🎙️ Guest: Zaal, Founder of The ZAO
🕒 Duration: ~47 minutes
Episode Overview
In this episode of Token for Your Thoughts, host Lindsey McConaghy sits down with Zaal, the founder of The ZAO - a Web3 music collective helping artists reclaim their ownership, data, and creative freedom.
Zaal shares how supporting a friend’s music career turned into a mission to empower independent artists through Web3. From building decentralized tools to throwing real-world music festivals like ZAO-PALOOZA and ZAO-CHELLA, Zaal is creating a new kind of platform: community-owned, open-source, and focused on long-term impact, not viral moments.
Whether you’re an artist, builder, or just Web3-curious, this conversation dives into:
• Why most labels take 70% or more, and how The ZAO flips the model
• How they’re using a non-transferable, soulbound governance token to build social capital
• The power of music battles, on-chain reputation, and collaborative creation
• What it actually takes to build in Web3 as a founder
A thoughtful and inspiring look at how community, tech, and art intersect in Web3.
Where to Listen
🔹 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/623Q4XBTfJ8k9FkU67CcHg?si=6b9c279d522a4f3c
🔹 Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-the-zao-is-helping-artists-keep-their-music-data/id1799063494?i=1000701724261
🔹 YouTube → https://youtu.be/SXmdO6l4Rfg?si=p4SSeX82xEI1BFF_
Connect with Zaal & The ZAO
🌐 Website: thezao.com/nexus
🐦 X: @thezaodao | @bettercallzaal
🎧 The ZAO Artists:
JANGO UU: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5nc2dgefoPLfvsrJVx3PNz?si=I56ODVbXSiaU1vSHv4diVA
HURRIC4N3IKE :https://open.spotify.com/artist/5x3pUgROCueytLsG0Xy35H?si=mzs9X1RIRHSDuanXUbIhKg
ATTABOTTY: https://attabotty.com
CLEJAN: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6CbxzZHyeIz1Pig7giCufl?si=RFFpgb2fTxO1BRWa6Dr9KQ
Stay Connected
🔥 If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave a review and follow Token for Your Thoughts for more conversations with the people shaping crypto & Web3.
🔔 Follow us on X: @TokenThoughts_
🌐 Visit our website: tokenforyourthoughts.com
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