Universal Music Group (UMG), the music-based entertainment company, and Curio, the non-fungible token (NFT) platform for entertainment brands and musical artists, have announced that Curio will serve as a dedicated global outlet for future officially licensed NFT projects from UMG's record labels, operating companies and recording artists worldwide.   

With the agreement, UMG becomes the first major music company to collaborate with Curio, a fan-first one-stop-shop for creating, minting, marketing and the sale and re-sale of premium NFTs, to license artwork, audio recordings and audio-visual content for the company. Under the strategic collaboration, UMG will be able to leverage Curio's technology and partnerships to create and launch future NFT projects from its roster of global artists and labels.  

Curio first launched in 2020 and dropped its first NFTs in February 2021. The company has released over 75,000 NFTs since then with brands across music, film, television and graphic novels.  

"UMG and our labels are focused on developing NFT projects that authentically engage and speak to our artists' fanbases and new audiences,” says Michael Nash, executive vice president, digital strategy, Universal Music Group. “With Curio, our labels will have a secure and dedicated platform to host these premium projects and provide new opportunities for collectors and fans from around the world to acquire unique pieces, inspired by their favorite artists and labels. UMG is focused on developing new opportunities in this space that place our artists and labels at the forefront, working to ensure that the evolution of Web3 provides exciting new avenues for their creativity."  

"Curio is thrilled to be partnered with UMG in the NFT and Web3 space,” says Ben Arnon, co-founder and co-chief executive officer, Curio. “UMG has a huge catalog with unlimited opportunity to deliver value to fans across the globe. Their brands and labels are historic and iconic. And the digital innovation and Web3 expertise amongst their executives is unparalleled."  

The companies are already working together on the first wave of projects, with the first issue scheduled for March from Capitol Music Group artist Calum Scott, with more details to be revealed in the coming weeks.