How Crypto Streaming Service Audius Hit Six Million Monthly Active Users - Ep.270
Unchained
Decentralization in Crypto: The Audius Transition
This chapter explores the differences between decentralized and centralized operations in crypto networks, using a music streaming platform's shift to decentralized governance as a case study. It highlights the challenges of integrating decentralized features while maintaining user experience within the Audius ecosystem.
Audius, a blockchain native music streaming platform, hit six million monthly active users in August and announced a partnership with TikTok. Roneil Rumburg, co-founder and CEO of Audius, talks about how Audius works, AUDIO tokenomics, the give and take of decentralization, and more. Show highlights:
- what problems Audius is solving for creators
- how artists are utilizing crypto to connect with fans
- how the crypto components of Audius fit together
- what three utilities AUDIO, the native token of Audius, offers holders
- why Audius requires over $500K in AUDIO tokens to run a node
- why AUDIO’s inflation rate is higher than other popular tokens like Ethereum or Bitcoin
- which portions of Audius are centralized versus decentralized
- where the majority of Audius’s listens come from (hint: it’s not the app)
- how Audius has created a “password” system to make blockchain technology easier to use for non-crypto natives
- why Audius uses both Solana and Ethereum
- how big-name artists like Diplo found their way onto Audius
- how Audius makes it easier to upload music to TikTok
- what’s next for Audius
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Episode Links
Roneil Rumburg
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/roneilr
Audius
- Website: https://audius.co/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AudiusProject
- Whitepaper: https://whitepaper.audius.co/AudiusWhitepaper.pdf
- Discord: https://discord.com/channels/557662127305785361/806017242734395413
What is Audius?
- Decrypt: https://decrypt.co/resources/what-is-audius-the-decentralized-music-sharing-and-streaming-service
- Messari: https://messari.io/asset/audius/profile
- Coindesk: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2020/11/11/audius-has-big-numbers-by-crypto-standards-but-can-it-take-on-soundcloud/
TikTok + Audius Coverage
- Audius: https://twitter.com/AudiusProject/status/1427299274325323779
- Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/news/tiktok-sounds-streaming-crypto-blockchain-nfts-audius-1211699/
General Coverage
- 6M monthly users
- Moving to Solana (Oct 2020):
- 5M monthly users (Aug 5):
- Copyright nightmare (The Verge 2019)
- NFTs (April 2021)
- Token Drop (Oct 2020):
- Youtube + Audius project
- Music Racer:
- Raises
- Node requirements:
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