€1.3m).

 


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Tomorrowland partners with global crypto exchange

Belgium’s biggest festival Tomorrowland is partnering with leading global cryptocurrency exchange FTX Europe to “make the leap into web3 and NFTs”.

According to Tomorrowland, the partnership will explore a variety of applications of Web3 and blockchain technology including NFTs for art, music, and ticketing, events in the metaverse, and cryptocurrency payments.

The partnership will kick off with an activation called The Quest by FTX, which will allow Tomorrowland Winter festival attendees to collect the first 1,500 NFTs of a 6,500 collection and earn a unique experience.

There will be five locations hidden throughout the mountains that festivalgoers will have to find and then scan their event bracelet for entry, with 250 winners selected each day of Tomorrowland Winter. These tickets entitle 1,500 attendees access to exclusive concerts held at a secret location over three nights.

“The evolution to web3 opens a lot of possibilities for our endless imagination”

Tomorrowland Winter will take place in the Alpe d’Huez ski area between 19–26 March 2022.

Michiel Beers, founder of Tomorrowland, says: “Since day one it’s within the DNA of Tomorrowland to never stop pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation, to create the most unique experiences and important moments for our global community, The People of Tomorrow. The evolution to web3 opens a lot of possibilities for our endless imagination and also the opportunity to tighten the bonds of our community in the coming years.”

Some 600,000 visitors are expected at this year’s Tomorrowland in Belgium, after tickets completely sold out just 30 minutes after the on-sale.

The marquee festival will take place in De Schorre park in Boom, Antwerp, during three weekends rather than its usual two.

The 16th edition of the Belgian festival will take place this year from 15–17 July, 22–24 July and 29–31 July and will feature more than 700 different artists spread over fourteen stages.

 


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