We built two tools for artists:

sound.xyz - A music marketplace.
vault.fm - A platform for artists to directly reach their fans, without relying on social algorithms or paid advertising

Here’s an update on where Sound is, and why we’re building Vault.

Yes, we paid $7 million directly to artists, but we realized the missing piece was a genuine connection—both in why fans collect and how they’re reached.

The relationship between a fan and an artist shouldn’t be based solely on paid mints and speculation.

Sound didn’t get as close as we wanted to artists truly owning their audience, and their connection to fans was often still filtered through algorithms across social media and even our own Sound feed.

I’m tired of seeing artists forced to make content they don’t care about just to please algorithms that don’t serve them.

Instead, artists should be able to connect with their audience whenever they want, free of sudden algorithm changes.

I’m still bullish on collecting music, but we’re approaching it from a different order now. 

Instead of focusing solely on the minting process, we’re starting with the foundation: direct and genuine connection between artists and their fans. 

With Vault, artists will be able to sell anything—from concert tickets to music onchain—while rewarding and recognizing the fans who matter most.

If we do this right, artists will own their platform, audience and economy.

Vault fixes these problems by giving artists direct, unfiltered access to their audience via SMS. 

You get your own custom phone number and you can export the data anytime.

Artists build their own platform and own their audience.
You should make content you want to make and post to audiences you can actually reach.

We saw how Sound created powerful fan communities—fans became active supporters, not just passive listeners. 

But we also saw the downside of metrics like plays and mints, which puts unnecessary pressure on artists that ultimately distracts from the music itself.

In Vault, we remove that pressure—no plays, no likes, no metrics. Just music.

There’s something very powerful when artists are free to create without worrying about metrics.

Artists need a space where they can share music without fear of immediate judgment. 

Vault lets artists release music, photos, videos, or even voice notes from their hard drive, like they would share with a friend or manager. 

It’s intimate, safe, and pressure-free.

Lastly, more than anything, Sound taught me fans crave more than just music—they want a connection. 

The group chats and direct messages around Sound taught us that fans who feel involved will go to great lengths to support their favorite artists.

Vault brings that fan-artist relationship closer by allowing artists to text their fans individually or chat with fans in a private group chat. 

No more telegram, twitter dms or messaging your audience across 10 different platforms.

We take this a step further by giving artists tools to bring fans into the creative process, personally invite them to shows, or share any moment that matters.

With Vault, we're setting up artists to build the kind of fanbase that will support them in everything they do – from streaming to touring to collecting music. 

Fans want to feel part of your inner circle, and Vault makes it easy for you to treat them like family, not transactions.

To recap, Vault.fm was built on three core principles we learned from Sound based on what worked and what didn’t. 

1. Direct communication—reach fans via SMS with no algorithms in the way.
2. No metrics—no likes, plays, or mints to pressure artists.
3. Meaningful connection—focus on bringing fans together, so it feels personal, not transactional.

We’re currently piloting Vault with a small group of artists, but we’re working towards opening up the tools to everyone.

I haven’t stepped away from the onchain music community. 

I spent a lot of time reflecting and talking to users and realized we didn't have the right foundation in place. It was painful for me to admit but I realized in order to go two steps forward, I needed to go one step back.

For our OG artists: if you’re actively publishing onchain, sound is still your home. You can still upload your music, and build your onchain fan base.

For our OG collectors: we encourage you to keep supporting the artists you love. We’ve seen 110 ETH in volume in the last 90 days, and are excited to see the community supporting artists.

We’re in the early innings of figuring out what music on the new internet really looks like, so thanks for sticking with me as we figure this out together. 

If you want to hear more about the vision behind Vault and where music is headed, listen to my chat with the 🐐@levychain on the Mint podcast.

We’re in the early innings of figuring out what music on the new internet really looks like, so thanks for sticking with me as we figure this out together. 

If you want to hear more about the vision behind Vault and where music is headed, listen to my chat with the 🐐@levychain on the Mint podcast.

https://x.com/levychain/status/1841129913903984867

I stepped back to reflect on what worked and what didn’t with Sound.

It became clear there were core issues with how artists connect with fans and release their music that needed to be solved.

But before we continue, I want to be transparent with the community with where Sound is today. 

In a startup, focus is the difference between surviving or dying. We’re committed to keeping Sound running so artists can continue releasing their music onchain, but we are dedicating most of our time towards the Vault product to lay the foundation that we’ve been missing.

I appreciate your thoughts on this and am excited by this direction. I don't see how Vault or Sound helps artists stop relying on algorithms, though. It is still the best way to build their communities in the first place, which is table stakes for success on your platforms as far as I can tell.

awesome work @davidgreenstein - kudos on the new product

Good move getting into the fan platforms, excited to try it out :)

i like the concept of vault, but imo there should be some integration between sound and vault

if i’ve been supporting Lyrah for the last 2 years, i should be recognized by her in the app. make it so that contributors are seen in the vault