The .MUSIC registry has announced the launch of the top-level .music domain name and its verified MusicID.
Members of the music industry can now register .music domains on a first come, first serve basis. The domain is designed to provide verified digital identities for music artists, creators, songwriters, industry professionals, organizations, and brands.
The registration and use of .music domains is exclusive to verified members of the global music community. The move comes as the industry is concerned about non-consensual AI deep fakes, voice cloning, and the unauthorized use of the music community’s intellectual property. In that soup, the .music domain could fans easily identify music or content created by real authenticated humans.
“For the first time in music history, the global music industry will be able to register their unique .music name and verified digital music identity,” Constantine Roussos, CEO of .MUSIC told Digital Music News. “The .music domain and its connected MusicID will provide a trusted, secure, and authentic music-centric internet where the global music community can safely connect, engage, transact, and thrive.”
“The .music launch marks a pivotal moment for the music industry to reclaim control of their digital footprint,” adds Marina Roussou, Executive Director of id.MUSIC, the exclusive music identity provider for .MUSIC. “By offering verified MusicIDs, we are giving the global music community the ability to secure their digital identity, protect their creative works, and ensure that their presence online is authentic and safeguarded from impersonation, fraud, and AI misuse.”
id.MUSIC is the exclusive music identity provider (IDP) for the .MUSIC top-level domain name. It provides verified .music domain names and global MusicID that protects music name, image, likeness, and voice intellectual property rights. The company says that by mandating identity verification for .music registrants, all .music digital music identities are protected from impersonators, fraudsters, AI clones, bots, and cyber squatters.
The .MUSIC initiative is supported by a substantial international music coalition. According to an estimate from .MUSIC, this coalition represents over 95% of global music consumed.
“As a domain for the global music community, available only to verified artists, companies and organizations active in the music ecosystem, .MUSIC will be a valuable tool, strengthening trust and assuring authenticity,” adds Victoria Oakley, the CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). “IFPI have been longstanding supporters of this initiative.”
“The .MUSIC domain is launching at a vital time for the music industry. The NMPA applauds this ambitious initiative and the protections it offers creators who face evolving threats to authenticity from AI,” says David Israelite, President and CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) representing American music publishers and their songwriting partners.
“The Recording Academy is thrilled to continue our support of the .MUSIC initiative, especially during a time of such immense evolution of our industry where it has never been more important to protect human creativity. From its inception, the project has sought to provide a safe and reliable digital domain for music creators, and it will foster more trust and security for our entire music ecosystem,” says Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy.
“A2IM has supported the .MUSIC initiative from the outset, and we’re thrilled to see it become a reality. This domain fosters trust, connection, and reliability within the global music community. It will create a safe, innovative ecosystem that benefits artists, labels, and music consumers alike, fulfilling our shared vision for a stronger, more unified industry,” says Dr. Richard James Burgess, the President and CEO of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) representing the collective voice of independent music.
