Site Defends Selling Music As NFTs Without The Artists' Permission

thegamer.com:

NFTs were billed as a way for artists to take control of their work, and continuously make money from it. However, as we've seen in recent months, creators aren't really being given a choice as to whether this is a trend they want to get involved with. Art theft is rampant in the NFT space, with pieces often being sold via sites like OpenSea without the artists' knowledge. And now, musicians aren't safe either.

The website HitPiece has come under fire for listing entire albums for sale as NFTs without the artist's knowledge or permission. Despite being called out by the very creators the site claims to help, HitPiece has issued a statement defending the practice, saying that the musicians would still receive payment for the NFT sales on the platform.

Related: The Backlash Against Ubisoft’s NFT Plans Isn’t Misguided, But Necessary

As of yesterday, HitPiece was still allowing users to buy tracks and albums as NFTs, despite artists on Twitter calling them out and making it clear they did not consent to their work being used in this way. However, HitPiece has now ceased trading, leaving behind the message: "We started the conversation and we’re listening."

HitPiece also issued a statement on Twitter, although there was no apology issued to the artists affected.

"Clearly we have struck a nerve and are very eager to create the ideal experience for music fans" the tweet reads. "To be clear, artists get paid when digital goods are sold on HitPiece. Like all beta products, we are continuing to listen to all user feedback and are committed to evolving the product to fit the needs of the artists, labels, and fans alike."

HitPiece has claimed in correspondence with frustrated artists that tracks were sold as NFTs on the site with