NFT are coming to Spotify- The Cryptonomist

The popular music streaming platform Spotify is testing a new service called “token-enabled playlists,” which allows holders of non-fungible tokens, i.e., NFTs, to connect their wallets and listen to curated music.

The pilot project is currently only available to Android users in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.

Spotify and the integration of NFTs: all the details

As anticipated, Spotify is testing a new service called “token-enabled playlists” so that NFT holders can connect their wallets and listen to music.

Currently, the service is available to token holders within the Fluf, Moonbirds, Kingship and Overlord communities. Curated playlists will be actively updated during the three-month test period and will be accessible only to community members via a unique link.

Web3 games and media universe Overlord tweeted Wednesday that owners of its lizard-themed Creepz NFT project can link their Web3 wallet on Spotify to access the project’s community-curated “Invasion” playlist. As it reads:

Overlord x @Spotify 🎶

We’ve been selected as one of Spotify’s partners in a new pilot.

🦎 Exclusive pilot of their token-enabled playlists
🎧 Launching with a holder-curated playlist

Details below ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/MDTjPRCXS5

— Overlord (@Overlord_xyz) February 22, 2023

Overlord tweeted that the pilot is currently only available to Android users in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. Spotify appeared to confirm the details in its response to the tweet.

Universal Music Group’s NFT band, KINGSHIP, also shared that they have created a token-gated playlist for NFT owners featuring Queen, Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg, and Led Zeppelin.

We, KINGSHIP strive to ALWAYS be at the forefront of technology and music.

Now, we’re taking this commitment a step further by launching a brand new token-enabled playlist with @Spotify!

This is a special curated playlist exclusively for KINGSHIP Key Card (NFT) holders. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/5ftjk8OgC6

— KINGSHIP (@therealkingship) February 22, 2023

Playlist functionality and access

The lead developer for the NFT liquidity protocol, NFTX, Apoorv Lathey, tweeted a screenshot of the pilot, showing step-by-step how to access KINGSHIP’s curated playlist on Spotify.

According to the screenshot, NFT holders can connect to their MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Rainbow, Ledger Live or Zerion wallets. A Spotify spokesperson said it regularly conducts a series of tests in an effort to improve the user experience.

In addition, the spokesperson stated:

“Some of these end up paving the way for our wider user experience, and others just serve as important learnings.”

Spotify did not provide further details on plans to implement the feature more broadly in the future. The global streaming platform, which has more than 489 million users, has already experimented with integrating NFTs into its service.

In May 2022, Spotify allowed a select group of artists, including Steve Aoki and The Wombats, to promote NFTs on their profiles. Meanwhile, numerous Web3 music platforms have popped up to decentralize the music listening experience.

Audius, for example, is an encrypted streaming service that allows users to earn rewards in AUDIO tokens for interacting with its app, while Royal and anotherblock allow creators to sell music royalties as fractional NFTs.

Spotify allows artists to promote NFT on their profiles

Artists, as we know, can already promote merchandise and tickets on their Spotify profiles. Since May, the streaming service has been testing a feature that will also allow them to promote their NFTs.

Steve Aoki and The Wombats appear to be two of the artists taking part in the test, both of whom are among the early adopters of NFTs. The test is currently underway for “select” users of Spotify’s Android app in the United States, who will be able to preview NFTs on the artists’ profile pages.

They will then be able to log in to view and purchase them from outside markets. A spokesperson for Spotify told the following to Music Ally:

“Spotify is running a test where it will help a small group of artists promote their existing third-party NFT offerings via their artist profiles. We regularly conduct a variety of tests in an effort to improve the experience for artists and fans. Some of these tests end up paving the way for a larger experience and others just serve as important learning.”

Spotify will not take any cuts in NFT sales as part of the test. As such, Spotify is not selling NFTs, it is just testing a way to allow artists who sell NFTs to promote them on its service.

The data will help them decide whether to implement it as a full feature for all artists, but it will also clearly tell if Spotify decides to do something more ambitious with NFTs in the future.