In 2026, the volume of music being created is staggering. The next platinum single could emerge from anywhere, and A&R teams are under increasing pressure to discover, evaluate, and move on opportunities quickly. Traditional demo pipelines built around emails, private links, and scattered messages were never designed for this pace.

Designed by the Audius team, Crate is a purpose-built A&R workspace that transforms demo submission and review into a structured, high-signal workflow.

Out of the box, Crate gives label teams the tools they need to triage music quickly:

Timestamped feedback with voice note support

Release-ready preparation for instant distribution to Audius and other streaming platforms

But the most powerful part of Crate isn’t just the workflow.

It’s what’s underneath it: The Open Audio Protocol.

Alongside the launch of Crate, we’re introducing a new capability on the 

This feature allows developers and platforms to publish music to the network while 

cryptographically controlling how and where it can be accessed

The Audius product has experimented with many forms of cryptographic access control in the past, gating music by:

These systems worked well for specific use cases, but one lesson became clear along the way:

Trying to design a protocol interface for every possible access rule isn’t scalable. What if an artist wants their single only streamable during a live promotion event? What if an artist wants to geofence where a song can be streamed? What if an artist wants fans to complete challenges to unlock pieces of an album?

Instead, the Open Audio Protocol takes a 

Rather than defining every rule on-chain, developers can program their own access logic externally while still using the protocol for distribution, indexing, and rights management.

With Programmable Distribution, a track’s metadata transaction can include access authorities: cryptographic addresses authorized to approve playback.

When streaming requests are made, validator nodes in the decentralized network verify that the request includes a valid signature from one of these authorities before serving the audio.

entity_type: track
action: create
signer: 0x885ba66083D1ef52d5Caa8bDFFE7b66f4C21E272

{
“access_authorities”: [
“0xEC8babb083D1ef52d3Cbb8b211E7b66f4C21E242”
],
“data”: {
“title”: “Latch ft. Sam Smith”,
“owner_id”: 117827
}
}

When a track is uploaded with an access authority, the network will only stream that track if the request is signed by an authorized key.

This creates a flexible architecture where platforms can build custom access rules without modifying the protocol itself.

 and labels using Crate, the platform holds the signing keys that act as access authorities.

Tracks are uploaded to the Open Audio Protocol
Streaming access is restricted to Crate via the authority key

A&R teams can listen, review, and collaborate inside the platform

Crate doesn’t need to operate its own storage or streaming infrastructure

All submissions live within an open music graph

Artists maintain a clear path to release if a track is signed

From there, labels and artists have multiple options:

If a track is archived or saved for later

Artists can remove the access authority and publish the track directly to Audius or any platform streaming from the protocol.

The label can update the track, re-program and release it directly through the label’s address on the Open Audio Protocol or other account as they see fit.

Crate represents a new model for how music discovery and signing can work in an era of massive creative output.

Instead of fragmented inboxes and private links, A&R teams get a structured pipeline. Instead of siloed platforms, artists publish to an open protocol with programmable rights and distribution. And instead of slow, manual workflows, labels can move at the speed modern music culture demands.

We’re incredibly excited to see platforms like Crate emerge. And this is only the beginning of what developers can build on the 

docs.openaudio.org/tutorials/gate-release-access

Powering Friends & Family, Disclosure’s New Record Label

The Solana Graveyard Hackathon brought together builders from across the ecosystem to experiment with new ideas, ship fast, and push the boundaries of what can be built on Solana.

For the Audius and Open Audio Protocol track, the response from developers was incredible. Over the course of the hackathon, 37 teams submitted projects exploring everything from listening parties and remix collaboration to music discovery engines, funding platforms, and creator monetization tools.

Choosing winners was not easy. The quality and creativity of submissions showed just how much potential there is when developers build on an open music ecosystem.

Below is a roundup of the winners and honorable mentions from the Audius track.

 takes the idea of a listening party and elevates it into a fully interactive experience.

Shared music playback powered by the Audius catalog

The result is a sleek environment where communities can gather, listen, and react together in real time.

 connects the world of music with online gaming by enabling live concerts inside Roblox powered by Audius and Open Audio.

This project shows the potential for music distribution to expand into interactive environments where fans can experience performances inside virtual worlds.

🎟 Special Prize — Best Music x Ticketing

 and Audius recognized the best project combining music and ticketing.

 and team, AfterShow reimagines the value of concert tickets after the event is over.

Instead of a ticket being a disposable artifact, AfterShow turns it into a persistent digital collectible and access pass, unlocking experiences even after the show ends.

The project demonstrates how blockchain and open music infrastructure can transform ticketing into an ongoing relationship between artists and fans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsgo4GTchn4

While only two projects could take the top prizes, many more teams built impressive tools and experiments during the hackathon. Each of the following projects received 500 $AUDIO in recognition of their work.

 - A discovery tool that scans the Audius catalog for early music alpha, helping listeners find tracks before they break.

 - A music scanner combined with a party room experience and artist coins, blending discovery and social listening.

 - A collaboration platform designed to help artists find remix partners on Audius.

 - A discovery engine for surfacing hidden gems in the catalog before they go mainstream.

 - A fan-backed music investment platform built on Solana where listeners can support artists financially.

, cka_tech, and Aslimeow - A zero-UI voice monetization layer designed to give Audius artists new ways to engage and monetize their audiences.

 - A music funding platform where artists can propose projects, fans invest, and revenue is shared in real time.

 - A creator-first blockchain ecosystem supporting music, video, art, and fan engagement.

 - A Discord bot that automatically posts a new song from the Audius catalog to your community every day.

 - An onchain social graph that rewards engagement while helping users discover trending tracks.

What stood out across the submissions was the diversity of ideas developers explored on top of the Open Audio ecosystem:

This range shows the power of an open music catalog and programmable music infrastructure. When the underlying data and media are accessible, developers can experiment freely and build entirely new music experiences.

And judging by the submissions from this hackathon, builders are just getting started.

Cointelegraph Chain Reaction x Audius - Theme Song Contest

‍Cointelegraph Presents

The 'Chain Reaction' Theme Song Contest

Powered by Audius

Cointelegraph’s daily X show 'Chain Reaction' is looking for its sound! Create an original track to be the official theme song for the show. This track will be heard at the start and end of each episode!

How to Enter

Prizes

The Rules

Fine Print

More Stories

Powering Friends & Family, Disclosure’s New Record Label

Graveyard Hackathon Recap: The Audius & Open Audio Track