How Objkt.com Could Build Towards A Music Renaissance
Music has always had a presence on Tezos. From the early days of HEN Radio, to the current wave of musicians attending events like Tezcon, and contributing to collectives like TezTones, the passion for music is undeniable. When it comes to minting art of any kind on Tezos, Objkt has become the most widely used marketplace, likely due to offering a feature-rich and polished experience for collectors and creators alike. However, music is a unique art form, and still longs for the tools to properly reflect that. From how minting templates handle formats like WAV and MP3, to the way audio pieces are displayed and discovered, there’s still room for growth.
For music to thrive rather than stall, the community needs better music discoverability tools, audio-first display options, and more flexibility in how cover art and sound are minted. With just a few thoughtful upgrades, Objkt could position itself as the leading platform for music in Web3.
As one of the first musicians on Tezos, now with over 50 singles and 2 interactive albums discoverable on Objkt, I am forever grateful for the platform offering me new ways to share my art. The intention of this article is to explore and relay real, practical solutions, compiled from conversations with fellow musicians, collectors, and builders active in the Tezos community. When we come together, the opportunities are abundant.
File Prioritization
One of the ongoing challenges musicians face when minting on Objkt is that when you upload music files first, the size limits for visual components are small, only 10mb. Audio files like WAV and MP3 are often smaller than video files, yet musicians have limited flexibility when pairing tracks with strong visuals. As a result, many artists mint their songs as MP4s just to fit audio and visuals into one file with access to the full 250MB limit every other art form on Objkt benefits from.
There is nothing necessarily wrong with MP4 quality, but for music this workaround creates a bigger problem. MP4s are widely used for many art forms being minted through Objkt, and music within an MP4 isn’t recognized by Objkt filters or search tools. The music minted this way doesn’t get categorized separately. In other words, unless someone clicks on every MP4 with the sound turned on, there is no way to know music exists from a simple thumbnail within a vast feed of art. Musicians are sacrificing visibility and discoverability just to present their work without compression hindering the quality. This imbalance is also stifling innovation for music on Tezos.
A more music-friendly solution would be to flip the current logic: allowing musicians to upload audio-first files like WAV or MP3, with the space available for visuals honoring the general platform size limits. This way, artists can keep the integrity of their audio format and still present compelling visuals, without compromising quality or how their work is categorized and discovered.
Visual Playback
There is no option to simply mint music. Music artists are essentially forced to produce visual cover art to even gain access to this art movement. As another way to balance the playing field, Objkt could introduce CC0 generative visualizers. These visualizers could be collaborative or even an open call, with plenty of code-based artists in the Tezos ecosystem available to commission. Selected artists could create a default library of reactive visualizers that become available when an artist uploads a music file to the minting template on Objkt.
CC0 visualizers could respond to the rhythm and mood of each sound, giving audio-based art a distinct visual identity. For musicians who don’t have the time or resources to create custom cover art or full videos, this would be a game-changer, allowing them to focus on the music while still standing out in the feed.
Offering these tools would instantly improve both presentation and discoverability for Music NFTs. Audio-based art would look and sound better on the platform, while remaining properly indexed and searchable with the unique categories they require. This kind of thoughtful, lightweight upgrade would signal that Objkt is serious about supporting musicians and setting a new standard for audio-based art on Tezos.
Dedicated Music Discovery
As more musicians continue to mint on Objkt, one of the clearest opportunities for growth is improving how music is discovered on the platform. Right now, there is no dedicated section or layout tailored to audio. Music NFTs are scattered across feeds and categories that prioritize visuals, creating an unpleasant experience for those searching for music.
A strong step forward would be building a music-focused corner of the platform. This space could be dedicated entirely to audio-based works. A well-designed audio hub that prioritizes listening, featuring music-first filters, showcasing trending tracks, new drops, and curated playlists. A stage of sorts, built specifically for browsing, collecting, and enjoying audio-based art.
There are existing tools and open-source models within the Tezos ecosystem that Objkt could build on. HEN Radio was one of the first open-source and community-run audio streams in Web3. More recently, TEIA Cafe has developed better support for audio formats including default cover art, midi minting, and license/copyright agreements that align with professional standards. These contributions lay important groundwork. By adapting this code, collaborating directly with the Teia Cafe, and/or integrating parts of HEN Radio’s streaming model, Objkt could rapidly deepen its music offering without starting from scratch.
Album Minting, Metadata & Format Standards
Most music on Objkt is released one track at a time, with no clear way to group songs into albums or playlists. There’s no built-in support for album releases. Artists are left to figure it out on their own, often without the tools to present their work properly.
A dedicated music minting contract could fix this. Artists could upload full albums, tag each track individually, and structure releases with track lists and visual coherence, all without needing to code. Listeners would see the full scope of a release, bringing back the magic of listening to an album “cover to cover”. This would allow collectors to engage with complete projects rather than isolated songs, forming a deeper connection to the musicians of Tezos.
Adding Web3-native stats would also make a huge difference. Artists and fans should be able to see top music NFT collectors, most collected tracks, secondary sales, royalties earned, and so much more. Most of these stats are already on-chain, and the Objkt UI already has a structure for collection stats. Repackaging this tech is all it would take to support and improve how music is valued and shared in this space.
Giving music the equal opportunity and visibility as visual art, by acknowledging and building for how it is different, would improve the experience for everyone. The foundation is already there. What’s missing is a dedicated space for music to live, as music.
Rethinking Music Partnerships, Less Big Names More Grass Roots
When people talk about the future of music on the blockchain, there’s always a rush to imagine big integrations with major artists and streaming platforms. While visibility is important, not every artist wants to rely on companies like Spotify or Apple to legitimize their work, and collectors want to discover new sounds in fresh ways. Web2 platforms aren’t built for independent musicians, and generally speaking, music is in a sad state globally. Let’s ditch the old and create something new.
Instead of chasing platforms that are centralized and mis-aligned music giants, Objkt could explore partnerships with open source projects that share the same goals of transparency, accessibility, and sovereignty. Tools like Reaper, an open source DAW with a strong community and flexible licensing, represent a shift in how music can be created, shared, and controlled by the artist.
By learning from the pioneers, and collaborating with projects like Teia Cafe, who are already exploring new licensing models and experimenting with ways to structure music NFTs responsibly, Objkt could create a foundation for distribution and discovery that respects the artist from the start.
The point isn’t to compete with traditional music services, it’s to disrupt them with a real alternative that is decades overdue. Something rooted in the same values that brought artists to Tezos in the first place. Objkt is in a rare position to solve a massive problem. By choosing to build the right partnerships, and empower musicians, it can help lead the way forward for all of web3, replacing the models that created the cliche “Starving Artist”, and giving the digital common wealth the music revolution it deserves.
Shifting the Narrative
Tezos has always been about empowering people to build and create. Music deserves the same level of care, support, and experimental curiosity that visual art and tech has received and benefited from. The tools are already here. The community is already here. What’s missing is the thoughtful design choices that make music and independent music artists feel welcome, visible, and supported.
Every suggestion in this article is actionable. Successful music integration only requires listening to the artists who are already here, and the belief that music matters. That’s the invitation. Support music and audio-based art on Tezos. Help shape the future of music and empower musicians. Be the first movers that remind the world how much music matters.
Real Solutions To Music On Tezos was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.