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Back in 2020, CEO and co-founder Inder Phull met with Grammy nominated deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin, who helped accelerate Pixelynx and KOR Protocol to what it is today.
Inder initially ventured into the world of blockchain in 2014 when the concept was first introduced at the International Music Summit. He defied sceptics by addressing key challenges in the music industry through his first product Pixelynx, attracting attention from global organisations such as Microsoft and Beatport.
More recently, Inder and his team are working towards KOR Protocol, an entertainment IP infrastructure that allows creators to monetise their IPs through a suite of AI tools and applications.
“Things really kicked off when we met Robby Yung, CEO of Animoca Brands, who took significant interest in our vision,” says Inder. The platform has closed over $50M in funding rounds from Web3 pioneer brands such as Animoca Brands, Solana, Republic Crypto, Alumni Ventures as well as Niantic and more.
What started as an interactive music platform allowing users to co-create music with artists through AI tools quickly turned into a suite of products powered by the KOR Protocol. The company now has 100+ international partners such as Beatport, Japanese telecom giant KDDI, Banijay (producers of Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders and more), all with registered IPs and set licences that have resulted in interactive experiences and mints that appealed to global fan communities. The recent Black Mirror experience in partnership with Banijay and Base for instance, saw over US $250,000 in sales as the collection was sold immediately in under 2 hours. KOR Protocol is designed to enable IPs to bring their assets on chain, powering new use cases including authenticated on-chain AI model training. Over his 10-year crypto journey, Inder has stuck to his belief that blockchain technology can solve critical issues within the music and entertainment industry, such as copyrighting while allowing artists and creators to get more out of their brands.
Early years in crypto
Inder’s fascination with cryptocurrencies took root when he discovered a project by songwriter and producer Imogen Heap. Years later, Inder met with Ben Turner, the founder of International Music Summit and a long-time manager of Richie Hawtin, also a creator of KOR Protocol, who introduced Inder to Dean Wilson anddeadmau5.
Now, KOR Protocol seeks to develop viable ways for creators to monetise their IPs through blockchain technology. For instance, songs from deadmau5’s record label mau5trap, home to some of the biggest electronic music since 2007 have been remixed more than 100,000 times through user generated content, and distributed on streaming platforms to earn royalties and rewards.
“This approach provides sustainable economies and supports the growth of IPs based on genuine value creation rather than speculative ventures,” Inder says.
Newest IP brainchild
The self-service platform allows users to create IP based experiences powered by the KOR Prot, browse content from over 500+ IPs and build AI based music experiences through its KORUS, or interact with its partner IPs such as The Black Mirror Experience to create unique Black Mirror stories and an NFT.
The company aims to primarily serve IP holders and independent artists who lack the infrastructure, resources and networks to gain visibility and monetise their work. KOR Protocol offers a decentralised solution where independent artists can directly manage and monetise their IP, reach global audiences, collaborate with new partners and engage with fans in different ways. The platform aims to significantly lower the barriers to entry and unlock new distribution and monetisation paths, for upcoming as well as established creators.
“With features like automated royalty distribution, on-chain rights management, and community governance, independent artists can ensure fair compensation and have a direct say in the protocol’s development. Additionally, the open-source culture of KOR Protocol connects artists with technologists, fostering collaboration and innovation through these new mediums. This empowers them to compete on a more equal footing with established artists, fostering innovation and creativity across the board,” said CEO Inder Phull in a statement.
KOR Protocol claims to use various smart-contract technologies to safeguard artist IPs providing a secure, on-chain repository where creators can manage their assets. “We’re working towards the KOR DNA metadata standard which will ensure that all content is accurately documented and protected with key licensing and usage data embedded into the assets through decentralised content identifiers,” continued Inder. Additionally, KOR Protocol claims to integrate user verification processes and partnerships with leading security firms to maintain the integrity of the network.
Growth strategies
KOR Protocol aims to scale globally by continuing to expand through various IP partnerships with iconic creators and brands, through community building and by developing a robust infrastructure. As far as monetisation for artists is concerned, KOR Protocol addresses digital rights management (DRM) and compensation for artists in a decentralised environment through several mechanisms. By leveraging blockchain technology, the protocol ensures transparent and immutable recording of all IP rights and licensing information, making it easy to track and verify usage. Automated royalty distribution via smart contracts guarantees that artists are paid fairly and promptly whenever their work is used or sold.
A post-hype platform
KOR Protocol sees the blockchain based IP management system moving beyond its current speculative phase into providing more practical utility long term.
The early success through initiatives in partnerships with Black Mirror and deadmau5 demonstrate the tangible value that the product can create. Despite the volatile shifts in the Web3 landscape, Inder remains bullish. “In the ’90s, web developers were the pioneers of a digital frontier. Today, blockchain-based applications are the new frontier, and soon, it will be the standard. If you’re not on board, you’re not just behind—you’re missing the future of innovation and creativity.