Fan-made remixes go viral, but no one gets paid. Copyright takedowns kill momentum for both artists and fans. RCADE fixes that: remix songs with no music skills required and unlock new revenue opportunities. Powered by @StoryProtocol Now LIVE ↓

We’re now using these learnings to finalize a slate of upcoming projects with artists and partners, while continuing to refine the core HITBOX experience. More drops and collaborations are in motion.

HITBOX users weren’t just prompting outcomes - they were shaping them, and the results held up alongside professionally-produced remixes.

For us, this validated my main hypothesis. Even with more friction than prompt-based generative tools, people still want to actively make music when they’re given structure and real creative control.

Here's what stood out: people spent real time making creative decisions and shared work they were genuinely proud of across social platforms.

This contest also marked our official beta launch. More than 1,500 people tried the product, nearly all with no prior music production experience.

The competition was open to everyone. Stems from three songs by K-pop artist NANA were available, and remixes came in from both a.) experienced producers and b.) first-time creators using HITBOX. In total, 368 remixes were created from just those three tracks.

Last week, a HITBOX (formerly RCADE) user placed third in our first-ever remix competition, hosted by @Aria_Protocol. The user had never made music before.

RCADE: November Recap ▪ @rcade_co Website Traffic •- 1.1K total users visited •- 1K new users •- 20K total events •- Top country: USA (413 users) •- India contributed 155 users ▪ In Just One Month •- 283 remixes made •- 537 stems used •- 174 creators building ▪

When building RCADE, we were heavily inspired by the nostalgic winamp skins. Although not perfect yet, we want to bring this amazing music style and vibe back to the digital creation space 🎶

Making a remix of NANA's songs on @rcade_co? To be eligible for the Aria Global Remix Contest ft. NANA, make sure: ✔️ Remixes made in RCADE are submitted through the Aria site ✔️ Sign up + upload through the contest flow = official entry. → Win from a prize pool of $15,000 →

Submit your remix to @Aria_Protocol by December 14th for a chance at a $15k prize pool, and an official label release. Link to submit:

Start by creating your own remix with stems from K-POP artist NANA at https://t.co/n9DLdsDxZy 🎵

At RCADE, we’re building alongside artists, not around them. We’ll always be an outlet for real creativity and a better way to support the artists you know and love. This is the next chapter of fan-powered music.

Fans get to create with the artists they love. Artists get a new way to grow their music through their own communities. Everyone wins because everyone contributes.

And artists stay fully in control. They choose what music to offer fans and set their own terms with programmable licensing powered by @StoryProtocol. They benefit every time a remix is created or shared. It’s collaboration, not appropriation.

That's why we built RCADE - our platform provides the middle ground people are looking for. You’re making the same kinds of decisions real artists make - choosing stems, shaping structure, adjusting timing, adding effects, building a vibe.

This reveals something deeper: people care about music's origin. They care whether the artist struggled, practiced, and poured years into their craft. They want it to matter. This defensiveness over “real art” is a positive sign. It shows people still care deeply about the value

But if a song can make fans feel something before they know how it was made, is it really “soulless”? The outrage only came after people learned it was AI.

The recent "I RUN" - Haven. moment is the perfect example. The track went viral. People loved it. Then they found out it was AI. Overnight, the tone flipped: “This is AI slop.” “This has no soul.” “This isn't art.”

97% of fans now can't tell the difference between AI-generated music and music made by humans. That's not just a stat. It's a shift in how we listen to and consume music. And it's making people uneasy.