London, UK - DSF, a music-first company with over 50 years of heritage in music recording and publishing, has announced the first grant award from their $5M Launch Call for Proposals. The $300,000 award will go to a project titled "Reimagining the Music Industry: Innovating the Legal and Technical Basis for Fractional Ownership of Music Royalties Through Utility and Security Tokens and Portfolio Models." The project aims to develop a practical application of legally trading music royalties using tokens that represent royalty ownership by exploring multi-token models with both utility tokens representing ownership of individual assets, such as songs, and security token models based on being able to trade portfolios of assets.

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The project team includes the University College London, a world-leading research university that will provide expertise in blockchain technology, law, and business models. The FCA, a UK regulatory body, will provide guidance on the legal and regulatory framework for the project. SongBits, a platform specializing in the fractionalization of music royalties, will create new investment opportunities for fans, artists, and labels through blockchain technology. Unchainedmusic, a web3-integrated digital music distribution service, will provide expert analysis and auditing services for the project. Hipgnosis Songs Fund, the first UK investment company offering investors a pure-play exposure to songs and associated musical intellectual property rights, will bring valuable industry expertise and investment experience to the project. Orrick, a law firm, will provide expert legal advice and guidance on the development and implementation of the blockchain platform, ensuring that it complies with all relevant legal and regulatory standards.
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The project aims to develop a platform that allows for the legal and compliant trading of music royalties using blockchain technology. This has significant public benefits, as it has the potential to revolutionize the music industry by providing a more transparent, accessible, and efficient way to buy, sell, and manage music royalties. One of the primary benefits of the platform is that it enables fractional ownership of music royalties through tokenization. This means that fans can support their favorite artists by investing in their music and potentially sharing in the future earnings of that music. It also provides a new revenue stream for artists, labels, and investors, which can be particularly beneficial for independent and emerging artists who may not have access to traditional financing options.
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Furthermore, the platform is designed to be legally and regulatory compliant, which is crucial for ensuring transparency, security, and ethical conduct. This will build trust and confidence in the platform among users, investors, and regulators, and may even lead to greater adoption of blockchain technology in the music industry. In addition to these benefits, the project will involve research and collaboration with academic institutions, legal experts, and regulatory bodies. This creates opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration, which can have broader public benefits beyond the music industry.
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The project milestones and deliverables involve the development of a blockchain-based platform that enables the legal and compliant trading of music royalties. This includes research and development of the platform's technical architecture and infrastructure, development of legal and regulatory compliance frameworks, tokenization of music royalties, testing and refinement of the platform, and launch of the platform to the public.
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The public benefit of this project is significant, and DSF believes that the industry impact of this project is significant. By enabling the legal and compliant trading of music royalties, the project could transform the music industry and provide new economic opportunities for all stakeholders involved.

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