International artist management company YMU has appointed former music agent Brad Pophal as head of Web3 and NFT for US Music.
Based in Los Angeles, Pophal will be responsible for developing and bolstering Web3 strategies and initiatives for the company's clients through NFT, the Metaverse and other partnerships.
Pophal will also work with the company's roster of music clients, which includes 3LAU, Steve Aoki, RAC, The Glitch Mob and Travis Barker.
YMU has launched several NFT drops in 2021, and has participated in a number of auctions via established auction houses such as Sotheby’s, Phillips and Christies.
Brad Pophal said: “I first heard about Bitcoin back in 2012 and in 2017 made my first investment. Since then, I have become an avid crypto investor and passionate NFT collector and have become fascinated by the possibilities Web3 can offer artists. YMU have always been industry leaders and are true pioneers in the Web3 & NFT space. I couldn’t be happier to be joining the team to help build upon this momentum.”
Matt Colon, global president of YMU Music, said: “When our clients entered the NFT community two years ago, we were hopeful this would be a new revenue stream. We had no idea however that it would completely revolutionise our business. Now firmly established as the leading management company in the Web3 and NFT space, the needs of the business demanded that we appoint an executive to manage the deal flow and expand our opportunities. Brad brings both knowledge and experience in the traditional music space as well as a deep understanding NFT, Web3 and blockchain.”
