Web3 is really good!!! No middleman means no exploitation!!! +Empirics prove!!! Idk what to tag this!!!

The independent music artist Tanerélle never felt fairly compensated for her work — a common frustration among artists who receive scant earnings from music-streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. But the "Continuum" singer felt differently once she started sharing her tracks on Even, a Web3 platform that enables artists to connect directly with their most dedicated supporters and offers fans exclusive access to artists' creative content and experiences. The service allows artists to set their own prices, and each sale results in direct access to fan-related data — such as emails, locations, numbers of purchases — and instant payouts. "It was wonderful partnering with a team who finally made me feel like my art was worth the love I pour into it," Tanerélle told Insider. "I wish it could always be like this." Headshot of Tanerélle [REMOVED] Tanerélle, an independent music artist. Orin Fleurimont The importance of direct-to-consumer offerings for music artists has never been more evident. In recent years, streaming and social-media algorithms have soured artists' attitudes toward earning royalties and trying to make a living doing what they love: Chasing pennies on saturated digital platforms can be draining, and streaming payouts constantly disappoint. Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when touring halted, cutting a significant amount of musicians' revenue, independent and signed artists alike have desperately sought new ways to monetize their work and connect with their supporters. This is where Web3 came in. Web3 is a decentralized internet powered by blockchain technology, offering music artists direct and transparent payments via smart contracts, increased control over their creative content and earnings, and ownership of their work through nonfungible tokens, which can be collected and enjoyed by their most loyal supporters. In 2021 alone, music NFT sales generated over $83 million in revenue for artists. With platforms taking miniscule fees, as low as 0%, and intermediaries virtually nonexistent — curator fees typically don't exceed 5% — the vast majority of revenue goes where it belongs: artists' pockets. However, by summer 2022, there were signs of a decline in the Web3 landscape because of regulatory uncertainty, speculative volatility, security concerns, and the lack of real-world adoption. By November, crypto winter was in full effect. While the Web3 and crypto bull markets between 2020 and 2022 may never be realized again, some Web3 platforms are finding success through a tech strategy that's helping them survive and thrive during the bear market: combining Web3 experiences with Web2 interfaces. Insider spoke with top execs at the innovative digital platforms Even, Sound.XYZ, and IYK about how their companies were transforming the music business by blending Web3 features and utilities with practical, familiar integrations that appeal to mainstream users. Even, which has been used by Tanerélle and other artists such as Omarion, Jidenna, and LaRussell, is built on the Polygon blockchain, but its marketing, branding, and front end are entirely Web2-oriented. For example, Even uses email sign-up and allows credit-card purchases. It also uses familiar terminology throughout its platform and in marketing, similar to what one would find on traditional music platforms. This fosters a seamless onboarding experience for fans and takes the burden off artists to educate them. The benefit of this hybrid approach is clear: In April, when much of the Web3 music space faced uncertainty, Even closed its $2.2 million seed round. Mag Rodriguez, the founder and CEO of Even, was determined to leverage Web2 and Web3 technologies to empower artists — especially Black and brown musicians, who often bear the brunt of exploitation in the music industry — and streamline support from their fans. Headshot of Mag Rodriguez [REMOVED] Mag Rodriguez, the founder and CEO of Even. Weston Rich "We believed in making it accessible and seamless for fans to engage," Rodriguez told Insider. He said that making Even "too Web3" by using a Web3 front end and obscure verbiage "would have been counterproductive," consequently deterring traditional artists and their fanbases. "We wanted to bridge the gap and welcome fans into a new era, while maintaining familiarity," he added. Web2-Web3 integrations are also expected to introduce a new monetization model, which the Grammy Award-winning artist and songwriter Eric Bellinger said was long overdue in the music industry. "This is going to start a wave of business owners and even consumers thinking differently," he told Insider. "There's no longer a middleman needed to take the majority of artist revenue, and we can get paid instantly. That has never been the case."