Warner Music Group and Polygon Labs announce recipients of the inaugural Web3 music accelerator program to power the next great evolution of the music industry through blockchain technology
25 January 2024 - Press releaseWarner Music Group  (Nasdaq: WMG), the global music and entertainment company, and Polygon Labs, a development team in support of the Polygon network, today announced the two recipients of the groundbreaking Web3 Music Accelerator program announced this summer that aims to power the next generation of innovation at the intersection of Web3 and music. Polygon Labs and WMG have selected MITH and Muus Collective for the Accelerator, two projects helping build the future of the music x Web3 ecosystem on the Polygon network.
MITH is a first-of-its-kind fan engagement platform built in partnership with leading creatives including Jack Harlow, Emilia Clarke, and Halle Berry. The company’s proprietary technology stack includes commerce, streams, threads and rewards and incentive perks based on membership tier, purchases, POAPs, or community engagement. As a central feature, MITH’s platform will offer artists the ability to unlock AI-driven insights and analytics from artist-owned first-party data on their audiences, providing a 360° view of each fan. MITH was co-founded by a team of industry veterans from entertainment, including Michelle Sanchez, Natalie Bruss, Lillian Marsh, Matty Ayers, and Peter Micelli. In December 2023, they unveiled their inaugural pilot with multiple GRAMMY-nominated artist Jack Harlow called Private Garden.
“We are deeply appreciative to have a shared vision with WMG and Polygon on the transformative potential of on-chain fandom. This represents a paradigm shift in the way we perceive and cultivate artist-fan relationships,” said MITH CEO and Co-Founder, Michelle Sanchez. “MITH is dedicated to empowering artists with dynamic community tools under a unified platform. This approach effectively addresses the fragmentation of fan experiences by enabling artists to capture first-party data, such as fan attendance, interactions, purchases, and overall engagement. This data can ultimately enhance hyper-personalized experiences for their superfans, offering an unprecedented level of recognition and rewards for their loyalty.”
Muus Collective, founded by Sarah Fuchs and Amber Bezahler, is building fashion-centric experiences spanning mobile games, entertainment, and digital collectibles. The playable platform brings together like-minded communities over a love of style, and features digital collectibles and rewards communities for their engagement. Their inaugural fashion game, built in partnership with next-generation retailer REVOLVE, is set to launch in Q2 2024. Muus’ Board of Advisors includes pop culture personality and Web3 innovator Paris Hiltonand actor, writer, and well-known gamer Felicia Day.
“We are honored to have been selected as part of the inaugural class of this accelerator program,” said Amber Bezahler, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Muus Collective. “Music and fashion have long been inextricably linked, and we see a wealth of opportunity to explore this relationship in a gamified virtual environment where players interact and express themselves with both music and fashion. We are thrilled to partner with WMG and Polygon as we build the next era of music creation and expression through our gamified lifestyle experiences.”
Each recipient will receive support through the Accelerator program, including an industry leading endorsement from two entities driving the future of music and blockchain, respectively. In addition, selected projects will be eligible for a range of support from the best in the music and blockchain businesses, including mentorship and check-ins, strategic advising, networking and connection creation, and marketing and promotion.
Additionally, Accelerator recipients will have access to the Polygon x WMG Developer Support Cohort, a community of blockchain infrastructure developers partnering with projects building the future of the Web3 music industry. These developers will offer service / product discounts, vouchers, and premium benefits to recipients. Members of the Developer Support Cohort include Opolis, CertiK, 4Everland, Blocto, Coinflow, Crossmint, Decent, Tatum, thirdweb, Wonderverse, and Zeeve. You can learn more about the cohort and their support offerings on the Polygon Blog.
“MITH and Muus Collective are the perfect platforms to launch with WMG and Polygon Labs’ Web3 Music Accelerator because of their fan-first approaches to building communities across music and fashion,” said Jillian Rothman, Vice President, New Business & Ventures, WMG. “Providing meaningful ways for artists and fans to connect, and fans to express their fandom are at the core of WMG's mission. We’re looking forward to seeing these companies grow, and exploring mutually beneficial innovation.”
“We're excited to see how quickly decentralized innovation is moving toward becoming fully mainstream, with forward-thinking projects uniting artists and creators with their numerous fans in never-before-seen ways,” said Brian Trunzo, Head of Business Development, North America, at Polygon Labs. “Both MITH and Muus Collective are best-in-class platforms redefining what’s possible in fan community engagement, and we are thrilled to welcome them as part of the Web3 Music Accelerator program.”
More than 120 applications were received from companies and entrepreneurs operating at the intersection of music, technology, and Web3. Evaluation criteria focused on various areas such as fostering artist-fan communities, establishing decentralized music production and distribution systems, innovating ticketing solutions, exploring music-related merchandise and digital/physical collectibles, and integrating music with interactive technology and gaming.
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