Source:WMG
The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming virtual world and a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, announced today that it has partnered with Warner Music Group (WMG) to create the first music-themed world in The Sandbox gaming metaverse. A combination of musical theme park and concert venue, the Warner Music Group LAND in The Sandbox will feature concerts and musical experiences featuring WMG’s leading roster of artists.
The strategic partnership marks The Sandbox’s first deal with a major music company and Warner Music Group’s first entry into the NFT metaverse realm. WMG is one of the world’s biggest music companies, comprising hundreds of top artists and labels including Atlantic, Warner Records, Elektra, and Parlophone. The agreement opens the doors to WMG talent appearing in The Sandbox – thus creating a new arena for musical entertainment in the metaverse.
Under the partnership, The Sandbox will work with WMG to develop innovative music experiences taking place on the WMG LAND. These immersive experiences will empower Warner Music artists to engage with their fans, as well as to reach the global community of The Sandbox and generate new revenue streams and new forms of virtual entertainment.
To mark the occasion, The Sandbox will hold a LAND sale in March 2022, which will allow music fans to buy coveted LANDS adjacent to the WMG property.
“Our partnership with The Sandbox adds a new layer of possibility in the metaverse, with the ownership of virtual real estate,” said Oana Ruxandra, Chief Digital Officer & EVP, Business Development at Warner Music Group. “As a first-mover, Warner Music has secured the equivalent of beachfront property in the metaverse. On the LAND, we'll develop persistent, immersive social music experiences that defy real-world limitations and allow our artists and their fans to engage like never before.”
“We’re shaping The Sandbox as a fun entertainment destination where creators, fans, and players can enjoy first-of-a-kind immersive experiences and be more closely connected to their favorite musical artists through NFTs,” said Sebastien Borget, COO and Co-Founder of The Sandbox. “This strategic partnership with Warner Music Group brings the open metaverse one step forward in the direction of fan-owned and community-driven initiatives – the possibilities are very exciting.”
“As a former entertainment executive, I'm very excited to have one of the biggest music companies in the world with some of the most talented artists joining The Sandbox to create talent-oriented experiences,” said Bertrand Levy, VP Global Partnerships of The Sandbox.
Part virtual real estate, part amusement park, The Sandbox fully embraces the idea of the metaverse as a continuous shared digital space where worlds and heroes collide to make magic. Warner Music Group joins over 200 existing partnerships including The Walking Dead, Snoop Dogg, Adidas, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Richie Hawtin, The Smurfs, Care Bears, Atari, ZEPETO, and CryptoKitties, all following The Sandbox team’s vision of empowering players to create their own experiences using both original and well-known characters and worlds.
