Warner Music Group is working on a music-themed world that will be hosted on games platform The Sandbox.
The latter is a virtual world owned by games firm Animoca Brands, which last week announced a funding round of just under $359m, valuing the company at $5bn.
The Sandbox is one of the gaming platforms that is deeply intertwined with blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies and NFTs. People can buy virtual land and create items and games, all of which they can make money from.
Snoop Dogg, ever the early adopter, bought some land there in September 2021 with plans to build a virtual mansion and use it as the base to sell NFTs to fans. Fellow artists Richie ‘Plastikman’ Hawtin and Joel ‘deadmau5’ Zimmerman have also dived in to its economy.
WMG also has construction ambitions: it plans to build ‘Warner Music Group LAND’ to host concerts and other experiences featuring its artists.
In March, The Sandbox will sell plots of land “adjacent to the WMG property” to fans as part of the deal, which is its first agreement with a label.
“As a first-mover, Warner Music has secured the equivalent of beachfront property in the metaverse,” said WMG’s chief digital officer and EVP Oana Ruxandra.
For more on all things metaverse-y and music-related, read our report on the music in the metaverse panel at the NY:LON Connect conference last week.
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