Coinbase-powered blockchain Base  announced a partnership with the blockchain music platform Sound.xyz on Dec. 19, which now allows artists to mint music via the Base ecosystem. 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sound.xyz said that with the Base ecosystem being an Ethereum layer 2, the gas fees for minting tracks as nonfungible tokens (NFTs) are cheaper, and transactions are fast. It said these factors will also allow artists to upload and withdraw without purchasing crypto or bridging their funds.

Base is an Ethereum layer 2 which means:

• 10x cheaper gas fees.
• Lightning fast transactions.
• Free uploads and withdrawals for artists.

Most importantly, Base unlocks a huge new audience for collecting music…

— sound.xyz (,) (@soundxyz_) December 19, 2023

The first track, a blockchain-themed song called “Based,” was minted on Base by artists Reo Cragun and Heno. Its lyrics include “We’re bringing a billion on-chain. Some people leave whenever there are tough times, but shout out to the real ones that stuck by.”

Join us for ONCHAIN STORIES where @jessepollak will be talking with @ReoCragun and @mynameisheno about the new song on @soundxyz_

Starting in 30 minutes at 12:30pm PT, powered by @Livepeer https://t.co/QuvQYODs49

— Base ️ (@BuildOnBase) December 19, 2023

Sound said the most significant benefit to the Web3 music scene would be “tapping into” the over 100 million users on the Base network. It highlighted how music is a great entry point for “a whole new generation of users to get on-chain.”

Related: Grimes’ collaboration with music platform makes 200+ AI songs available for creators

In the past year, the music industry’s crossover into the Web3 space has been picking up speed, with some of the biggest names in the traditional scene trying out blockchain-based releases.

With millions of fans worldwide, the American thrash metal band Megadeth  released a new NFT collection in early December, allowing their community new ways to connect in both physical and digital reality.

Earlier this month, the late pop legend Michael Jackson had his first-ever studio demo released on the blockchain as digital vinyl through the blockchain music platform Anotherblock — five decades after the recording was made and 14 years after Jackson died.

In November, Cointelegraph spoke with entrepreneur and son of legendary rapper Snoop Dogg , Cordell Broadus (Champ Medici), who explained what it takes to bring legacy artists into Web3 and build a new legacy in the future of music using tools like blockchain and NFTs.

Magazine: BitCulture: Fine art on Solana, AI music, podcast + book reviews