Muse are set to become the first ever act to reach the Official Charts with an album as an NFT, when their ninth studio album, Will of the People, drops later this month.
This will be the first time, in fact, that a new format will be added to the charts since streaming data was included in 2015.
The album’s NFT (non-fungible token) edition – with NFTs being unique digital certificates that are registered in a blockchain and record ownership of artwork or a collectible, for those who don’t know by now – will be sold via the “eco-friendly” NFT platform Serenade.
Serenade are the same company who sold official Brit Award NFTs for £10 a pop earlier this year. Whereas most NFTs purchases require buyers to have a crypto wallet, this platform makes a digital wallet automatically – which at least makes it somewhat more accessible for more people.
That said, the offering is quite limited, with just 1,000 copies being sold globally. These will each retail for £20 and will be digitally signed by the members of Muse, which consists of frontman Matt Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenholme, and drummer Dominic Howard.
Martin Talbot, the Official Charts Company chief executive has described how the latest addition of NFTs to the charts is part of a history of adapting to new cultural and technological developments.
“Over their seven decades, the Official Charts have always strived to move with the times,” he’s said, “reflecting consumption of new formats and all new ways of distributing music, as they have evolved.
“Just as vinyl, 8-track, cassette tapes, CDs and even MiniDisc, DCC and DAT have been welcomed into the charts, we will also welcome Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) – and we will be delighted when the first album delivered as an NFT contributes to the chart, with Serenade and Muse leading the way this summer.
“NFTs are a new, exciting format, the potential for which is only just beginning to be explored and I am sure will play a part in the Official Charts for years to come.”
Discussions about releasing an NFT album between Serenade and Warner Records, who Muse are signed to, had reportedly been going on for months. In 2020, the band had released two crypto collectibles – characters called Marty and Mibbles taken from recent album ‘Simulation Theory’ – and were deemed a clear fit for this next venture.
Sebastian Simone, VP for Audience & Strategy at Warner Records UK added that the label was “thrilled to be partnering with Serenade and the Official Charts Company on the first chart accredited NFT album format.
“Muse have always been at the forefront of technological innovation and were one of the first music artists to pioneer in Web3 back in 2020. Their fans have an appetite for collectible rarities and this format brings them closer to Muse than ever before, propelling them into a new space and offering an entirely unique experience.”
Will of the People will drop on 26 August – both in physical, streaming and NFT form.
