The Wildfires Projekt: 10 Ways the Metaverse Can Help Launch Emerging Artists

Both the world and technology are evolving. Rapidly. Of all of the possibilities, there may be none more exhilarating than the Metaverse. Say what? It’s a term that we’re hearing a lot more of lately, and that’s because of all of the potential it is unlocking for users globally. Broadly speaking, the Metaverse is a graphically rich virtual space that enables its users to work, play, shop, and socialize all in one spot. By extension, the Metaverse is creating a massive world of opportunity for cryptocurrency users. It needs crypto in order for it to operate as advertised, to ensure transactions are safe and secure. So, there’s a lot going on here and a lot of opportunities to revolutionize business, pleasure, and society.

Musician Johnny Zirkel is a big believer in the Metaverse (check out his recent NFT drop here). When he’s not unlocking this whole new world of potential, he’s writing and recording under his musical alias The Wildfires Projekt, which just last month released a new EP titled Lost & Searching. The album marries pop and alternative rock to create a bunch of hook-heavy alt-rock gems, primarily meant for young people whose culture has been shaped by anxieties stemming from anger, mental health struggles, fear, and addiction. With a no-nonsense, honest approach, Zirkel has quickly built a solid (and growing) fanbase, thanks in part to a recent run of dates with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

As an emerging artist himself, Zirkel has a lot of perspective on how the world is changing, and how it’s much different than it once was for musicians looking to take that next step. Zirkel joins us today for a special Top 10 list in which he runs down some of the best ways in which the Metaverse can help in launching the careers of rising artists.

1. Decentralized

“One thing that holds a lot of artists back is not being able to break the barriers of gatekeepers in the real world. This is one of the reasons I founded my TV series, Sounds of the Underground. Because of the decentralized nature of the metaverse you can do incredible things outside of traditional media and business practices which often have high barriers.”

2. Community

“From my experience, the metaverse is a very open community genuinely interested in making friends and building relationships. These people care about what you are doing, and want to be a part of it. Why have street teams always been popular? It builds community, and allows fans to have a closer relationship with the artist. With the metaverse you can ‘go out’ and engage with fans and artists in a new and meaningful way without having to wait a year for them to come to your city.”

3. Expanded Revenue Streams

“Physical merchandise is expensive, it needs to be stored, and it can get ruined easily. Wouldn’t it be nice to have 10,000 shirts available for sale without having to take up space to store it? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to do giveaways without having to pay postage? How about crypto payments that can increase the value of what you’ve made? This is all possible in the metaverse!”

4. No Pay-To-Play

“Imagine a world where young artists don’t have to sell a certain number of tickets or pay to be on a show. There are so many more opportunities for that artist to showcase their music and who they are. They have the ability to do more and pay less. Which is important because being an artist has a lot of costs.”

5. Built In Crowds

“Unlike many venues in the real world, anyone can visit places in the metaverse any time of day. Also, venues have followings and once again, people love being a part of those communities. Audience members will just show up, hang out, and listen to you!”

6. International Audience

“Have you ever wanted to perform in Europe? South America? Asia? Well now you can! People from all around the world visit the metaverse. You can set your performance times to fit any market, and reach audiences that previously would be near impossible for some.”

Artwork for the album ‘Lost and Searching’ by The Wildfires Projekt

7. Early Adapters

“Because all of this is so new, artists have the ability to get in on the ground floor. It’s easier to rise to the top of something if you are there first.”

8. Artist Relationships

“Artists within the metaverse are genuinely interested in engaging their audiences, and collaborating with new artists. The ability to network and create with other artists is streamlined by this engagement, and the ability to talk to them without having to search for emails or go through management is awesome.”

9. Anything Goes

“The metaverse has opened a vast method for artists to create and be themselves. With such an open community, and ways to test your ideas before the real world, it’s like your own focus group to find what works and what doesn’t.”

10. Partnerships

“The metaverse has opened new partnership opportunities that have become more and more likely as larger artists start to get involved.”