Steve Aoki, superstar DJ and producer and Dim Mak label founder, has been a prominent advocate for NFTs over the past 12 months – and has generated significant revenue in the process.
Back in March 2021 for example, Aoki’s Dream Catcher NFT art collection sale made over $4 million, with $888,888.88 paid for a single NFT by former T-Mobile boss John Legere.
Today (January 27), we learn that he’s stepping up his activity in this space, with the launch of a new NFT membership and metaverse platform called the A0K1VERSE.
Described as “a new ecosystem bridging real-world experiences with web2 and web3 by rewarding NFT collectors and creating new experiences for members”, the A0K1VERSE has been built as a “tokenized social club”.
A0K1VERSE membership offers token holders exclusive access to both physical and digital opportunities from Steve Aoki as well as his network of brand partners and NFT collaborators.
Those experiences and opportunities include free Steve Aoki concert tickets, early access to Aoki NFT releases as well as friends & family projects, private events, metaverse experiences, free apparel, and digital wearables, exclusive access to brand collaborations including physical toys and digital collectibles, all of which will be token-gated via membership in the A0K1VERSE.
According to Aoki, the “core building blocks” of the A0K1VERSE are A0K1 Credits and the Passport.
A0K1 Credits are ERC-1155 NFTs with a total supply cap of 30,000. These will first be awarded for free to Aoki’s existing NFT holders.
There will also be a pre-sale for holders of select NFT projects, including 3LAU collectors, Adam Bomb Squad, Doodles, 0N1 Force, Invisible Friends, Deadfellaz, Time Pieces, Phantabear, Doge Pound and many others.
A portion of credits will be reserved for partnerships and future giveaways, and the remainder will be made available via a public sale.
The Passport, meanwhile, is described as A0K1VERSE’s “central functionality,” developed in partnership with NFT platform Manifold.
According to a media statement, The Passport is “a revolutionary NFT that dynamically evolves over time”.
A0K1 Passports are obtained by redeeming various amounts of A0K1 Credits. Users can upgrade their Passports for increased reward tiers ranging from pre-sale access to NFT releases to in-person meets with Steve Aoki himself.
As Passport holders engage with different experiences in A0K1VERSE (attending concerts, joining the discord, etc), their Passport gets “dynamically updated” (i.e. stamped) to showcase their participation and achievements in the A0KIVERSE as well as with partner communities.
“Since I started my first company Dim Mak back in 1996 I have cared for, grown, and embraced the concept of community.”
Steve Aoki
The Passport will enable A0K1VERSE members to access “Passport-gated” experiences across six tiers, each of which will have its own benefits.
Higher tier Passports unlock more exclusive experiences and increased rewards and passports can be upgraded and combined to reach the higher tier.
Steve Aoki said: “Since I started my first company Dim Mak back in 1996 I have cared for, grown, and embraced the concept of community.
“Now as we look at the future of what our community wants, I believe that the utility needs to be diverse, engaging, and evolving with culture. This is where IRL meets meta – not just in my world but the many worlds I am a part of.
“Members will not only get access to my own projects but a wealth of friends & family NFT projects and real-world experiences.”
Aoki’s launch comes at time when the notion of the metaverse has become an increasingly significant area of focus for the music business.
Just today, Warner Music Groupmade a serious move into the metaverse via a partnership with decentralized gaming platform The Sandbox to create “the first music-themed world” within The Sandbox gaming metaverse.
In recent months, Facebook parent Meta has indicated that it will be spending $50 million on a metaverse project, while another social media titan China-based Tencent Holdings, is reportedly making moves in this space.
US radio giant iHeartMedia has also revealed its very own plans to extend its presence into the metaverse.Music Business Worldwide
