In the early 2000s, you could hardly move for online and TV talent searches. It felt like every label, every broadcaster, every brand and every mobile operator wanted to be the next Brian Epstein finding the next Beatles.

As we can see from the list of global stars unearthed in that era who continue to release multi-platinum records and play stadium-level shows today, longevity was not really a byproduct of the format.

The World’s Biggest Demo Drop, which Spinnin’ Records (part of Warner Music Group) has been running for 20 years, is a different animal, however. It is a tried and tested A&R route for the dance label and its latest evolution is to parlay the brand into the virtual and Web3 spaces.

Spinnin’ is partnering with The Sandbox (no relation – it’s the virtual gaming world) to take the demo drop (virtually) live. It is essentially an extension of the real-world demo drop at Amsterdam Dance Event, where acts and producers give feedback on the demos of aspiring DJs, with the winners getting an official Spinnin’ Records or Musical Freedom release.

The Sandbox virtual demo drop ran from 26th January to 8th February and this year Tiësto was an official jury member and Mike Williams was the event’s official ambassador.

During the virtual event, the winning DJs will have their music showcased and they can appear as NPCs (non-playable characters) within the event.

Beyond the winning tracks getting an official release, they will also be turned into NFT products (what shape these NFTs will take is currently unclear) in collaboration with LGND Music.

It is an interesting evolution of a real-world event to locate it within a virtual space. Given it has been running for two decades, it needs to find new ways to connect with new (read: younger) audiences. Twenty years is several generations in dance music and old techniques are anathema to younger audiences. The lesson here would seem to be: evolve or lie spinnin’ in your grave.