Sony’s Soneium Launches First Music NFT Collection in Partnership With Coop Records’ NUU$HI
Sony’s Soneium Launches First Music NFT Collection With Coop Records’ NUU$HI
Sony’s blockchain platform, Soneium, has released its first-ever music NFT collection. The collection features exclusive, unreleased tracks from Tokyo-based producer NUU$HI and is launched in partnership with Web3 music label Coop Records.
The NFTs are available on Sonova, Soneium’s marketplace, for 0.000777 ETH (about $2.11). The sale runs until the end of the month, and so far, only 124 out of 999,999 NFTs have been minted.
What is Soneium?
Soneium is a Layer-2 Ethereum blockchain developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs. It aims to be a digital content distribution platform, though it is still in the early stages of adoption.
Coop Records & the Web3 Music Industry
Coop Records, founded by crypto entrepreneur Cooper Turley, has brought over 600 songs on-chain, working with artists like Zeds Dead, San Holo, and Barry Can’t Swim. The label supports NFT-based music ownership as an alternative to traditional record labels, but Web3 music has yet to gain mainstream popularity.
Turley has admitted that monetizing music through crypto is challenging, especially in today’s market. He stated that there are no clear best practices for sustainable revenue models, and creators often struggle to match investor expectations.
Music NFTs: A Struggling Market
While music NFTs were initially seen as a way for artists to bypass record labels and control their earnings, sales have been inconsistent. In 2021, Kings of Leon made headlines by selling an NFT album for $2 million, but the market has since slowed down due to the overall NFT downturn.
Sony’s Web3 Expansion
Sony has been experimenting with blockchain technology, but Soneium’s role in its larger entertainment business remains uncertain.
Soneium launched its mainnet on January 14, 2025, after a four-month test period where it recorded 14 million user accounts and 47 million transactions. However, its long-term success is still unclear.
The NUU$HI drop is part of a series of planned releases on Sonova, but Sony has not confirmed whether it will expand further into blockchain-based music distribution.
A Soneium representative did not respond to requests for comment.
