Metaverse brings new problems and opportunities to music licensing

The term “metaverse” is becoming increasingly common, but while many people have likely heard it used, they often don’t know what it means. 

It can be difficult to explain the term to someone outside the Web3 space, as the metaverse is still relatively new and evolving. The most important thing to know is that it has the potential to revolutionize the internet and how people live, work and play.

The metaverse is a new frontier of innovation and creativity, centered a great deal around media, which should come as no surprise since many Web2 apps are as well, especially music.

There are entire social media platforms dedicated to sharing music, and those that aren’t have incorporated music in other ways. While this has increased awareness about music licensing in digital spaces, it has also highlighted that some systems in place are outdated and struggling to keep up with the breakneck pace of new technology.

With new possibilities for music in the metaverse, the current licensing system may need to be revamped, given the changing ways music is created and consumed, especially with Web3 innovations like nonfungible tokens (NFTs).

Music in the metaverse has had great success. Many top-name artists have performed concerts in the space, and many artists have seen the appeal of releasing music as NFTs.

Despite the uncertainties and the evolving landscape of Web3, licensing music in the metaverse has massive potential.

Current licensing challenges

Technology is rapidly advancing in the Web3 space, and given how new it all is, there are many kinks to work out. Presently, the metaverse is all about experimentation, so if something fails organically, it will serve as a lesson to others.

Despite much experimentation in the metaverse, licensing remains undeveloped. For Web2 social media platforms, there is a known standard on licensing, and what can and cannot be done. This does not currently exist in the metaverse. The mixture of set standards and laws surrounding copyright and licensing isn’t as concrete as needed for a solid licensing landscape.

Spottie Wifi, a musician and Web3 proponent, sat down with Cointelegraph to discuss the current state of licensing in the metaverse.

“There is a difference between traditional licensing for music and licensing music in the metaverse. The main difference I have seen is that a music license for the metaverse needs to clearly include the metaverse as a distribution channel listed within the scope of the license, or the…