Hume, a Web3 entertainment company that creates virtual artists, has appointed music industry veteran Adrian Karvinen as Vice President of Music Business & Partnerships.
The announcement of Karvinen’s new role comes on the heels of the firm raising $11.7 million from the likes of TCG Crypto, Winklevoss Capital, and Gmoney.
In his role at Hume, Karvinen will be responsible for creating alliances between so-called “metastars” and the “world’s biggest brands and artists.”
“A metastar is the future of what it means to be an artist.”
David Beiner, Hume
Speaking to MBW, Hume CEO and co-founder David Beiner claims that “a metastar is the future of what it means to be an artist.”
He added: “We are about to see fully virtual artists achieve the same level of exposure as some of the most famous artists on the planet.”
Karvinen has over 20 years of experience in artist management, A&R, and creative consulting.
He has held label positions within Sony and Universal Music Group and has worked with brands such as Gucci, Chanel and ACNE.
Karvinen has played a role in the success of artists such as Starley (1 billion streams), Jarami (Frank Ocean), Say Lou Lou and Skott.
Most recently, Karvinen served as Director of North America and Head of Catalog Acquisition and Crypto Integration for Snafu Records, the Swedish/American IA music company.
In this role, he built the North American operations and team during the pandemic and signed records for Hitboy, Big Sean, IAMNOTSHANE and Confetti.
In 2022, Karvinen went on to lead Snafu’s catalog acquisitions division, Fine.Art, where, according to a press release, he “funded $2 million in catalog acquisitions in just eight months.”
Hume recently launched a new platform called “The Spot,” which he says “empowers fans to participate in creative decision-making,” and is hosting a songwriting bootcamp at Art Basel in association with the generative audio project Blocktones.
In addition, Hume has also just introduced his next metastar, Clio, who the company says will be working closely with Web3 artist angelbaby.
“I have always believed that new technology can open up new opportunities for artists and companies that can provide new forms of expression and monetization.”
Adrian Karvinen
Speaking to MBW, Karvinen said: “I’ve always been drawn to teams that innovate in storytelling and focus on building strong connections with audiences. I have also been a close follower of all things crypto for the last six years and have been excited by the potential of how it can be applied to music and entertainment.
“I have always believed that new technology can open up new opportunities for artists and companies that can provide new forms of expression and monetization.
“When I met David and Jay, I was immediately impressed by their imagination and their ability to bring their vision to life. Joining his team was a natural decision for me, and I am excited about this opportunity and look forward to what we can achieve together.”
MBW spoke with Karvinen and Hume CEO and co-founder David Beiner about the company and its positioning in the virtual artist space…
What sets Hume apart from other Web3 entertainment companies?
Adrian Karvinen: Hume’s team deeply understands the dedication, motivation and focus required to operate in an arena that very few companies have yet established. Our primary focus on virtual artists is something that no mainstream record label is currently addressing. The team is made up of exceptionally skilled creative individuals who recognize the importance of executing a compelling storytelling.
What are your predictions for the virtual artist sector in 2023?
ALASKA: This year, we will see the initial phase of a select group of virtual artists foraying into the mainstream music industry.
What role do you think record labels will play in Web3?
ALASKA: It is my belief that the major players in the industry will continue their efforts to adapt. However, I anticipate that new and innovative people will establish new types of labels that will continue to explore what it means to be a record label now and in the future.
What are metastars? Can you tell us more about Clio?
David Beiner: A metastar is the future of what it means to be an artist. We are about to see fully virtual artists achieve the same level of exposure as some of the most famous artists on the planet. These artists will play shows on both virtual and physical stages. They will be ubiquitous on TikTok, Spotify and YouTube just like your favorite artists. They will use Web3 to tap into fan communities and bring them closer to the artistic process than ever before.
These innovative virtual artists are what we call Metastars. We can’t say much about Clio at this point beyond the fact that he will continue on the path that angelbaby has begun to pave. At Hume, we believe that a combination of great storytelling, A+ music, and amazing visuals combined with Web3 will allow us to become the top brand metastar. Clio will continue to cement Hume as the home of the world’s most iconic metastars.
Can we expect more funding announcements this year?
DB: I’ll never say never, but for now we have no direct fundraising plans.
How does Hume want to position himself in the broader Web3 space in the coming years?
DB: When you think of Hume, you’ll think of how we were the first company to elegantly leverage Web3 to engage fans and use it to reinvent the way music is released. For example, a great element of owning a Hume Genesis NFT is that it allows you to listen to unreleased tracks and vote on what music our metastars should release.
Historically, these types of decisions are made behind closed doors, but at Hume, our fans are central to the process and Web3/NFT is the great unlock for that process. When you look at the big entertainment companies that pushed the boundaries and grew out of Web3, you’ll see Hume in the upper echelons of that list.
Last year, Hume said he plans to build a fan engagement platform to “metastar.” Can you tell us more about this project?
DB: Our metastar engagement platform is up and running and it’s called Point. This is where Hume Genesis owners come together to make decisions that guide the careers of our Metastars. We had 3 decisions this year where holders chose two of angelbaby’s single releases as well as what angelbaby’s next merch release should look like.
The engagement rate has reached 41% and the headlines tell us that fans want a say in how these metastars evolve and it helps them feel a new sense of connection when the music is released. Imagine if early in the career of Drake, Billy Eilish or The Beatles fans had information about what would be released, the whole relationship between artist and fan would be different. We’re excited to continue to expand on The Spot in 2023 and begin to open it up beyond the Hume Genesis headlines and eventually beyond Hume Metastars. Music business around the world
