This week, we’re excited to shed some light on one of our amazing enter ambassadors, Barrie Birch. This is an artist we are immensely proud to be working closely with this year, and for great reason. With his great passion for music and technology, he shares his journey of exploring the Web3 for audio heads on his YouTube channel NFTmusicinfo, with the goal of helping musicians understand music NFTs. 

Barrie is not only a fantastic educator, but also a highly productive musician with a special love for electronic elements. He has been composing and producing electronic music since he was seven, and was signed with a small label back in 2016 through his Synthpop and Synthwave artist name Cyber Monday. He is also the man behind the EDM 90s Dance alias Cyber Friday. To this date, he has released 11 albums and promises that there are more to follow. We were thrilled to have him as one of the first artists on enter.audio - and now also as an ambassador.

You might already have seen some of the brilliant and informational videos he has created revolving around the enterverse, and in this article, we’re excited to get to know a little bit more about the man behind the videos!

On inspiration and working with music

From the age of five, I was into electronic music.  My parents used to listen to Soft Cell, Erasure, and The Human League, which became my influences and idols. I started learning the electronic organ at the age of five, and I had my own synth keyboard where I would compose and record onto cassette tape.  

I used to perform live in London and Birmingham, UK, which I really enjoyed. But it was hard work. For now, I consider myself more of a producer than a performer.  Although, with Web3 it might be cool to do a gig in the Metaverse one day. I have also done a remix for Andy Bell (from Erasure) which was officially released on vinyl.  Just being accepted in the space is important.  

What made you want to dabble with NFTs? What makes you interested in sharing your experience along the way?

I just find NFTs really fascinating and a huge opportunity for creators to receive what they are worth. I came across OpenSea last year and found it a really interesting space. Since then I’ve researched many different NFT platforms. 

I have a passion for training and also work in IT full-time. I always wanted to create a YouTube channel but never knew what to talk about. When I was exposed to music NFTs I realized nobody was talking much about them on YouTube, so I decided to set up the channel NFT Music Info. 

Since then I have also released a book titled “The Resource Guide to Music NFTs”, which is available on Amazon Worldwide and Kindle. It was important for me to document my knowledge of music NFTs. I always wanted to produce a book, but like with the YouTube channel, I never found the right subject matter. Music NFTs are the answer. In the book, I cover things such as platforms, strategies, and explanations.  

What do you think is the biggest challenge for musicians wanting to step into the space?

I think the options and possibilities are endless which can be very confusing for artists. What do they release? How many editions? What utility should they provide?  So to counter this, I encourage artists to experiment. No sales doesn’t mean that you have failed, it just means that you need to try something different.

Do you have any tips for how to get started for those still on the fence in regards to making audio NFTs?

I always find it useful to research sales of similar genres/artists to see how successful they are and what strategies they use to market etc. Research accounts for a lot in this space. However, some artists wait and wait and then when they finally launch a 1/1 NFT for a high price, they get upset when it hasn’t sold. Anyone making music NFTs in this space should feel valued and appreciated as this space is still very new. The way it works best, is if the community help each other out.

What do you think are the most interesting things/mechanics/opportunities to explore for audio creators in the NFT space?

I think utility is a really interesting idea for audio creators in the NFT space.  Yesterday I chatted to a label manager who has released music NFTs, and every sale will go into a draw where you can win a 1/1 vinyl pressing of the track. I thought this was a great idea. Other people allow private access to their Discord server to help bring governance (i.e. voting) to their fans. The possibilities are endless with utility, and it should all be about adding value.  

On finding the enterverse and being an enter ambassador

I love the enterverse. I just found the project fascinating from the beginning and I felt that it was being implemented in the right way from the start. The platforms are not rushed through and enter.audio was one of the first dedicated music NFT platforms.  

It was really important for me to be part of enter as it’s a unique project. The majority of my YouTube videos featured enter’s platforms, so I have been very passionate about the project since the beginning. I’m really excited about what the future holds! 

Make sure to have a look at Barrie’s informational videos, and check out his profiles on enter.audio for some tunes that are bound to make you dance!

https://www.enter.art/artist/cybermonday
https://www.youtube.com/c/nftmusicinfo
https://www.nftmusicinfo.com
https://www.instagram.com/cybermondaymusic/
https://twitter.com/cybermondaymus