Universal Music Group partners with Curio to develop NFT fan collections for its record labels and artists

17 February 2022 - Press release

UMG becomes first major music company to utilize Curio’s innovative technology as a dedicated platform to globally license artwork, audio recordings and audio-visual content 

First collaborative project with Capitol Music Group artist Calum Scott to launch Spring 2022.

  

Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, and Curio, the premier Non-Fungible Token (NFT) platform for entertainment brands and musical artists, today announced that Curio will serve as a dedicated global outlet for future officially licensed NFT projects from UMG’s record labels, operating companies and recording artists worldwide.  

With the agreement, UMG becomes the first major music company to collaborate with Curio, a fan-first one-stop-shop for creating, minting, marketing and the sale and re-sale of premium NFTs, to license artwork, audio recordings and audio-visual content for the company. Under the strategic collaboration, UMG will be able to leverage Curio’s groundbreaking technology, exclusive partnerships, and innovative fan engagement networks, to create and launch future NFT projects from its unrivalled roster of global artists and labels, providing greater scalability and flexibility to issue authentic fan-orientated collectibles, carefully curated for each project. 

Curio first launched in 2020 and dropped its first NFTs in February 2021. The company has released over 75,000 NFTs since then with leading entertainment brands across music, film, television, and graphic novels. Curio’s team is packed with significant music industry experience. Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Ben Arnon, previously worked at Universal Music Group. Veteran music manager, Dan Dymtrow, serves as Curio’s Head of Music & Influencer NFT Global Partnerships. Marc Geiger, former Global Head of Music at William Morris Endeavor, serves as an investor and advisor to Curio. 

In making the announcement, Michael Nash, Universal Music Group’s Executive Vice President, Digital Strategy said, “UMG and our labels are focused on developing NFT projects that authentically engage and speak to our artists’ fanbases and new audiences. With Curio, our labels will have a secure and dedicated platform to host these premium projects and provide new opportunities for collectors and fans from around the world to acquire unique pieces, inspired by their favorite artists and labels. UMG is focused on developing new opportunities in this space that place our artists and labels at the forefront, working to ensure that the evolution of Web3 provides exciting new avenues for their creativity.” 

Ben Arnon, Curio’s Co-Founder & Co-CEO remarked, “Curio is thrilled to be partnered with UMG in the NFT and Web3 space. UMG has a huge catalog with unlimited opportunity to deliver value to fans across the globe. Their brands and labels are historic and iconic. And the digital innovation and Web3 expertise amongst their executives is unparalleled.” 

The companies are already working together on the first wave of projects, with the first issue scheduled for March from Capitol Music Group artist Calum Scott, with more details to be revealed in the coming weeks.