NEWM: New Artist Account Setup Assistant

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Ryan Jones

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

6

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

A NEWM Studio “Account Setup Assistant” feature guiding users through verification, wallet connection, and profile completion steps will reduce time from new artist account creation to first release.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

All development and addition to the NEWM GitHub repository made to deliver this solution will be open source similar to the existing codebase.

[METADATA] Horizons

Music

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

The development and delivery of the NEWM Studio “Artist Account Setup Assistant” feature will enable NEWM to more rapidly onboard new artists onto the platform and significantly decrease the “time-to-release” for our new users by providing a much improved user experience during the user flow immediately following new account creation. Once an account is created in NEWM Studio there are several important steps to complete an artist’s profile and account setup that must be done before he or she can distribute his first track. These include:

• Identity verification
• Wallet creation and/or connection
• Wallet fund population
• Streaming outlet artist profile information input

Currently, after an artist creates his or her profile, the product does not have a guided setup user flow enabling the artist to complete all of these critical steps in a seamless flow. Our proposed solution would be to implement a solution similar to those common across other software products with a guided flow and popup modals prompting the artist to complete these critical steps as soon as the new account has been created so that the artist can immediately begin distributing their music.

To demonstrate our impact, we will track key metrics such as the number of new artists that are onboarded utilizing the assistant and the average time between account creation and the release of a new artist’s first track, and we will also conduct continuous user research and feedback collection initiatives to identify new areas to reduce friction during the account creation and setup processes.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

The release of NEWM Studio has already initiated the process for artists to distribute and mint their music on the Cardano blockchain. Expanding our artist onboarding flow will accelerate the onboarding of new artists, significantly increasing track distribution and minting activity within the Cardano community. This growth will enhance blockchain adoption in the creative sector, attracting diverse talent and expanding Cardano’s use cases. Additionally, this streamlined onboarding process will reduce barriers for artists unfamiliar with Web3, offering an intuitive experience that lowers the learning curve. By fostering inclusivity and accessibility, we will empower a wider range of artists to participate in the decentralized music economy, driving further innovation and engagement on Cardano.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

The NEWM team has a proven track record of successfully delivering on catalyst proposals/projects and demonstrating our capability to execute with high levels of trust and accountability to the Cardano Community. 

Our commitment to transparency has strengthened our standing as an accountable team. We maintain and nurture open lines of communication through all of our community channels, and support a culture of mindful listening where community members feel heard. We also consistently share our code and development progress with the wider ecosystem, underscoring our dedication to open-source principles and community engagement. This level of openness encourages community feedback and critique, enabling continuous improvement and bolstering the reliability of our software.

We have also organized the team responsible for the delivery of this initiative and prioritized the work on our product roadmap such that required resourcing and all necessary skill sets would be available to implement immediately upon receiving project approval.

Past funded and delivered projects include, but are not limited to:

• The RecordStore 2.0 – newm.io/recordstore 
• NEWM Studio Music Distribution Platform – newm.studio 
• NEWM Marketplace 
• NEWM Music App
• Music Video Festival (annual event in collaboration with Nucast) – newm.io/musicvideofest
• Kogmios Library 

Our past successful Catalyst fund proposals, our continued achievement with adapting and bridging industry gaps and our commitment to transparent communication and code delivery provide a robust basis that ensures our ability to deliver this with trust and reliability.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Solution Research and Product Summary Documentation (1 Month)

A: Milestone Outputs:

Feasible research conducted to determine refined project timeline and general solution requirements. Product feature documentation outlining functional (UX/UI) and technical (backend/server) requirements to build the account setup assistant. This documentation will be leveraged as guidance in the next phase of UI design and the creation of the formal Product Requirements Document (PRD).

B: Acceptance Criteria:

Functional and technical overview documentation is created and made available for the project team.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion:

Feature summary document (Google Doc, PDF).

UI Design and Formal Product Requirements Document (1 Month)

A: Milestone Outputs:

Figma (or similar) UI wireframes and designs, and the feature’s Product Requirement Document (PRD), both of which will be utilized by the Product Delivery and Development teams to create development tickets and as a reference for Quality Management team members when reviewing and testing the to-be-developed feature.

B: Acceptance Criteria:

Designs and PRD are created and leverageable by Product, Development, and Quality teams for the next phase (i.e., development).

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion:

Figma files and PRD (Google Doc, PDF).

Product Development (2 Months)

A: Milestone Outputs:

GitHub repository(ies) updated and feature code developed. Feature code deployed to the staging environment and ready to test on TestNet.

B: Acceptance Criteria:

Codebase and feature deployable to TestNet environment, developed to design and specification

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion:

Codebase accessible via GitHub

Testing and Critical Bug Fixes (1 Month)

A: Milestone Outputs:

Feature QA and testing reports. Updated codebase with bug fixes and enhancements defined during the testing period.

B: Acceptance Criteria:

The codebase is tested and meets all requirements outlined in PRD and UI designs, all critical bugs have been resolved, and the feature is ready for Production/MainNet deployment.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion:

Test case documentation (Google Sheet, PDF). Bug and enhancement report (Google Doc, PDF). Video of the new artist account setup assistant (in staging environment/on TestNet) from within NEWM Studio demonstrating the feature prior to launch.

Closeout and Production Launch (1 Month)

A: Milestone Outputs:

Final close-out report.

Final closeout video.

Feature launched in NEWM Studio Production environment.

B: Acceptance Criteria:

Final close-out report.

Final closeout video.

The feature codebase is deployed to the Production/MainNet environment.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion:

Final close-out report.

Final closeout video.

NEWM Studio Release Notes (Google Doc, PDF).

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

NEWM

Role(s): Product Management, Project Delivery Management, Solution Development

Link: NEWM

Responsibilities: Oversee overall project execution from design to delivery. Create all project milestone evidence documentation and deliver proposed solutions.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Project Lead: USD 1500 x 2 Month

Project Management: USD 1000 x 4 Month

Designer: USD 2000 x 1 Month

Developer (Frontend & Backend): 4000 x 4 Months x 2

= 41,000 USD or 114,000 ADA approx at 36 Cent per ADA

By quoting the Scope and milestones in advance we are taking an obligation to fulfill our promise even if the costs are higher than the current prices and saving the community risk of unforeseen price action or higher partnership costs.

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of this project represents significant value for the Cardano ecosystem by driving increased adoption of Cardano within the creative sector. By accelerating artist onboarding and improving the user experience for those unfamiliar with Web3, this project will attract a broader range of users, leading to more minting and distribution activity. The long-term value lies in fostering a diverse, decentralized music economy that increases transaction volumes, enhances blockchain utility, and showcases Cardano’s capabilities to a global audience of artists and fans.