Welcome to wtf is…, a new series on the blog. With so many platforms, companies, communities, & more popping up every day — just within the web3 music space alone! — I’ve decided to start a new series here where I do a little deep dive into one of the above every so often. This week, a certain platform’s bold moves and clear vision made it a clear choice to cover for the blog!

wtf is… Glass?

Welcome to the i-wave pages, Glass! Glass isn’t exactly new on the block, which is partly what makes their recent announcements so exciting. We’ve already seen a lot of web3 music platforms come & go; the web3 platform landscape is not a kind one, which makes evolution and innovation essential for staying power. I’m featuring Glass this week because they’re showing that they got it!

So wtf is Glass? In their words, it’s “the home of video NFTs” — “where videos are valued for what they’re worth.” What I love about this mission is how it can appeal to audiences beyond web3; I think we can all agree that dropping videos on Youtube for free after countless hours of work feels discouraging af. 

First Impressions: 

Glass has been around for a little while now, but it feels to me like they’re really hitting their stride now after searching for their footing for the last few months. A visit to glass.xyz is aesthetically smooth, clear on messaging, and informative without being overwhelmingly stat-filled.

Featured videos — both upcoming and the latest — are organized neatly with their credits & specs (price, # of NFTs available) displayed clearly. Videos also come with a preview. The overall look & feel of Glass gets an A+ for catering to web3 users of all levels.

What do they do?:

Glass provides a platform where people can use their crypto to say, hey, I support this artist/filmmaker’s work by buying a moderately priced NFT (I’m seeing NFTs on there priced at like $17-18! I have that!).

In my view, Glass is kind of like an affordable, web3-powered video platform tip jar that celebrates great work in video, which I can get behind as both an artist and a fan.

If you need a more formal introduction, check out this quick explainer video (that you can also buy as an NFT, of course) from Glass community manager + web3 star Jamee Cornelia (they/them)! More on them later.

What’s new with them?: 

One big development is that they switched from Ethereum to the Solana blockchain. They lay out their reasons for the switch in this thread, pointing to cost, speed, and UX as obstacles that users kept hitting with Ethereum. When we’re talking about on-boarding more people into crypto, UX is a big deal, and I wonder if we’ll see other web3 platforms start to move away from Ethereum to Solana or other more user-friendly blockchains. Kudos to Glass for leading the way on moving to a blockchain with a brighter, less self-serious culture; I think we need more of that in web3.

There’s one more important development to discuss here, and that is the addition of the multi-talented and wonderful Jamee Cornelia to the Glass team as a community manager! Jamee works in many mediums, including video, animation, and of course, music (the combination of all of these things is where they really shine). This partnership of sorts feels intentional and advantageous to both parties, which goes a long way for the brand’s overall reputation & feel. If Jamee’s there, I’m checking it out.

A tweet that speaks to who they are: 

lol. I JUST FEEL LIKE Glass is the platform I would like to have a beer with, you know? 😝 (That’s a joke about how people pick their preference for president in the United States of America but also, I would indeed like to have a beer with Glass.) 

Closing Thoughts:

Glass emerges as the first major web3 music/video platform that is serious about on-boarding the masses with affordability, top notch user experience, and a relatable team & energy. A quick look at the website and their Twitter shows that units are moving; this approach is working, and that’s exciting for artists AND their fans/supporters! 

One more thing: anyone can submit their video to Glass for consideration to be featured on their page. That feels fairer and more open to artists of all kinds vs. the OGs-recruit-someone-you-know trend happening with other big web3 music platforms. Shoutout to all of my fellow sound/Catalog/etc. rejects; maybe we’ll get rejected here too, but at least it seems like have a shot! 

xo C