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Source: SAUL LOEB / Getty / FAA
Traveling by air is a convenient way to travel, but lately, it has become a headache. Due to a massive system outage, flights across the United States went nowhere.
Travelers woke up to the news or found out that their flights to their final destinations were going nowhere minutes before boarding was not going anywhere on Wednesday morning.
The FAA scrambled to get systems back up when its Notice to Air Missions System, the tool it uses to share safety information with pilots and other airline personnel, “failed,” affecting flights across the country.
According to FlightAware, more than 1,800 flights have been delayed, and over 300 have been canceled.
The outage caused the FAA to instruct all airlines to pause domestic flights until 9 AM as it worked feverishly to get the system back up.
By 8:50 AM, the agency lifted the ground stop, and flights would begin “resuming gradually.” That continues to be the case.
Was This A Cyberattack On The FAA?
In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre nixed the notion that the outage directly resulted from a cyberattack.
“The President has been briefed by the Secretary of Transportation this morning on the FAA system outage. There is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point, but the President directed DOT to conduct a full investigation into the causes. The FAA will provide regular updates, ” she tweeted.
Current Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced the FAA is “working to resolve this issue swiftly while noting he is calling for an “after-action process” to determine the cause of the outage.
This latest air travel nightmare comes after the mess caused by Southwest Airlines over the holiday travel season that left many of its customers stranded in airports across the US looking for answers.
If you were thinking about traveling today, don’t or mentally prepare yourself for the headache you will endure at your local airport.
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Photo: SAUL LOEB / Getty
TikTok’s CEO met Tuesday with European Union officials about strict new digital regulations in the 27-nation bloc as the Chinese-owned social media app faces growing scrutiny from Western authorities over data privacy, cybersecurity and misinformation.
In meetings in Brussels, Shou Zi Chew and four officials from the EU’s executive Commission discussed concerns ranging from child safety to investigations into user data flowing to China, according to European readouts from two of the meetings and tweets from a third.
TikTok is wildly popular with young people but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to scoop up user data or push pro-China narratives or misinformation. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
U.S. states including Kansas, Wisconsin, Louisiana and Virginia have moved to ban the video-sharing app from state-issued devices for government workers, and it also would be prohibited from most U.S. government devices under a congressional spending bill.
Fears were stoked by news reports last year that a China-based team improperly accessed data of U.S. TikTok users, including two journalists, as part of a covert surveillance program to ferret out the source of leaks to the press.
There are also concerns that the company is sending masses of user data to China, in breach of stringent European privacy rules. EU data protection watchdogs in Ireland have opened two investigations into TikTok, including one on its transfer of personal data to China.
“I count on TikTok to fully execute its commitments to go the extra mile in respecting EU law and regaining trust of European regulators,” Vera Jourova, the commissioner for values and transparency, said after her meeting with Chew. “There cannot be any doubt that data of users in Europe are safe and not exposed to illegal access from third-country authorities.”
Caroline Greer, TikTok’s director of public policy and government relations, said on Twitter that it was a “constructive and helpful meeting.”
“Online safety & building trust is our number one priority,” Greer tweeted.
The company has said it takes data security “incredibly seriously” and fired the ByteDance employees involved in improperly accessing user data.
Jourova said she also grilled Chew about child safety, the spread of Russian disinformation on the platform and transparency of paid political content.
Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager, who’s in charge of competition and antitrust matters, met with Chew to “review how the company is preparing for complying with its obligations under the European Commission’s regulation, namely the Digital Services Act and possibly under the Digital Markets Act.”
The Digital Services Act is aimed at cleaning up toxic content from online platforms and the Digital Markets Act is designed to rein in the power of big digital companies.
They also discussed privacy and data transfer obligations in reference to recent news reports on “aggressive data harvesting and surveillance in the U.S.,” the readout said.
Chew also met with Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders and Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson.
Reynders tweeted that he “insisted on the importance” of TikTok fully complying with EU privacy rules and cooperating with the Irish watchdog.
“We also took stock of the company’s commitments to fight hate speech online and guarantee the protection of all consumers, including children,” he said.
Chew is scheduled to hold a video chat with Thierry Breton, the commissioner for digital policy, on Jan. 19.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
AirPods still rank among the list of top-selling wireless earbuds, and if you own a pair, they could probably use a little refresh.
Like iPhones, Androids and other electronics, your earbuds can get dusty and dirty. To clean AirPods or AirPods Pro headphones manually, all you’ll need is a soft, dry, lint-free cloth to gently wipe them down (don’t run them under water).
If your Airpods are stained or damaged from dried soap, lotion, perfume, shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen and other liquids, Apple recommends slightly dampening the cloth with water before wiping the earbuds clean — and don’t use them until they’re completely dry.
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To clean the charging case, use a lint-free cloth slightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol. Make sure that you don’t get liquid in the charging ports and use a soft-bristled brush to remove any leftover dust or debris.
Want an easier option? Get a cleaning kit, like the one featured below, which is on sale for $8.99 at Amazon. The Hagibis 2-in-1 cleaning pen is a best-seller at Amazon with a 4.5-star rating and lots of positive customer reviews.
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The multi-functional kit includes a flocking sponge to clean out dust in the earphones and charging case, a high-density brush to clean dirt off the sound outlet hole and other parts of the earphone, and a metal pen tip to dig out stubborn dust and thoroughly clean hard to reach spots.
The cleaning tool can be used for AirPods and other wireless earbuds, but also keyboards, laptops, tablets, etc.
Click here to see a wider selection of cleaning kits that are available at Amazon for less than $10, like the Akiki Cleaner Kit, currently on sale for $8.99. And of course, cleaning kits for AirPods and more are available at other major retailers, including Best Buy and Walmart.
Stocking up on more new gear for the new year? Be sure to read our picks for the best Bluetooth earphones under $250, best wired earphones and this affordable cleaning solution to help keep your vinyl records intact.
Source: Future Publishing / Getty / Video GamesWelcome to 2023, and it promises to be another significant year for gamers. 2022 is in the books, and it closed on an extremely high note thanks to God of War: Ragnarok blowing gamers away once again and cementing Kratos as one of the greatest video game characters ever, sorry Mario.Oh, and we can’t forget Horizon Forbidden West, another fantastic entry into Guerilla’s epic franchise adding to PlayStation’s stellar year of exclusives.But that was then. This is now. 2023 looks promising, thanks mainly to games that were supposed to drop in 2022 having their wigs pushed back.Hip Hop Wired decided to narrow that list down to 15 games WE are most excited to pick up the sticks for in 2023. Now, if we miss one, that’s okay; remember, this is our list, but we don’t mind you throwing your suggestion our way.Below are 15 titles we can’t wait to play on our Xbox Series X, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.
1. Dead Space
Resident Evil and Silent Hill had the survival horror genre on lock-in grounded locales. 2008’s Dead Space took the fear from those games and perfected it in outer space.
Fast Foward to 2023, the good folks at EA decided it was time to revive the franchise and bring the necromorph terror to next-gen consoles.
The original team that made 2008’s Dead Space has since moved on and dropped The Callisto Protocol, a similar game but at the same time quite different.
Motive Studios has taken over the franchise and promises the remake will stay true to the original but, at the same time, vastly improve on the game.
Based on what he has seen so far, that looks like that will be the case. Dead Space arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X and PC on January 27.
2. Resident Evil 4
Capcom shook the Resident Evil franchise up when it dropped Resident Evil 4 on the Nintendo Switch in 2005. Ditching slow gameplay mechanics, the tank controls fans came to love in the original games for a new over-the-shoulder camera view and fast-paced action, and a new inventory system turned out to be a successful gamble for the video game company.
Resident Evil 4 would become one of the essential titles in video game history, so it makes sense that Capcom would also give it the same remake treatment that Resident Evil 2 and RE 3: Nemesis have received.
Resident Evil 4 remake sees the return of Leon S. Kennedy, arguably one of the most popular characters in the RE franchise. It looks to build off the momentum started by his introductory adventure in Resident Evil 2.
The game arrives on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series S | X, and PC on March 24.
3. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Sony is looking to have another strong year for the PS5, which could be easily attainable thanks to Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
We still don’t know much about this game except that both Spider-Man and Miles Morales will be playable and will be taking on Venom.
Insomniac assured fans that the game will arrive in 2023 but has yet to share a solid release date, we expect that information to come soon.
4. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
It took a long five years for Final Fantasy VII: Remake to hit consoles, and thankfully so because that game was a masterpiece.
Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long for the next installment, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. The game will pick up where the first chapter ended, with Cloud and the crew trying to stop Sephiroth from enacting his plan, and that’s all we know.
The game is set to arrive “next winter,” so that could mean 2023 or the beginning of 2024, we’re hoping for this year because we are thirsty for more.
Like the previous title, this game is exclusive to the PlayStation 5.
5. Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy XVI, the next installment in the Final Fantasy saga, is taking it back to the times of knights, kings, queens, wizards, and palace intrigue, and it looks L I T.
This one will be a timed exclusive coming to PlayStation 5 consoles first on June 22, and eventually on Windows PC.
6. Assassin’s Creed Mirage
With the changing year, you can always expect a new game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. For Mirage, Ubisoft’s next installment is returning to the original formula that made the game a hit with fans.
This game will ditch the Action/RPG format returning to its stealth roots and will be set in Baghdad in the 9th century, and will follow the assassin Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character you met in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.
Get ready to assassinate and get your parkour on when Assassin’s Creed Mirage drops on PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, and Amazon Luna sometime later this year.
7. Forspoken
The developers behind Final Fantasy 15 took a break from the iconic franchise to bring to the gaming world Forspoken, a new IP from Square Enix.
The game follows Frey, played by the beautiful Ella Ballinska, who is magically transported to a fantasy world where she will be guided by a talking bracelet and armed with magical spells to help her find her way back home to New York City.
Forspoken is PlayStation 5 console exclusive and will also arrive on Windows PC on January 24.
8. RoboCop: Rogue City
Teyon Games made a first-person shooter featuring our favorite cyborg cop, and it looks pretty damn good. RoboCop: Rogue City will have players taking on the role of Alex Murphy as he dishes out his brand of justice across Old and New Detroit while trying to stop a massive crime wave.
RoboCop: Rogue City arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam on June 2023.
9. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
It’s been almost 6 years since the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild, which many consider being a game changer.
While we still wait for a new Nintendo Switch, we won’t have to wait too long for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the highly-anticipated follow-up to Breath of The Wild. We still don’t know much about the game’s plot except that Link will have some new abilities, and a lot of the adventure will possibly take place in the skies above Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom supposedly launches on the Nintendo Switch & Switch OLED on May 12.
10. Street Fighter 6
Capcom is looking to have a much better launch with Street Fighter 6 than it did with Street Fighter V. When the next installment in the iconic fighting game franchise arrives, it will do so with three modes.
Players can look forward to the classic mode Fight Ground that delivers old-school Street Fighter action, the new World Tour mode where players have to fight their way to the top, and a Battle Hub for multiplayer hands, feet, and dragon punches can be exchanged.
Street Fighter 6 launches on PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, and PC on June 2.
11. Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
Rocksteady Games gives Batman a break and gives players control of Task Force X in Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.
Technically, Batman is still around, but this time he’s on the wrong side of justice. In the game, players will control a team comprised of villains Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark. Their mission will be to take down the Justice League, including “alpha target” Superman, The Flash, Batman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman.
The supes are all under the control of Brainiac, one of Superman’s many enemies.
Task Force X will look to do the impossible in Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League when the game arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on May 26.
12. Dead Island 2
Dead Island 2, the long-awaited follow-up to the 2011 game, has had its wig pushed back NUMEROUS times, so could this be the year the sequel finally comes out?
We hope so.
In Dead Island 2, the action RPG shifts from an island resort to sunny Los Angeles, where players can pick up whatever they want and use it as a weapon to eradicate the undead.
Dead Island 2 arrives on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One on April 28, we hope.
13. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Team Ninja, the studio behind the action RPG series Nioh is looking to shake up 2023 with Wo-Long: Fallen Dynasty, a Soulslike game described as a “dark fantasy action game set in the Chinese Three Kingdoms period.”
We played the extensive demo and enjoyed our time with the game. We can’t way to play more when the game drops on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on March 3. It will also be a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass.
14. Hogwarts Legacy
This might be the Harry Potter-themed game fans of the books and movies have longed for. Hogwarts Legacy will see players taking on the role of a student attending the fictional wizarding school during the 1800s, well before Harry Potter and his friends were born.
It’s an open-world adventure full of all the fantastic lore from the Harry Potter books and films. Whether fans will be able to look past the transphobic nonsense the series creator J.K. Rowling has been spewing and pick up the game is another story.
Hogwarts Legacy arrives on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X on February 10.
15. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Cal Kestis’ adventure continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and he’s no longer the green Jedi on the run we first met. Equipped with new skills, some better lightsabers, loyal droid BD-1, and a new ally and friend, Kestis is trying to survive as Darth Vader and The Empire continue the mission to wipe the Jedi from the universe.
Unlike the first game, Survivor, which takes place five years after the events of Fallen Order, will be much darker in tone.
This sounds like the sequel we were hoping for. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor arrives on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC on March 17.
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Delta
Flying the friendly skies got a bit better for Delta Skymiles Members thanks to Delta’s longstanding partnership with T-Mobile.
Hinting at this big move coming in 2023, Delta has finally confirmed that SkyMiles Members will get free inflight Wi-Fi as part of its partnership with T-Mobile.
T-Mobile customers already enjoyed the perk of having free Wi-Fi during flights but beginning Feb.1, the program will expand to Skymile Members even if they don’t use T-Mobile as a wireless carrier.
With any “free service,” users should expect to experience some ads before they are given access to the Wi-Fi.
Not all of Delta’s flights will have free Wi-Fi; per the company’s announcement, the free service will roll out on “most” mainline domestic flights at launch, and by the end of 2023 will be available on more than 700 planes in its fleet. Delta says International and regional routes will have free Wi-Fi in 2024.
To utilize the perk, passengers need to provide their SkyMiles number, which they can get by just signing up for one. Also, according to T-Mobile SVP Kevin McLaughlin, there will be “no session limits,” and it will run on Viasat’s network, McLaughlin confirmed to The Verge.
Delta uses two Wi-Fi providers but favors Viasat as the better option due to “streaming capable speeds from pushback to park.”
Now, we need the FAA to finally admit that newer phones don’t affect flight safety, which airlines, the US regulatory agency, and airline companies are currently looking into.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Future Publishing / Getty / PlayStation 5
The days of selling your kidneys and doing strange things for a PlayStation 5 are finally over. Allegedly.
Wednesday, Jan.4, during the company’s CES presentation, Sony boss Jim Ryan declared the PlayStation 5 jig is finally over.
“Everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward,” Ryan told CES attendees.
Ryan also said that Sony sold over 30 million PlayStation 5 consoles. That’s 5 million more than what was initially reported in November.
Are those consoles sitting in gamers’ entertainment systems is another question entirely.
Acquiring a PlayStation 5 deserves a platinum trophy, as many gamers found out when the next-gen console launched in November 2020. Not until August 2022 was it a tad bit easier to find a PS5, reportedly.
Still, finding a PS5 at retail price requires patience and a bit of luck, of course. The best way to get a PS5 console without dealing with scalpers is to buy the $550 disc drive edition that either comes with Horizon Forbidden West or God of War: Ragnarok.
That’s a steep asking price if you’re budget is set on copping the $399 digital edition of the PS5 console.
Ryan thanked PlayStation fans for their “managed unprecedented demand amid global challenges over the past two years.”
What’s PS5 Stock Looking Like?
We decided to do some investigating, and we checked Best Buy. It seems bundles are in high demand and requires a Best Buy account to purchase one.
Checking Gamestop says there are limited quantities of the Horizon Forbidden West digital, physical bundle, and digital edition console.
If you want to purchase a God of War: Ragnarok bundle, you have to be a pro-member, but it does seem that it is becoming “easier” to find one.
The real test will be if you can actually walk into a Best Buy or Gamestop location and walk out with a PS5 console.
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Photo: Future Publishing / Getty
Amazon is set to lay off more than 18,000 workers, CEO Andy Jassy said in a note to employees Wednesday.
The majority of the cuts will impact staffers in the Amazon Stores and People Experience and Technology divisions, the latter of which includes teams involved in Human Resources. Impacted employees will be contacted beginning Jan. 18, though the company had already begun laying off staff in November across its devices and books businesses, which include products like Alexa, Fire TV and Kindle.
The 18,000 figure — which represents roughly 1.2 percent of Amazon’s 1.5 million global workforce, as of last September — is larger than the latest reported layoff figures at the e-commerce giant; in November, timed to the earlier round of cuts, the company was expected to cut around 10,000 roles.
“This year’s review has been more difficult given the uncertain economy and that we’ve hired rapidly over the last several years,” Jassy said in his note, which was shared publicly Wednesday evening after the Wall Street Journal first reported the updated figures. “Amazon has weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so. These changes will help us pursue our long-term opportunities with a stronger cost structure; however, I’m also optimistic that we’ll be inventive, resourceful, and scrappy in this time when we’re not hiring expansively and eliminating some roles.”
Amazon most recently reported an earnings miss for the third quarter, with net income falling from $3.1 billion to $2.9 billion year over year. The company has continued its big spending in entertainment with deals for the NFL’s Thursday Night Football, which is commanding a $1 billion yearly spend for the streaming rights, and the $465 million price tag for the first season of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Last year, Amazon also closed its costly $8.5 billion acquisition of the MGM studio.
But the tech and e-commerce behemoth is not alone in facing the negative impacts of an ongoing downturn. In November, Meta said it would lay off 11,000 staffers, or roughly 13 percent of its workforce. Earlier Wednesday, Vimeo and Salesforce announced layoffs ranging in the 10 to 11 percent range, respectively.
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Twitter
Elon Musk continues to make Twitter unbearable and annoying to use.
Twitter will begin relaxing its ban on political ads, a policy it has upheld for a long time, the company announced Tuesday, Jan. 3.
“We believe that cause-based advertising can facilitate public conversation around important topics,” the company tweeted. “Moving forward, we will align our advertising policy with that of TV and other media outlets.”
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What that now means is that lobby groups and elected officials will once again be able to flood your feeds with political ads. Twitter banned the practice in 2019, before Musk, unfortunately, took over the country.
The 2019 policy insists candidates earn political influence and do not buy it, gaining support by going on the campaign trail and genuinely gaining interest in what they had to say instead of dumping money into the platform to push their messaging.
Upon taking over Twitter, Elon Musk said his mission was to loosen the rules on what could be shared on Twitter.
So far, he has successfully unbanned problematic accounts belonging to white supremacists and sexist trolls.
At the same time, Musk has also been successful in scaring away companies using advertising dollars on the platform in fears their ads will be alongside controversial tweets.
Because of that, the company’s revenue has significantly fallen.
Twitter hopes the return of what it calls “cause-based advertising” will bring in more revenue and attract advertising.
Republicans and Democrats did not care for the policy and felt the policy affects political campaigns while blocking advocacy organizations from getting out important messaging.
It has been nothing but bad news about the social media platform since Elon Musk has taken over.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
NFTs had a wild 2022. January began with euphoric highs and a record $4.8 billion traded on OpenSea. By contrast, December ended the year with a hangover — volumes down by 95% with just $283 million traded in the month.
Still, the crypto winter hasn’t deterred musicians from embracing Web3. December saw an uptick in music NFT activity thanks to legacy artists Armin van Buuren and Styles P, as well as high-profile drops from crypto-native musicians like 3LAU and Daniel Allan. The first “billion club” NFT was released, unlocking streaming royalties in a track with more than a billion Spotify plays. Meanwhile, the independent scene continued to flourish with a seventh-straight month of rising volume on Sound.xyz – the largest platform for independent musicians.
Across the 10 biggest music NFT projects tracked by Billboard in December, sales volume was up 28% in ETH terms (751 ETH) and 23% in dollar terms ($949,781) from November. Based on analysis of sales data from 19 different NFT platforms, independent releases combined with secondary sales volume on OpenSea, here are the 10 biggest-selling music NFTs and collections in December 2022.
1/ Styles P – “The Farmacy Fantoms”Monthly trading volume: 205 ETH ($249,280 at month-end conversion rate)Primary sales: 170 ETHSecondary sales: 35 ETHDrop date: Nov. 28
The Farmacy Fantoms is a music NFT project by rapper Styles P. The collection of 6,666 animated ghost characters come with different visual traits and one of ten different tracks. In the future, holders will also get access to events and discounts on Styles P brand products.
View the collection on OpenSea.
2/ Armin van Buuren – “Armin’s All-Access (AAA)”Monthly trading volume: $210,120Primary sales: $189,448Secondary sales: 17 ETH ($20,672)Drop date: Dec. 13
Superstar DJ Armin van Buuren launched an all-access pass in December, granting NFT holders entry into a Web3 fan club community. The NFT unlocks an exclusive section of the DJ’s Discord server, as well as access to unreleased tracks, studio livestreams and exclusive events. Each NFT comes with music by the Dutch producer and 10 variations of digital artwork by Rik Oostenbroek. The duo sold 952 passes in December, at $199 each.
View the collection on OpenSea.
3/ Reo Cragun x Daniel Allan – “Criteria EP”Monthly trading volume: 138.67 ETH ($168,622)Primary sales: 94.247 ETHSecondary sales: 44.324 ETHDrop date: Dec. 15
Two of the biggest names in the independent music NFT scene teamed up to end the year with a bang. Criteria is an 8-track EP fusing electronic production from Allan and hip hop vocals from Cragun – who previously collaborated on Flume’s “Quits” EP. In December, the duo released 2,500 NFTs with a unique rarity structure. The rarest track, “Criteria,” has just 25 editions making it significantly more valuable than the most common track, “Supercharged” with 1,000 editions. “Supercharged” has a floor price of 0.056 ETH ($68) on secondary markets while the rare “Criteria” has a floor price of 3 ETH ($3,648).
Criteria was the largest ever drop on music NFT platform Sound.xyz, and despite the broader bear market in crypto, the drop sold out in approximately an hour. The collection was heavily supported by the leading music NFTs collectors, or “whales,” — many purchased more than 100 each.
View the collection on OpenSea.
4/ Violetta Zironi – “Moonshot” / “Gypsy Heart”Monthly trading volume: 59 ETH ($71,744)Primary sales: 40 ETHSecondary sales: 19 ETHDrop date: April 2022
Violetta Zironi is establishing herself as one of the most consistent independent artists in the space, appearing in this top 10 for four of the last seven months. Her debut “Moonshot” collection — featuring artwork from her father, Disney animator Giuseppe Zironi — continues to generate strong sales on OpenSea with 19.24 ETH traded in December.
Her new collection Gypsy Heart is now being rolled out to existing fans and holders through an early access mint pass. Zironi sold 500 mint passes in December (out of a total 5,000), generating 40 ETH. The project will go live to the public in January.
View the collection on OpenSea.
5/ 3LAU – “Too Late for Love”Monthly trading volume: $58,839 (48.3 ETH)Primary sales: $58,839Secondary sales: N/ADrop date: Dec. 14
Electronic producer and DJ 3LAU set records back in 2021 with an $11.6 million NFT sale. Since then, he launched the Web3 music platform Royal, allowing fans to own a percentage of streaming royalties in tracks by The Chainsmokers, Diplo and others.
In December, 3LAU released his first single of the year, and his first NFT drop since 2021, “Too Late for Love.” Released via his platform Royal, the producer sold 330 gold tokens, each representing 0.1165% of streaming royalties in the track, and three diamond tokens, each granting 3.8488% of streaming royalties as well as backstage access to 3LAU events for life.
6/ Offset and Metro Boomin – “Rick Flare Drip”Monthly trading volume: 42 ETH ($51,072)Primary sales: 39 ETHSecondary sales: 3 ETHDrop date: Dec. 1
The first ever NFT from Spotify’s “Billions Club.” “Rick Flare Drip” has more than 1 billion streams on Spotify, and now fans can own a small piece of the future streaming revenue. The royalties were unlocked through a partnership with Bijan Amir — one of the producers on the track. “This is my first foray into Web3 and crypto,” said Amir. “I wanted to do something meaningful when I did. I love the idea of fans getting a share of my rights, instead of me selling a share of my masters to some investor.” The NFTs were sold via Anotherblock, a Web3 platform that sells streaming royalties in some of the world’s biggest tracks.
View the collection on OpenSea.
7/ KINGSHIP – “Key Cards”Monthly trading volume: 25 ETH ($30,400)Primary sales (in Dec): N/ASecondary sales: 25 ETHDrop date: May 2022
The Bored Ape supergroup secured its seventh-straight month in this top 10 thanks to consistent sales on secondary markets like OpenSea. In December, the group began teasing video footage from the studio where producers Hit-Boy and James Fauntleroy are currently working on the band’s music.
View the collection on OpenSea.
8/ Rae Isla – “Rocks”Monthly trading volume: 23 ETH ($24,320)Primary sales (in Dec): 20 ETHSecondary sales: 3 ETHDrop date: Nov. 28
Independent singer-songwriter Rae Isla was featured in November after selling the first 600 NFTs from her “Rocks” project — a collection of 1,000 NFTs made up of four tracks, each with different rarities and artwork released through Nifty Music — a music NFT accelerator. Isla returned to the top ten in December after selling the remaining 400 and capturing a further 3 ETH in secondary sales on OpenSea.
View the collection on OpenSea.
9/ WVRPS by WarpsoundMonthly trading volume: 20 ETH ($24,320)Primary sales (in Dec): N/ASecondary sales: 20 ETHDrop date: January 2022
WVRPSound is the biggest music NFT project ever in terms of trading volume. Since launching in January last year, the collection of AI-generated music and animated characters have earned more than 6,000 ETH in volume (approximately $7.3 million). In December, the project gave away an album of AI music to holders which triggered a fresh wave of trading activity.
WVRPSound also announced a tool for artists to create multitrack NFT albums. Now, an entire album can be minted as an NFT with interactive buttons to skip tracks. It sounds simple, but this hasn’t been done before at scale. Until now the only other example was an early experiment by an indie band called Talk Time. WRVPSound made the technology open source for anyone to use.
View the collection on OpenSea.
10/ Sammy Arriaga – “Pixelated”Monthly trading volume: 17 ETH ($20,672)Primary sales (in Dec): N/ASecondary sales: 17 ETHDrop date: June 2022
Bringing country to crypto, Sammy Arriaga is a singer-songwriter that launched an NFT project called “Pixelated” back in June. Based around 12 different versions of one song, Pixelated is a collection of 4,000 NFTs, each with a unique pixelated profile picture which Arriaga’s fans use across their social media accounts. The Pixelated project has enjoyed steady volume on secondary markets like OpenSea since the launch, but volume picked up in November and December.
View the collection on OpenSea.
Methodology: The chart was compiled using data from primary music NFT sales across 19 different NFT platforms, independent releases and combined with secondary volume data from OpenSea. Data was captured between Dec. 1 – Dec. 31, 2022. Conversion rates from crypto to US dollars were calculated on Dec. 31.
Disclosure: The author owns music NFTs from Reo Cragun and Daniel Allan, however, the above list is based purely on sales data.
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Source: Burberry / Minecraft
Consider the lines between digital and physical to be blurred thanks to this new collaboration between icon British luxury brand Burberry and the insanely popular videogame Minecraft.
Burberry and Minecraft have teamed up for a new capsule collection available on Burberry’s website and in select retailers.
Gamers will also get to show off their self-expression with in-game items also.
Source: Burberry / Minecraft
The collection includes signature pieces like the iconic trench coat, hoodies, and other accessories that feature Minecraft-inspired prints.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Minecraft to bring the Burberry brand story to life in such an immersive way,” said Phillip Hennche, Director of Channel Innovation at Burberry. “With a shared belief in adventure, community, and the power of creativity to open spaces, the natural synergy between both of our brands has allowed us to connect our respective worlds in a way that is unexpected and yet entirely natural. By coming together, we hope to connect communities and inspire our consumers with a whole new way to experience our brand.”
“We are excited to announce Minecraft’s first luxury goods collaboration with one of the most iconic fashion brands in the world, Burberry. Our capsule collection and exclusive in-game content bridges the digital and physical worlds through a celebration of adventure, exploration, and self-expression,” says Kayleen Walters, Head of Franchise Development at Mojang Studios. “Through our partnership, we will bring the joy of gaming to the world of luxury fashion and introduce new audiences to the endless creative possibilities within Minecraft.”
Source: Burberry / Minecraft
Minecraft Players Can Also Download Free Burberry-Inspired In-Game Content
The collaboration doesn’t end with real-world and virtual clothing. Minecraft players can also embark on a Burberry-inspired adventure as well.
“Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond” will encourage players to “complete various outdoor challenges and interact with the animal kingdom.”
The new content also reflects the fashion brand and Minecraft’s appreciation of the wonder of nature. Both entities teamed up to protect naturescapes for the explorers of tomorrow.
Burberry and Minecraft will donate “to help protect 500,000 trees and plant 25,000 trees through environmental organization Conservation International and their forest conservation efforts around the world.”
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Photo: Burberry / Minecraft