The digital revolution has now extended its reach to music memorabilia with the advent of nonfungible tokens (NFTs), providing fans and collectors with secure access to rare moments in music history.
When discussing NFTs in the music industry, the focus has typically been on protecting artists’ copyrights, diversifying revenue streams, preserving artwork on the blockchain, collaborations between musicians and brands, issuing event tickets, offering exclusive bonuses to fans, and engaging with the community. However, the question arises: Why not adopt the successful NFT memorabilia format employed by the sports industry?
The sports memorabilia market reached a staggering $2.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach an astounding $227.2 billion in the next decade. This encompasses various collectibles, including sports trading cards, video clips of iconic sports moments, autographs, accessories, and more, available in both physical and digital formats. Similarly, music memorabilia possesses the potential for such collectibles, such as rare vintage photographs that may currently exist only within elusive archives that are difficult to access.
This was the exact scenario with Legends of Rock, an acquisition made by Globe Entertainment and Media in 2020. The collection, previously owned by British photo agencies and archives for several decades, was transported to Las Vegas. Packaged in ordinary postal containers, it appeared unlikely to contain anything of significant value or importance.
To the surprise of Klaus Moeller, CEO of Globe Entertainment and Media, the containers held around 8 million vintage photographs that had never been seen before. These captivating images featured the biggest rock stars of all time, including Queen, Deep Purple, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Frank Zappa, The Police, Bruce Springsteen, Nirvana, The Who, and many others. The photographs captured moments on stage, official events, as well as behind-the-scenes glimpses of artists in a more relaxed setting. Spanning from the 1960s to the early 1980s, these photographs showcased artists at the height of their fame or during the early stages of their illustrious careers. Moeller expressed his astonishment at the archive, stating, “It’s never-ending. Every day we’re finding the craziest stuff.”
To make this extraordinary collection accessible worldwide, Globe Entertainment and Media joined forces with MADworld, an innovative Web3 and digital asset ecosystem backed by Animoca Brands. Together, they aim to bring Legends of Rock to a global audience, leveraging the power of NFTs to offer fans and collectors a unique opportunity to own a piece of music history.
The collaboration between Globe Entertainment and Media and MADworld signifies the convergence of technology and music, providing a digital gateway to the cherished memories and iconic moments that define the realm of classic rock. As the NFT market continues to expand and revolutionize the concept of collectibles, Legends of Rock sets a new precedent for preserving and sharing music history in the digital age.
