IPFS and Filecoin’s Impact on Music, Media, and Culture

IPFS and Filecoin’s Impact on Music, Media, and Culture
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All forms of media and culture were affected by the architecture of Web 2.0. The proliferation of user-generated content was a boon to many artists. It also allowed for music and other forms of individual expression to become commoditized. As a result, a handful of publishing companies and streaming platforms became the ultimate brokers of online content.

Web3 applications are introducing new alternatives to this model. One where the use of digital identities and disintermediated streaming could play a role. These new services are turning to key Web3 infrastructure like IPFS to provide a unique way for artists to permanently retain ownership over their work and offer access to it at their discretion.

# Lit Protocol

Access control is critical for many types of organizations. From enterprise-level security to artists wanting to limit the availability of their music to paying customers, each can benefit from such a service. Lit Protocol (opens new window) enables this as a tool for decentralized access control. Its users can allow access to data and real-life experiences based on token ownership and wallet history. This creates a portable identity layer that relies on the Web3 stack for storage via IPFS and Filecoin.

The protocol already has an analog in Web 2.0 space. For years, people have been using password-protected Zoom Meetings and selective access to Google Drives and other cloud storage mediums. Lit Protocol takes this one step further, allowing for token-based access to these tools for livestreams and other forms of social and artistic events.

# Audius

Alongside Lit Protocol is Audius (opens new window), a streaming music system that connects artists directly to their fans without the intervention of a middle man. Audius takes full advantage of IPFS and Filecoin to store the content on its fast growing platform. It has seen over half a million tracks uploaded to the chain over the time it's been in operations, serving over 100,000 artists.

The newest development for Audius has been its integration with TikTok, the popular social media platform. Audius is helping its users sync music on the platform and use the tracks as backing music for their videos. This approach is also an example of how Web3 services can provide value to Web 2.0 services.

Most users don't know how the music gets to their videos, they just know that they're getting it from Audius. By focusing more on the user experience, Audius makes it much more approachable for everyday users to take advantage of emerging technology like IPFS and Filecoin.

# Bridges into Web3

Both Lit Protocol and Audius focus on a different kind of Web3 adoption. They leverage infrastructure solutions like IPFS and Filecoin to introduce music, media, and culture in general to the advantages of the technology within their own established contexts.

This approach of tapping into, and enhancing, the everyday activities of users is one that builds in-roads into Web3 by making it tangible within Web 2.0. Building a new paradigm for the internet can sometimes mean leaving users unaware of the development happening right in front of them while they still reap the benefits.

Hear more from Lit’s David Sneider and Audius’s Roneil Rumburg here (opens new window).