Harmonizing Rights and Rewards: Music NFTs as a Paradigm for Equitable Compensation in the Digital Era

Authors

  • Stephanie Dzihan-Zamagna Independent Researcher
  • Alexander Pfeiffer Donau-Universität Krems

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34190/eccws.23.1.2292

Abstract

This paper provides a critical examination of Music Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) within the context of the digital transformation of the music industry, focusing on the implications for equitable artist compensation. As digitalization reshapes consumption and revenue models, the advent of Music NFTs, predicated on blockchain technology, presents a nuanced paradigm for artist-fan interactions and compensation structures. Through an interdisciplinary methodology that integrates literature review and expert interviews, this study scrutinizes the operational mechanisms of Music NFTs, their potential to reconfigure the economics of music production, and the attendant legal and technical challenges. While Music NFTs proffer an innovative approach to direct artist revenue and engagement, this inquiry reveals a complex landscape fraught with legal ambiguities, technological hurdles, and market volatility. The findings underscore the dialectical relationship between the potential benefits of Music NFTs for artists and the prevailing challenges that circumscribe their efficacy.

Author Biographies

Stephanie Dzihan-Zamagna, Independent Researcher

Stephanie Zamagna, a musician and singer from her early years, founded her own artist agency in 2016. In 2020, she started the master's program in "Music Management" at Danube University Krems, led by Miguel Kertsman, and graduated with a master's degree in 2023. Her master's thesis focused on music NFTs and blockchain technology to explore new avenues for music monetization. Today, she works at a prestigious artist agency in the classical music sector.

Alexander Pfeiffer, Donau-Universität Krems

Alexander Pfeiffer is currently head of the Emerging Technologies Experiences Lab at the University for Continuing Education Krems, Austria. 

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Published

2024-06-21