It didn’t even take a year, so to speak, but better late than never (better for whom?).
Introduction
Another year has flown by unnoticed, despite all the events that took place in the industry. It must be admitted that it was truly eventful: from the overall market recovery to unexpected trends like memes and AI agents, which became truly HUGE.
The Web3 music sector also kept moving forward. By the end of last year, one of its key players remained Audius.
Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, I wasn’t able to actively cover the project’s development on my X throughout the year. However, now I have the opportunity to take a closer look at all the changes that have happened to this project, which has already become familiar to us, over the past year.
And I’d like to start with a broad but very important topic — how Audius made its way into all the key market narratives. Alright, fair enough, the team didn’t create an AI agent that writes music and transfers royalties directly to your bank account.
Catching Trends
The year 2024 was marked by Solana’s dominance — ranging from meme coins and AI agents to more traditional DeFi protocols like Drift and Jupiter. The growth in user base, TVL, and fees leaves no doubt about the competition: ecosystems of other networks, including Base (where Audius competitors are developing), are either nonexistent or lagging behind.
Audius didn’t stay on the sidelines either. It was a real revelation for me how successfully and timely the project integrated into this year’s key trends:
Full transition to Solana. For artists and users not deeply involved in technical details, a clear explanation of this transition was provided, along with a simple demonstration of how things work “under the hood.” Many musicians welcomed this move positively and shared their impressions on X.Airdrop from Jupiter. Audius users began interacting with Jupiter after the introduction of the “tipping” system, implemented via Link by Stripe back in November 2022. Those who supported artists during the bear market were rewarded for their generosity. Additionally, thanks to Jupiter, users were able to export their private keys to Phantom and Backpack wallets, further expanding their access to the Solana ecosystem.The Farcaster trend. Audius didn’t miss out on the Farcaster hype and registered on Warpcast. In 2024, an educational campaign was also launched on the Layer3 platform, where users could earn rewards for exploring Audius: creating an account, connecting a wallet, listening to tracks, and subscribing to artists — basic actions that increased the project’s visibility in this new ecosystem.
For the First Time in Three Years — About Me
I finally filled out my profile properly. Though I have a suspicion that it had already been completed before — photos and personal info seemed to disappear from time to time. A minor issue, of course, but I don’t visit the platform just to update my details every week.
I’m pleased with myself because I finally uploaded something relevant. That “something” turned out to be my best demos from eight years ago — tracks I never had the courage to finish and release.
Just like on Spotify or Apple Music, plays didn’t magically appear on their own, meaning I haven’t yet gotten a “taste” of royalties. There are probably ways to promote music here — the classic approach through social media and local networking. Still, this has been a valuable experience that pushed me to take more decisive steps in my creative journey.
What About Everyone Else?
2024 was filled with big names: some EDM giants continued their activity on the platform, while others joined in. One of the most notable events was Lil Pump’s debut — he entered the Solana ecosystem in his signature style.
Since I make electronic music, here are some artists who particularly stood out to me. Some go beyond dance music, so you might even find some familiar names here.
List (not in alphabetical order, but in the sequence I discovered them):
Dombresky, Henry Fong, Dirty Audio, Snavs, RAC, Bitbird, Alex Kunnari, Black Hole, Zyra, RL Grime, Unlike Pluto, Above & Beyond, Jayceeoh, MorganJ, Barong Family, VINAI, Lil Pump, Flosstradamus, San Noel, Disclosure, Trivecta, Firebeatz, San Holo, Tom Budin — these artists and labels were, in one way or another, part of Audius in 2024. Solid!
More Than Just Streaming
Engaging with the audience and motivating users was also at a high level. Last year, the platform hosted numerous activities — from remix contests to studio meetups with top artists.
One of the biggest highlights was the remix competition by Trivecta and Luttrell, where the grand prize included an official release of the winning remix, music software, and a cash reward.
Among the mentor meetups, one of the most memorable was a trip to Tokyo, where participants had the chance to work in the studio with none other than MadeinTYO and collaborate in the same room with Kato Producer and B.o.B.
Additionally, there was a competition in partnership with industry giant RØDE. The most streamed tracks, along with those selected through community voting, were rewarded with a true workhorse — the legendary RØDE NT1 microphone.
These contests are a great contribution to the project’s development and, hopefully, to the careers of the winners.
Updates for Musicians
Of course, there were also major improvements in the most crucial aspect for musicians — finances. The Audius team made significant efforts in this area, so let’s go into detail:
Collaboration with Phantom solved two problems at once.
First, for many Solana degens who spent the year aping into memecoins and AI agents, there was a small issue — dust tokens that had lost 99% of their value. Now, there’s a great way to put this “trash” to use: it can be converted into stablecoins and used to buy tracks directly! No need to visit Jupiter, look for contracts, or deal with slippage — just select “Pay with anything,” and the transaction goes through in seconds. All the magic happens under the hood.“Cash Out” function.
Now, earnings on the platform can be withdrawn directly to a card or a Phantom wallet. This provided a great opportunity for battle-hardened musicians to ride the Solana ecosystem hype — whether by investing in memecoins and AI agents or, hopefully, just paying rent or subscribing to their favorite plugins.Album sales.
A long-awaited feature that seemed like it should have been available ages ago — but better late than never! Previously, albums could be uploaded, but now it looks like artists can set a fixed price for full album purchases.
A good lesson for me: I should follow the project more closely throughout the year rather than diving into the details at the last minute.Simplified tipping system.
Supporting artists is now easier — it can be done directly through X (Twitter)! Thanks to a third-party app, users simply connect their wallet, enter the musician’s X handle (synced with Audius), and send a tip in just three clicks.“Pay-to-Unlock” feature.
In the second half of the year, another interesting mechanic appeared. Artists now have full control over how they release their music, including setting any price they want.
Buyers can pay in their preferred currency (conversion happens automatically) or with crypto.
10% of each sale goes into the Audius Treasury. Sounds like a win-win for both artists and the platform.
A Few More Changes to Add Some Crunchy Dollars to Your Card
In addition to major financial updates, the protocol has introduced a few more significant innovations:
Scheduled Releases.
Just like on Web2 streaming services, you can now set a release date in advance. A simple but incredibly useful feature that all users will surely appreciate.Support for Lossless Quality and STEM Files.
Artists can now upload their music in pristine quality and attach STEM files. This opens up new opportunities for remixes and educational projects, as well as serving as an additional source of income.cNFT Integration (Supported by HeliusLabs).
Users can now link exclusive content to NFTs on Ethereum and Solana. Simply connect your wallet (e.g., Phantom), and if you own the required NFT, you’ll get access to exclusive music tied to the collection.Licensing Agreements with PROs (ASCAP, BMI, GMR, SESAC).
One of the most significant steps forward is partnering with performance rights organizations (PROs). This collaboration removes restrictions for signed artists and expands monetization opportunities on Audius.
🔹 How does it work?
When creating a track, two types of rights arise:
Master rights — typically owned by the label.Composition rights (copyrights for lyrics and melody) — managed by the publisher.
Signed artists cannot independently decide where to sell or stream their music — this is regulated by their label/publisher. Thanks to PRO deals, signed musicians can now earn directly through Audius without manually redistributing income.
🔹 What does this mean for the Audius ecosystem?
More licensed music on the platform.Expanded geographic reach (due to PRO/CMO coverage).Entry into the U.S. market, where authors and publishers will now automatically receive royalties from Audius streams.
This is especially important considering that as recently as November last year, Audius was just beginning to secure its first deals with labels. Now, the partnership with MRI for rights administration is a key element in ensuring proper revenue distribution and simplifying monetization.
The more publishers and labels that join Audius, the more of their music will become available in PRO-covered regions, strengthening the platform’s market position.
Conclusion Based on My Favorite Metric
Luckily, not this time. Honestly — I didn’t even check. Does it really matter? Of course, I won’t underestimate the impact if Skrillex and Deadmau5 fully switch to Audius, but one thing I do know for sure is that the project is moving in the right direction and isn’t dependent on whether Zedd uploads a second track to the platform.
I was pleasantly surprised by the changes within the project and by how the team responded to market events. Audius made it through the bear cycle, kept building, and focused on solving truly important issues. 5 stars.
This year, I’ll try to be more engaged, highlight interesting moments on time, and use the platform more actively as an artist.
Make it happen!
Audius in the end of 2024 was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.