The Sandbox has partnered with Warner Music to create a music-themed world in the metaverse.
Under the agreement, the companies will create the first music world in The Sandbox Gaming Metaverse, and it will bring live concerts and music experiences featuring Warner Music artists to the metaverse.
The Sandbox is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands. It has sold virtual land to various parties, ranging from The Walking Dead to Snoop Dogg. The Warner Music Group Land in The Sandbox will be a combination of musical theme park and concert venue.
The strategic partnership marks The Sandbox’s first deal with a major music company and Warner Music Group’s first entry into the nonfungible token (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. Warner Music has also been active with concerts in Roblox, the user-generated content platform.
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.
“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, chief operating officer of The Sandbox, in a statement. “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.”
To mark the occasion, The Sandbox will hold a Land sale in March 2022, which will allow music fans to buy Land areas 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 and executive vice president of business development at Warner Music Group, in a statement. “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.”
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 The Sandbox partnerships including The Walking Dead, Snoop Dogg, Adidas, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Richie Hawtin, The Smurfs, Care Bears, Atari, Zepeto, and CryptoKitties.