The Brag Media is set to release a limited edition NFT of its first-ever Rolling Stone Australia cover next week, featuring homegrown global superstar Tones And I.
It comes amid a big week for the singer-songwriter, who releases her debut album – Welcome To The Madhouse – Friday, July 16.
The initiative marks the first time in the masthead’s global 53-year history that a cover has been released as a NFT, with a limited release priced at $230 each, and available from July 19 at 12:00pm AEST. The sale will end 24-hours later, closing at 12:00pm AEST on July 20.
Those lucky enough to get hold of one of 350 NFT collectable bundles, priced at $250, will also receive a physical copy of Rolling Stone Australia’s debut (and sold out) issue signed and numbered by Tones And I, and an exclusive cassette of her debut album.
“It’s an absolute honour to be the first artist in the world to have a Rolling Stone Australia magazine cover released as a NFT,” Tones And I said, ahead of Friday’s album release.
The 350 collectors to secure one of the bundles will also get their names etched in history, with all willing NFT buyers to feature in an upcoming issue of Rolling Stone Australia in a double-page spread designed by the magazine’s Australian creative director, Katie Taylor.
In an Australian first, all sales of the Tones And I x Rolling Stone Australia bundle via thebrag.com’s new NFT Store – built in partnership with Origin – will be ARIA Charts accredited.
The Brag Media’s chief executive officer, Luke Girgis, said the NFT release presents a groundbreaking opportunity to further its mission in supporting Australian artists.
“We know that being featured on the cover of Rolling Stone is a monumental moment for artists, and it was no different for Tones And I who was picked by The Brag Media’s managing editor, Poppy Reid, to feature on the cover of our first issue last May,” Girgis said.
“By minting an exclusive NFT of this cover to celebrate the issue and create a one of a kind collectable for the NFT community, we also have an opportunity to – hopefully – help Tones And I achieve the first-ever #1 ARIA album sold as a NFT on our new store.”
Annabelle Herd, chief executive officer at the Australian Recording Industry Association, said ARIA is very proud to continue to evolve the way music sales are recorded, ensuring that Aussie artists and their successes are well documented and celebrated – as they should be.
“It’s no surprise to see a forward-thinking step like this taken by a brand as iconic as Rolling Stone Australia, allowing fans to further engage with the artists they love. Congratulations to Tones And I and The Brag Media for making it happen,” Herd said.
The Brag Media has also presented Tones And I with its first Rolling Stone diamond ring at a special event at Sony Music, a new initiative where every person featured on the cover of Rolling Stone Australia receives their very own diamond ring to mark the occasion.
Tones And I with her Rolling Stone ring, featuring 241 round black diamonds
The Tones And I x Rolling Stone Australia NFT’s, along with the 350 collectable bundles, will go on sale at 12:00pm AEST on Wednesday, July 19 on thebrag.com’s new NFT Store.
The Brag Media chose Origin, an NFT platform using Ethereum blockchain technology, to power the new store. Its co-founder, Matthew Liu, welcomed the partnership.
“We’re very excited that Rolling Stone Australia, an iconic media brand with global recognition and over 40 years of history influencing music culture, is entering the NFT space with the Tones And I NFT release,” Liu said.
“NFTs enable creators to engage and interact with fans and collectors at a new, deeper level. This launch is another example of traditional media and music converging with the best of blockchain technology.”
Earlier this year, Rolling Stone Australia expanded its brand with the inaugural Sailor Jerry Rolling Stone Australia Awards, and, according to new Roy Morgan data on the national magazine market, Rolling Stone Australia bagged 152,000 readers in the year to March 2021, ahead of staple Australian mastheads Golf Digest, Family Circle and Men’s Fitness.