Unlocking exclusive access has long been a promise of many NFT-based communities. With token-gated playlists, Spotify is now assisting some of them in realising that claim.
According to a series of tweets by Kingship, a metaverse band signed to Universal Music Group (UMG), the streaming service is testing playlists that could be unlocked via NFTs in specific geographies. As part of the pilot, Kingship created a special playlist that could only be accessed by Kingship key card NFT holders.
The group published a set of instructions that include connecting a crypto wallet such as Metamask, Trust Wallet, Rainbow, Ledger Live, or Zerion to authenticate the NFT that unlocks the playlist. According to Kingship, this experience is currently only available to Android users in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.
The fact that iPhone users can’t access the feature is not surprising given that Apple released a bunch of rules restricting the functionalities of NFTs last October.
The NFT-gated playlists pilot announcement comes just days before Spotify’s Stream On event on March 8. Spotify also announced an experiment with an AI-powered DJ who curates music for users on Wednesday.
Token-gated playlists are not Spotify’s first foray into the world of NFTs. In May 2022, the company tested a profile feature that allowed artists to promote their digital art. It advertised web3-related job openings in the engineering and marketing departments last year.
