The free, unbiased music platform Nina Protocol is shutting down. The Web3-based streaming service and market introduced in the present day (Might 28) that it’ll “wind down” in phases over the subsequent six weeks, advising customers to export their releases and purchases. Each the web site and app shall be totally offline by July 15.
“We got down to construct infrastructure for unbiased music that allowed musicians to promote their music, create their context, and join with listeners on their very own phrases,” Nina’s assertion learn. “Whereas our work created significant connections and helped foster listeners’ love for brand new music, we have been unable to discover a income technique that may give Nina a path to sustainability at its present measurement.”
Based in New York in 2021 by Jack Callahan, Mike Pollard, and Eric Farber, Nina started as a distribution service, which allowed artists to add music on to listeners by way of the blockchain and retain full possession of—and gross sales income from—their releases. Constructed on open-source code, the platform additionally permitted taking part artists to construct customized hubs for his or her catalog. ML Buch, James Ok, Yung Lean, Purelink, Aya, Ana Roxanne, and plenty of extra distributed music by Nina through the years, and imprints together with Warp, AD 93, Stroom, and Hyperdub had devoted label hubs with the platform.
Drawing inspiration from peak Weblog Period on-line publishing, Nina cultivated a various editorial arm, sharing scene reviews, essays, interviews, and curated playlists from journalists, artists, and followers alike. “We would like individuals to construct their very own corners right here,” editorial lead Cal Hickox informed Rolling Stone in 2025. “The dream is that somebody begins slightly journal on Nina, writes about their buddies’ bands, and that turns into a complete world.”
Nina additionally hosted an occasion collection, Nina Evening, and a podcast, 400 Ground. The platform expanded its companies to a cellular app in 2024, and simply final 12 months, they launched a brand new group income sharing mannequin. This system functioned by including a $1 payment to each buy as an alternative of taking a lower from an artist’s share; that payment would then be distributed “evenly and transparently,” per Nina’s web site, between the platform and its customers.
“We’re optimistic and look ahead to seeing how those that proceed to construct for unbiased music will enhance our nook of the music world,” Nina’s announcement concluded. “The work of a musician adjustments with every section of expertise and although the truth appears grim within the age of Huge Streaming, we should struggle cynicism and proceed to hope.”
Learn Nina Protocol’s full assertion beneath.
Right now, we’re sharing the choice that we’re winding down Nina Protocol.
The location shall be winding down in phases over the subsequent six weeks. You must use this time to withdraw your earnings and export your releases, purchases and connections.
Our aim is to make it straightforward so that you can take your Nina exercise with you earlier than the location goes offline. After July fifteenth the location and app shall be totally offline.
We’re trying into choices to archive Nina Editorial on-line and can share a hyperlink to that after we do.
In 2021, we noticed musicians’ rising fatigue within the face of streaming’s one-size-fits-all funds, context-collapse, and algorithmic discovery. We got down to construct infrastructure for unbiased music that allowed musicians to promote their music, create their context, and join with listeners on their very own phrases. Our aim was to launch unbiased music from the grips of Huge Streaming, which we felt unfairly tilted outcomes to profit the foremost labels.
Over the past 5 years, we have constructed new fashions for:
- Releasing music direct-to-fans
- Serving to artists contextualize their music
- Elevating listeners from the position of passive shopper to energetic collaborator
- Bringing editorial and curation immediately into the invention expertise
