As the metaverse bandwagon is getting bigger, Universal Music Group is the newest to hop on. The record company has teamed up with Genies, an avatar company – in order to create digital versions of its music artists as well as non-fungible token (NFT) outfits and accessories or use within the metaverse.

Universal wants to give its artists official virtual identities that can be used to tell them apart in the virtual world.

Artists on the list include the likes of Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes both of whom already have their own avatars made by Genies.

The planned addition includes the likes of Rihanna, Migos, and others.

In the next couple of months, fans will be able to purchase and sell virtual merchandise through an NFT marketplace put together by Genies.

This isn’t Universal Music Group’s first foray into the metaverse. Last month, it announced a virtual band comprising four characters from the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection, a bit like Gorillaz.

There are other big brands that are looking to make their own impact in the metaverse – these include Adidas and Nike both of which are reportedly working on their own NFTs.

We hope to see further interesting stories about the new metaverse craze – but time will tell.