Credit: Museum for the United Nations – UN Live
Revenue generated from streams of nature-based tracks to support biodiversity protection projects
Music fans and nature enthusiasts can now listen to 'Nature' listed as an artist on all major streaming platforms as part of a new global initiative launched by the Museum for the United Nations - UN Live - which aims to raise more than $40m for nature conservation projects.
The Sounds Right music initiative has been launched today and will see 'Nature' recognised as an official artist, where music fans can help to fund major conservation and restoration projects by listening to music from and inspired by the natural world on streaming platforms.
Listeners will be able to enjoy a series of ambient nature sounds on the new "Feat. NATURE playlist" on Spotify including ecosystem recordings from The Listening Planet and Voz Terra, where UN Live said a "significant portion" of royalties will be directed to high-impact conservation initiatives.
UN Live said project partners for Sound Right have suggested the initiative could raise as much as $40m for conservation with more than 600 million individual listeners in its first four years.
The royalties from Sounds Right will be collected by UK and US registered charity EarthPercent where they will then be distributed to biodiversity conservation and restoration projects in threatened ecosystems around the world.
Funds will be distributed under the guidance of the Sounds Right Expert Advisory Panel, a group of world-leading biologists, environmental activists, representatives of Indigenous Peoples, and experts in conservation funding.
Sounds Right has been supported by a diverse mix of global artists who have released new tracks or remixed hits to include sounds from the natural world.
Featured artists on the new stream include David Bowie x Brian Eno, Ellie Goulding, AURORA, UMI with V of BTS, Anuv Jain, MØ, London Grammar, Bomba Estéreo, Cosmo Sheldrake, Louis VI, Tom Walker, Aterciopelados, Blinky Bill, Navicula x Endah N Rhesa, and Los Amigos Invisibles.
UN Live said the goal of the initiative is to engage with fans, raise funds, and boost awareness of how we value nature, as well as to "inspire a sense of agency in our collective effort to protect the planet."
In addition to raising funds through streaming platforms, fans will also be encouraged to take follow-up actions to conserve nature, such as recording morning birdsong for biomonitoring and adopting a range of sustainable behaviours.
UN Live stressed the initiative comes at a "critical time" for nature, where wildlife populations have declined by an average of 69 per cent in the past 50 years, and at least 1.2 million plant and animal species are estimated to be at the threat of extinction.
"Popular culture, like music, has the power to engage millions and millions of people, ignite positive global change at scale, and get us all on a more sustainable path," said Katka Iversen, chief executive for the Museum for the United Nations - UN Live.
"In a world where empathy is declining and many people often feel that their actions hardly matter, Sounds Right and UN Live meet people where they already are – on their screens and in their earbuds - with stories and formats they can relate to, and actions that matter to them. Recognising nature as the valuable artist it truly is will be a game changer."
The initiative was developed by the Museum for the United Nations - UN Live in close collaboration with a coalition of partners including EarthPercent, AKQA, Hempel Foundation, Dalberg, Count Us In, VozTerra, Axum, Music Declares Emergency, Earthrise, Eleutheria Group, The Listening Planet, Biophonica, Community Arts Network, Limbo Music, LD Communications, No. 29, and Rare.
Spotify is also supporting Sounds Right through a charitable donation to the Sounds Right fund managed by EarthPercent and by promoting the campaign through its app, OOH media, and social channels.
Sounds Right has been developed in consultation with the UN Department for Communications, and is joining forces with The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, APCO, Riky Rick Foundation and AWorld x ActNow to encourage millions of music fans around the globe to recognise the value of nature and to inspire them to take action.
The tracks have been released today and can be found on the "Feat. NATURE" playlist on Spotify.
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