South Korea’s entertainment platform Z-POP Dream Project is tapping into blockchain technology to discover the next K-pop, or Korean popular music, superstar talent and develop new infrastructure in the popular music scene.
A report by Korea Herald said Z-POP Dream CEO Jun Kang seeks to establish a global entertainment ecosystem based on the emerging technology to discover new talents to manage and create a niche in the $46 billion global music industry. Jun was instrumental in creating Z-POP Dream.
“With our outstanding team of industry veterans and proven track record, breaching the global music stage will no longer be just a pipe dream for local artists aspiring to showcase their talent to the world,” he was quoted as saying.
The report said the company would use the Ethereum blockchain to allow K-pop followers to cast a vote for their favorite entertainers. The fans will have the opportunity to participate in the audition and award ceremonies, the company said, making the whole process more transparent with the use of blockchain.
Kang said the project would ultimately discover and cultivate the skills of the talent while giving fans the opportunity not only to support their favorite talent but ensure that they reach global stardom.
He said Z-POP had identified several "Star Creation" platforms that will see Z-POP Dream Audition in at least ten Asian countries. These are Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The audition platform would also include “Star Academies,” he added.
With the global format of the talent search, Kang said the talents would have the opportunity to present their skills on the worldwide stage.
The company’s website claimed to have created a list of K-pop acts that have achieved global fans, including 2NE1, Big Bank, Boa, BTS, EXO, Girls’ Generation, PSY, TVXQ, and WannaOne.
To jumpstart the program, Kang has entered into a partnership with the Philippines' state-owned TV broadcast station People’s Television Network Inc., and Viva Entertainment Inc.
Z-POP is not the first entertainment group to tap the potentials of blockchain to tap the entertainment industry.
In January, an all-girl pop band group called Kasotsouka Shojo, “Virtual Currency Girls” officially launched in Japan. Each of the eight members of the band represents different cryptocurrencies comprised of NEM, eBitcoinCash, Monacoin, Bitcoin, Cardano, Ethereum, NEO, and Ripple.
