Carving out a sustainable career as an independent musician is no easy feat. The competition is fierce, support can be hard to find, and earning a living without the financial help of a major record label is an uphill battle. Yet, for those who are able to build a loyal fanbase, the freedom of complete creative control can be liberating. Technology has long proven to be a potential friend to those musicians willing to embrace it, and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) are the latest innovation that many tech-savvy artists have begun incorporating into their careers.
One artist who has cracked the code to maintaining a successful career as an independent musician is American singer Vérité, who has racked up hundreds of millions of streams without the support of a record label since releasing her first single, “Strange Enough,” in 2014. After finding success and touring internationally, Vérité became one of the earliest musicians to experiment with NFTs in February 2021. Since then, she has built a strong Web3 community and had several successful high-profile drops, including releasing 1/1 NFTs, selling the master rights to her music, fractionalizing song royalties on the blockchain, and giving NFTs to concert attendees. She has done all this while still retaining her dedicated non-Web3 fans, many of whom have little to no interest in crypto.
But how does one walk this fine line and successfully integrate Web3 into their career without alienating their existing, perhaps skeptical, fans? In an interview with Magazine, Vérité shares her insights and strategies.
One important aspect that Vérité emphasizes is not over-relying on Web3. While it can provide new opportunities, it’s crucial for artists to have diversified revenue streams and marketing strategies. Vérité warns against assuming that the hype surrounding NFTs, and Web3 in general, will last forever. She focuses on building a career that can withstand trend cycles and recognizes the limitations of these systems.
Another key aspect for Vérité is protecting and respecting her fans. She actively encouraged her fans not to participate in her NFT experiments unless they were fully educated and willing to take on the risks. She acknowledges that not every fan wants to join her on her Web3 journey, and that’s perfectly fine. She reassures her fans that they should never feel pressured to participate in anything Web3-related.
Vérité acknowledges that Web3 has a scalability problem and doesn’t resonate with non-crypto native audiences. She recognizes that many of her fans have general disinterest or skepticism towards crypto. Instead of trying to force her fans to embrace this technology, she reframes it as utilizing tools and focuses on offering an optional Web3 experience that enhances the fan experience without being burdensome. An example of this is the tech-enabled sweatshirt that Vérité released, which offered fans exclusive content and the option to access an NFT representing a certificate of authenticity.
Throughout her career, Vérité’s fan-centric approach has played a significant role in her success in Web3 while still maintaining a loyal non-Web3 fanbase. She prioritizes her fans and ensures that they come first. Her long-term hope for the future of blockchain and music is to demystify the black box of data that exists between artists and their fans. She believes that blockchain has the ability to make that information transparent, allowing artists to communicate directly with their supporters and reward them in long-term scenarios.
In conclusion, Vérité’s experience as an independent musician integrating Web3 into her career highlights the importance of not over-relying on the technology, protecting and respecting fans, offering options rather than requirements, and keeping fans at the center of it all. By following these principles, artists can successfully navigate the world of Web3 without alienating their existing fanbase and build a sustainable career in the ever-evolving music industry.
