Soneium Launches First Music NFT Collection with Coop Records

Highlights:

• Soneium has released its first music NFT with Coop Records on a Sonova marketplace.
• Coop Records has onboarded over 600 songs, empowering musicians within the web3 industry.
• Sony’s blockchain will transform industries in terms of digital asset distribution and creators’ remuneration.

Soneium, Sony’s blockchain subsidiary, has debuted its music NFT collection together with Coop Records. The collection comprises unheard songs from Tokyo-based producer NUU$HI. This collection will be hosted on Sonova which is Soneium’s NFT marketplace, and aims to offer direct creator-to-fan engagement. The sale will last until the end of the month with the price of 0.000777 ETH ($2.11) per NFT. Currently, only 2,060 of 999,999 NFTs have been minted.

SONY’S BLOCKCHAIN SONEIUM LAUNCHES FIRST MUSIC NFT COLLECTION WITH COOP RECORDS

– Sony’s public blockchain platform, @soneium , launched its debut music NFT collection, featuring unreleased tracks by Tokyo-based producer NUU$HI, in collaboration with Coop Records

– The… https://t.co/cfoAzCy0lr pic.twitter.com/tW0DwrEomm

— BSCN (@BSCNews) February 7, 2025

Soneium and Coop Records Push Web3 Music

Coop Records, founded by Cooper Turley, has been able to transition over 600 songs on-chain. The label has partnered with artists such as Zeds Dead, San Holo, KJ Sawka, and Barry Can’t Swim. According to Turley, blockchain technology has the potential to solve the problem of unfair revenue distribution in the music industry. He argues that artists and fans should gain more than the traditional record labels and streaming services.

It's basically impossible for creators with a high profile to launch a token and it not end poorly for them in today's market.

And yet crypto people try to bait everyone with a semblance of a following to launch a token so they can snipe it and make a quick flip. (or hack their…

— Coop 💿 (@Cooopahtroopa) February 7, 2025

Web3 music continues to struggle with the issue of monetization despite the potential. According to Turley, creating a new token in today’s market is challenging for creators. Most artists find it challenging to sustain viable business models through Web3 projects. Music NFTs became popular in 2021, and some artists managed to sell millions of NFT albums. However, fluctuations in the market have prevented mainstream adoption. 

However, Coop Records and Soneium think that NFTs are a superior form of monetization for the creators. The removal of intermediaries can be advantageous as artists are likely to market and sell their products themselves. In addition, Sony’s blockchain solution could play a role in enhancing this position with better profit-sharing models.

The Blockchain Vision Behind Soneium

Soneium is an Ethereum Layer-2 solution that uses Optimism’s OP Stack and Superchain architecture. Sony created the platform through its subsidiary Sony Block Solutions Labs with the purpose of revolutionizing the distribution of digital content. Soneium’s mainnet was released on 14 January 2025 after the test phase that began in August 2024.

Today is the day. Soneium Mainnet is LIVE! 💿

Launched by Sony Block Solutions Labs (Sony BSL), a @Sony Group company, Soneium is a Layer 2 blockchain that empowers creators, fans, and communities to protect their rights, connect globally, and build an open internet that… pic.twitter.com/4pTxYdueHY

— Soneium 💿 (@soneium) January 14, 2025

The blockchain provides protection of intellectual property rights and revenue-sharing models that do not involve intermediaries from the entertainment industry. Currently, Soneium has 248,964 accounts and 1.9 million addresses in the network in total. However, long-term adoption remains uncertain.

Sony’s other entertainment divisions, such as the Sony Music Group, have not announced integration plans with Soneium. Although blockchain is currently in the experimental phase, the company intends to establish it as a future hub for entertainment content distribution.

The Future of Music NFTs on Soneium

Sony and Coop Records are optimistic about Web3 music despite volatility in the market. The NFT music space is artist-friendly, enabling artists to engage their fans directly and eliminating some middlemen. Sony’s entrance to the sphere of blockchain infrastructure indicates the company’s intention to invest in the long-term future of digital content.

The first music NFT release of Soneium is part of a broader plan to create a distribution model based on blockchain. While NFT sales are volatile, early adopters are confident that blockchain can revolutionize music ownership and revenue models.