The Sandbox, a Hong Kong-based decentralized gaming metaverse and a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, announced Thursday that it has partnered with Warner Music Group (WMG) to create the first music-themed world in The Sandbox gaming metaverse.
A combination of musical theme park and concert venue, the Warner Music Group LAND in The Sandbox will feature concerts and musical experiences featuring WMG’s leading roster of artists, The Sandbox said in a statement.
According to the statement, the strategic partnership marks The Sandbox’s first deal with a major music company and Warner Music Group’s first entry into the non-fungible token (NFT) metaverse realm.
Under the partnership, The Sandbox will work with WMG to develop innovative music experiences taking place on the WMG LAND. These immersive experiences will empower Warner Music artists to engage with their fans, as well as to reach the global community of The Sandbox and generate new revenue streams and new forms of virtual entertainment.
To mark the occasion, The Sandbox will hold a LAND sale in March 2022, which will allow music fans to buy coveted LANDS adjacent to the WMG property.
“Our partnership with The Sandbox adds a new layer of possibility in the metaverse, with the ownership of virtual real estate,” said Oana Ruxandra, Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President, Business Development at Warner Music Group.
“As a first-mover, Warner Music has secured the equivalent of beachfront property in the metaverse. On the LAND, we’ll develop persistent, immersive social music experiences that defy real-world limitations and allow our artists and their fans to engage like never before,” he said.
WMG is one of the world’s biggest music companies, comprising hundreds of top artists and labels including Atlantic, Warner Records, Elektra, and Parlophone. The agreement opens the doors to WMG talent appearing in The Sandbox – thus creating a new arena for musical entertainment in the metaverse.
“We’re shaping The Sandbox as a fun entertainment destination where creators, fans, and players can enjoy first-of-a-kind immersive experiences and be more closely connected to their favorite musical artists through NFTs,” said Sebastien Borget, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of The Sandbox.
“This strategic partnership with Warner Music Group brings the open metaverse one step forward in the direction of fan-owned and community-driven initiatives – the possibilities are very exciting,” he said.
Part virtual real estate, part amusement park, The Sandbox fully embraces the idea of the metaverse as a continuous shared digital space where worlds and heroes collide to make magic. Warner Music Group joins over 200 existing partnerships including The Walking Dead, Snoop Dogg, Adidas, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Richie Hawtin, The Smurfs, Care Bears, Atari, ZEPETO, and CryptoKitties, all following The Sandbox team’s vision of empowering players to create their own experiences using both original and well-known characters and worlds.
“As a former entertainment executive, I’m very excited to have one of the biggest music companies in the world with some of the most talented artists joining The Sandbox to create talent-oriented experiences,” said Bertrand Levy, Vice President Global Partnerships of The Sandbox.
The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is one of the decentralized virtual worlds that has been fueling the recent growth of virtual real-estate demand having partnered with major IPs and brands including Adidas, Warner Music Group, Snoop Dogg, The Walking Dead, Deadmau5, Atari, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Care Bears, The Smurfs, and more. Building on existing The Sandbox IP that has more than 40 million global installs on mobile, The Sandbox metaverse offers players and creators a decentralized and intuitive platform to create immersive 3D worlds and game experiences and to safely store, trade, and monetize their creations
With a legacy extending back over 200 years, WMG today brings together artists, songwriters, and entrepreneurs that are moving entertainment culture across the globe. Operating in more than 70 countries through a network of affiliates and licensees, WMG’s recorded music division includes renowned labels such as 300 Entertainment, Asylum, Atlantic, Big Beat, Canvasback, Elektra, Erato, First Night, Fueled by Ramen, Nonesuch, Parlophone, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Sire, Spinnin’, Warner Records, Warner Classics, and Warner Music Nashville.
WMG’s music publishing arm, Warner Chappell Music, has a catalog of over one million copyrights spanning every musical genre, from the standards of the Great American Songbook to the biggest hits of the 21st century. WMG is also home to ADA, the independent artist and label services company – as well as next gen artist services division WMX, which includes consumer brands such as Songkick, the live music app; EMP, the merchandise e-tailer; UPROXX, the youth culture destination; and HipHopDX, the hip-hop music news site. In addition, WMG counts storytelling powerhouse Warner Music Entertainment and social media content creator IMGN among its many brands.
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