Credit card company Mastercard announced recently at NFT.NYC that it’s releasing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to help Web3 musicians access resources to boost their careers.

The Mastercard Music Pass NFT, which is free to mint and developed in coordination with Polygon, is a digital collectible that allows artists to access the Mastercard Artist Accelerator program. The accelerator provides artists with AI technology and educational tools including access to advice from Web3 mentors like artist Latashá and Ledger CXO Ian Rodgers.

Web3 musicians, fans, and enthusiasts will be able to collect these NFTs through the end of April.

Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and President of the healthcare business at Mastercard stated in the press release that providing Web3 education is a key motivator for the company’s new NFTs and accelerator program.

“As a company, we hope to help people and partners around the world better understand and trust how blockchain and digital assets are used, and how our technology can support the ecosystem. We also believe that Web3 can be a powerful tool in connecting people and building communities around shared universal passions,” he stated.

Although Mastercard has previously made moves in supporting musicians by sponsoring the Grammy Awards, Latin Grammy Awards, and Brit Awards, this is the company’s first move that combines music and NFTs. 
It’s not Mastercard’s first foray into NFTs overall: In June 2022 it began allowing cardholders to purchase NFTs with fiat through a partnership with payments infrastructure company MoonPay.