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Inside Catalog is a recurring column diving into the stories and people behind Catalog.

Kelsey (Vérité) is an incredibly talented independent artist, a constant innovator in the medium of music NFTs, and a well spoken champion of independent artists everywhere.

Hi Kelsey! Tell us about yourself in a tweet.

I’m a constantly evolving musician, artist and entrepreneur. 

Do you remember the moment when you knew the crypto music community was worthwhile exploring?

Yes. I had watched RAC’s experiment with $TAPE on Zora and was fascinated by letting the market determine the value of music instead of letting that value be dictated to us.

What is the most exciting part of what you currently do?

Creative problem solving, both in songwriting, production and business. 

What single thing do you wish people understood about your music?

I’m playing my own game. I’m not trying to conform or fit into a box.

What crypto NFT platforms have you experimented with? What’s interesting for you and what do you think these platforms can do better?

I’ve primarily experimented with Zora and Catalog. I love how open these platforms are and truly support the perspective and mission of the people creating them. 

Overall, I think platforms need to focus on education beyond the mere use of their platform and help show artists how these platforms are a tool for each individual artist to start to build their own ecosystem. 

How do you think we can bring more artists into our space? 

Slowly and by giving people the experience of ownership of a digital asset. It’s hard to translate that value to a consumer base who has been conditioned to consume almost infinite digital content online for free. Onboarding will take time and we need to be patient with fans and listeners as they transition.

What most excites you about the audio NFT space? What worries you most about the space?

What excites me is the creation of the “investable layer” of music. I think there is inherent good in music being ubiquitous and free for all who wish to listen, but until now, there’s been no ability for people to value music properly. The creation of digital scarcity in music will add a new layer to how listeners can value the art they love.

Over saturation of the marketplace is what worries me about all aspects of the music industry and NFTs are no exception. How artists, platforms and consumers adapt to over saturation will determine how much longevity this space will have in its benefits to artists.

What about your life as an individual changed since the boom and onset of NFTs? https://www.oldhouseonline.com/

Pre-NFT I saw the path to continued success as an independent artist narrowing significantly. Constantly changing algorithms, lack of ownership and access to my audience, and obviously COVID played massive parts in this narrowing. NFTs felt like an exciting escape hatch to the new norms that have been established in the new music industry. Instead of fighting the powers that be for a seat at a table, NFTs allow artists to literally build their own.

What’s your most recent proud piece?

I was extremely proud to have sold one of the first NFTs which tied real world ownership of master rights to an NFT. My single, by now, was sold for 11 ETH and with that sale, a fan of mine now owns 2.3% of the master recording in perpetuity. I’m excited and proud to be pushing the boundaries of how we tie experience to NFTs and eventually utilize them as a direct tool for investment in artists. 

What is the future that Kelsey(VÉRITÉ) wants to see in the intersection of music, NFT and web3 space? 

For now, I am continuing to experiment on the utility of NFTs. I am excited to dive into social tokens for my community and want to continue bringing value and experiences to my fans in new and innovative ways.