Animoca Brands-backed KOR Protocol unveils new decentralized music platform

KOR Protocol, an Animoca Brands-backed startup looking to shake up the entertainment industry, has unveiled a new streaming service called KOR Player. DJs including Joel Zimmerman (better known as deadmau5), Plastkman, Inder Phull, Ben Turner and Dean Wilson have joined as early backers.

The KOR Player enables users to play and remix music using a suite of tools, including a “sound library” vault for intellectual property where artists upload samples. It also integrates artificial intelligence to authenticate the provenance of music and pay out royalties in crypto.

KOR “aims to tackle a gray area around music copyright laws and the use of unlicensed IP in video games, live-streams, esports broadcasts and other channels which draw a large audience, whilst giving artists and labels new distribution channels to reach fans and monetize their work,” according to a press release.

The startup claims to have 550,000 user signups and counts Japanese telecommunications giant KDDI as an early supporter.

Animoca Brands previously invested in Yuga Labs, Axie Infinity, Polygon, Consensys and Magic Eden, among hundreds of other startups.