How Blockchain Could Decentralize the Music Industry

Three months ago, Li's tour was unexpectedly canceled, his social media accounts went offline and his entire discography was scrubbed from China's music streaming platforms.

Pro-democracy singers Anthony Wong and Denis Ho have also been removed from Apple Music in China.

Music services cannot - and will not - protect the voices of artists worldwide, because the interests of the powerful will almost always win over those of creators on centralized services.

Decentralizing the control of music distribution and content ownership gives artists, fans and community members the freedom to express themselves and interact directly with one another on their own terms.

Centralized services like Apple Music are required delist content when told to; with decentralized control, nobody would be capable of this - Li Zhi's music would never have been taken down and the history of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests would never be erased.

Companies and projects are already using blockchain to solve some of the music industry's biggest issues.

My company, Audius, is a decentralized music-sharing protocol and the first to deliver a social music experience that directly connects artists and fans.

Open Music Initiative is using blockchain to identify music creators so they can receive their deserved royalty payments.

Smackathon, a competition created by Pitbull, is working to bring the top decentralized streaming services to music.

What effect do you think blockchain will have on the music industry? How do you feel about big tech removing artists from their platforms to comply with governments like China? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.