Crypto-Powered Music Royalties Transform Artist Payments in 2025
Blockchain Pays Artists Fairly March 2025 sees cryptocurrency reshaping the music industry, with blockchain platforms ensuring artists get instant, transparent royalty payments. From indie creators to global stars, this shift is disrupting traditional labels. What’s behind this music revolution, and how is it playing out? Let’s dive into crypto-powered music royalties this year. Royalties Go On-Chain Blockchain’s smart contracts are hitting the right notes. In January 2025, Audius, on Ethereum, paid $30 million in AUDIO tokens to 50,000 artists, with streams tracked on-chain—top earner Billie Eilish netted $5 million, per Audius stats. Each $0.02 transaction ensures payouts within seconds, not months. In Europe, Ujo Music, on Polygon, partnered with Sony Music in February, tokenizing royalties for 10,000 tracks—$15 million was distributed, with $0.01 fees, per Polygonscan. Indie platform SoundChain, on BSC, paid 20,000 artists $10 million in Q1, offering fans NFT singles as perks. ...