A Web3 Record Label Plans to Redefine How You Experience Music

Miku Hatsune was viewed as an oddity when she released her first demo track in 2007. A seemingly disembodied voice created by Crypton Future Media, Miku was a wonder at the time, only capable of existing via a singing-voice synthesizer technology called Vocaloid.

Over the years, Miku’s influence grew, and she became a virtual pop star. From influential collaborations to world tours, this animated and fully digital recording artist helped the music industry explore the possibilities of what was achievable through virtual reality, paving the way for those like Yameii and FN Meka to become viral sensations.

Now, with the power afforded to creators via Web3 and blockchain tech, virtual influencers are becoming a regular part of pop culture. From users creating entire personas around their owned NFTs to CryptoPunk rappers and Bored Ape DJ duos headlining events, physical and digital experiences are melding in new and exciting ways.

Just as the music ecosystem has shifted in response to NFTs, yet another iteration of the recording industry is emerging in the wake of virtual artists. And at the forefront of that new iteration lives Player Zero, a Web3 record label that, like the advent of the virtual pop star, is changing how we perceive the future of music.

What is Player Zero?

Player Zero is a Web3 record label that, as record labels go, is about as digitally native as you can get. While most legacy labels are rooted in the real world and focused on acquiring and building talent and brands in real life, Player Zero is creating an ecosystem that revolves entirely around Animated Virtual Artists (AVAs).

A joint venture between hitmaker Dr. Luke and Web3 collective Digital Arts & Science, Player Zero aims to develop a vast roster of AVAs and corresponding metaverse experiences. To do so, Dr. Luke has already tapped a strong cast of music industry veterans who have worked with Demi Lovato, Zara Larsson, Twice, Fergie, and many more.

Similar to Miku, Yameii, and FN Meka, AVAs are virtual artists that exist solely in the digital realm. Some may be powered by Vocaloid and artificial intelligence, others may be the product of a team of producers, singers, and songwriters, but each AVA exists digitally, on the blockchain.

AVAs are powered by NFTs, which is perfectly illustrated by Player Zero’s first virtual offering, Amari. Although Amari is quickly turning into a metaverse pop star with her debut single “Deeper,” the character herself comes from the popular PFP NFT collection CyerBrokers created by crypto-art OG Josie Bellini.

However, Player Zero didn’t simply obtain the Amari NFT for use as an AVA. It collaborated directly with the CyberBrokers community to create her backstory, personality, sound, and more. As other AVAs are created in the image of NFTs, like Doodles, Meebits, Bored Apes, and more, communities surrounding these projects might be offered a say in its development.

“We love to partner with communities that already exist,” said Lawrence Vavra, music industry veteran and one of the founders of Player Zero, in an interview with nft now. “Because we’re members of those communities and have been really bullish on Web3 for the last year and a half now. So we have like, a bunch of cool NFT community AVAs, but still, we also have ones that we made from scratch.”

Through initiatives like Amari that dig straight into the heart of the NFT community, Player Zero has is building itself as more than a record label, in hopes of becoming a comprehensive entertainment brand rooted in Web3 music.

“To us, [a Web3 record label] really means that you’re able to make community-centric things come to life,” said Vavra. “We come from the record business, and we understand what goes into building an artist,” said Vavra. “As fans, we all know the musician, but there are, in most cases, tons of…