Nature as an official artist will mean singers, songwriters and bands who use these sounds can choose to add it as a featured artist.
You can now listen to ‘Nature’ on all major music streaming platforms.
From Pink Floyd to the Beatles, natural sounds have been enhancing music forever.
A new initiative will recognise nature as an official artist meaning singers, songwriters and bands who use these sounds can choose to add it as a featured artist. Some of their profits from streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music will then be shared with environmental causes.
Revenue from tracks that feature nature will go towards supporting biodiversity protection and conservation projects as part of the Sounds Right initiative from the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live.
The artist page for nature will also have ambient recordings of environments around the world from rainforests to oceans. At least 70 per cent of the profits from these tracks will also go to fund conservation.
“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,” says Katja Iversen, chief executive of 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.”
What will the money be spent on?
UN Live hopes the project will raise $40 million (€37.5 million) within its first four years. How the fund is allocated will be overseen by an independent panel of conservation experts, rights advocates including Indigenous People and conservationists from the Global South.
Some of its current targets include forest preservation in Madagascar and efforts to prevent deep-sea mining.
Artists have also released songs in collaboration with nature to support the initiative. Brian Eno has remixed a version of his David Bowie collaboration Get Real using the cries of hyenas, rooks and wild pigs.
While Ellie Goulding has remixed her track Brightest Blue using sounds from the rainforests of Colombia, which she described as “one of the most beautiful and biodiversity-rich environments on our wonderful planet”.
