Sony’s blockchain platform Soneium has launched its first-ever music NFT collection, featuring unreleased tracks from Tokyo-based producer NUU$HI in collaboration with Web3 label Coop Records.
The collection, hosted on Sonova, Soneium’s NFT marketplace, is priced at 0.000777 ETH ($2.11), running until the end of the month, with approximately 124 out of 999,999 NFTs minted so far.
Soneium, an Ethereum Layer-2 blockchain developed by subsidiary Sony Block Solutions Labs, has positioned itself as a platform for digital content distribution, though adoption remains in its early stages.
Meanwhile, Coop Records, founded by crypto entrepreneur Cooper Turley, has previously brought over 600 songs on-chain, working with artists such as Zeds Dead, San Holo, and Barry Can’t Swim.
The label promotes NFT-based music ownership as an alternative to traditional industry models despite Web3 music monetization failing to reach sustained mainstream adoption.
Music NFTs face market hurdles
Turley has previously acknowledged the challenges of creator monetization in crypto, particularly in tokenized ecosystems.
"It's basically impossible for creators with a high profile to launch a token, and it not end poorly for them in today's market," he wrote in a Thursday post on X.
He added that best practices for sustainable token-based monetization models do not yet exist and that Web3 revenue expectations for creators remain misaligned with investor behavior.
While NFTs have been promoted as a way for artists to bypass record labels and retain greater control over revenue, sales have fluctuated.
Music NFTs saw notable early successes in 2021, including Kings of Leon’s $2 million NFT album release, but the sector has since struggled to achieve consistent growth amid a broader NFT market downturn.
Sony’s Web3 expansion
Sony has been expanding its presence in blockchain infrastructure, but Soneium’s focus remains largely experimental.
The platform officially launched its mainnet on January 14, 2025, following a four-month testnet phase that began in August 2024.
During the test period, Soneium said it recorded over 14 million user accounts and processed 47 million transactions, though its long-term adoption remains uncertain.
The company has not yet announced plans to integrate the platform into its wider entertainment or music business.
While the NUU$HI drop is part of a planned series of releases on Sonova, it remains unclear whether Sony will scale its involvement in blockchain-based music distribution.
A Soneium representative did not immediately respond to Decrypt's request for comment on those points.