No. 39AI & Digital
NFT & Blockchain Rights
Also called NFT rights, non-fungible token, Web3 rights, blockchain licence
Who controls the right to create and sell NFTs or blockchain-based tokens tied to your recordings.
Watch closely
Ambiguous existing grants may be used to claim NFT rights; an explicit carve-out protects the artist.
- Appears in
- Recording Agreement, Licensing Agreement
- Topic
- Emerging Technology
- Jurisdiction
- United States
- Reviewed
- July 2026
In plain English
NFT rights cover the creation of non-fungible tokens linked to your recordings, digital collectibles, limited edition audio files, or access tokens. Both the master recording and the underlying composition must be licenced for an NFT involving your music. Labels with broad rights language may argue existing grants cover NFT creation.
Why it matters
NFT releases can generate significant income and create direct artist-to-fan connections. A label claiming pre-existing rights cover NFTs can block you from releasing your own NFT projects or demand a share of the revenue.
Where it can land
The same clause is drafted three ways. These are the positions we see, worst first, so you can tell at a glance which one is in front of you.
- Broad 'all technologies hereafter devised' language that label uses to claim NFT rights
- Label can mint NFTs featuring your recordings without your approval
- No revenue sharing if label releases NFTs tied to your catalogue
- NFT rights not addressed, ambiguity benefits the party with better lawyers
- Joint approval required but no defined process or timeline
- Explicit carve-out reserving NFT rights to the artist
- Label NFT releases require artist co-approval and defined revenue split
The language
The drafting language and the negotiation moves for this clause are part of the workspace.
You have read what the clause means and where the risk sits. The rest is the side-by-side of how it reads when it is against you and when it is not, plus the specific moves that get it there.