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Sampling Like a Pro: How to Flip Samples and Avoid Legal Issues

October 6, 2024

Sampling has been a cornerstone of modern music production, allowing producers to reimagine and breathe new life into old tracks. Whether you're producing hip-hop, EDM, or any genre, knowing how to...

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What Makes an EQ or Compressor VST High-Quality: Insights and Examples from Pros

October 6, 2024

When selecting EQ and compressor plugins, musicians and producers look for more than just a shiny interface or brand recognition. It's all about how these tools perform in real-world scenarios...

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Sound Design 101: Crafting Killer Drum Sounds Using Synthesizers

October 6, 2024

Drum sounds form the backbone of many music genres, and while sample packs are popular, designing your own drum sounds from scratch can elevate your production to a whole new level. Crafting custom...

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Mastering Multiband Compression Sidechaining: A Solution to Clashing Frequencies

October 6, 2024

In modern music production, one of the most common challenges is the clash of frequencies between instruments. For example, bass guitars and drum kits often compete for space in the lower end of...

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Studio One Workflow Tips for Faster Music Production

October 1, 2024

Studio One by PreSonus is an incredibly powerful DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that offers a variety of tools to streamline your music production workflow. However, like many DAWs, getting the...

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Solving the Issue of Buried Crash Cymbals in the Mix

October 1, 2024

Crash cymbals often get buried in the mix, especially when using complex miking techniques like Glyn Johns, which balances close mics with overheads. While re-recording with higher cymbals may be a...

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GarageBand Hacks: Creating Professional-Sounding Tracks Without Expensive Plugins

October 1, 2024

GarageBand is often seen as an entry-level DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), but it has powerful tools that, when used effectively, can create professional-quality tracks. Many indie musicians and...

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Solving the General MIDI Program Change Dilemma in Ableton

October 1, 2024

When working with MIDI in Ableton, one might notice that although MIDI clips can send program changes, most of Ableton's native plugins don’t seem to respond to these changes effectively. This can...

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Escaping 'Tutorial Hell': Stay Motivated and Actually Progress in Music Production

September 21, 2024

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Should You Write Music or Lyrics First? Solutions from Famous Creators

September 20, 2024

One of the most common challenges for songwriters is deciding whether to write the music or lyrics first. This can feel like a "chicken-or-egg" situation, but there's no one-size-fits-all answer...

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How to Plan the Perfect Release Day for Your Single or Album

September 20, 2024

Releasing a new single or album is a huge milestone for any musician. However, without proper planning, your work may not get the attention it deserves. It’s not just about putting the song online...

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Mastering the Low End: Compression Tips for a Tight Mix

September 20, 2024

When it comes to music production, getting the low end right can be tricky. Many producers face a common issue: after the initial mix sounds perfect, a few days later, the low end starts to feel...

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Like the Early Days of Hip-Hop: The Future of Blockchain in the Music Industry

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Photo: Royal

One of the biggest questions many spaces face today is how blockchain technology may overhaul industry norms, and the music industry is no exception. In particular, creators and listeners alike are wondering whether blockchain might disrupt long-held understandings of ownership, earning, and engagement through the distribution of musical non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

An early mover in the music and cryptocurrency space is rapper Snoop Dogg, who earlier this year launched his first NFT project with the blockchain gaming company Gala Games, making his newest album Bacc on Death Row available for purchase as a digital token. Other prominent artists such as Eminem, Lil Pump, and Nas have also provided their own drops for fans interested in the emerging space.

Hip-hop creators appear to be the most eager to embrace blockchain’s place in the music industry. Snoop Dogg’s son Champ Medici, a crypto entrepreneur, has likened NFTs to the early days of hip-hop.

In a conversation with skidrowcrypto, Champ Medici said, “When I look at the footage, and I see people in New York, see Biggie on the corner freestyling, and my dad in Long Beach freestyling with Nate Dogg and Warren G, I’m like—yo, this is the same shit we’re doing with NFTs. I’m linking up with artists, graphic designers, and creative people to come up with a concept that can keep people entertained and engaged. That’s the same as making music."

Snoop Dogg believes that NFTs have the potential to upend the current status quo in the music industry and make it more fair to artists and consumers. Placing the ownership of musical works in the hands of artists and consumers instead of record labels allows artists to retain much more of their earnings, and for fans to engage with their favourite creators in new ways, including collecting and selling works in similar ways to other collectibles markets. Taking the label out of the equation can also afford the artist more creative freedom and room for self-expression.

This new form of engagement will not completely see record labels out of the picture, however.

“[Labels] know that they have so much control traditionally,” Snoop says. “And all that they’re hearing about in the NFT [and] Metaverse space is that the artist has control.” As a result, he predicts, record labels will slowly but surely find ways to enter this space in an effort to maintain control.

While the exact role blockchain will play in the music industry remains uncertain, it is definitely carving out a place for itself, especially among hip-hop creators and fans. If you are an aspiring music creator interested in the crypto space, be sure to keep an eye out for new developments as there is no doubting that blockchain technology is here to stay.

Like the Early Days of Hip-Hop: The Future of Blockchain in the Music Industrylike-the-early-days-of-hip-hop-the-future-of-blockchain-in-the-music-industryDuomi Ding |Aug 19, 2022One of the biggest questions many spaces face today is how blockchain technology may overhaul industry norms, and the music industry is no exception. In particular...