Both in the media and at industry events, there has been an explosion of interest in recent months in the potential impact of blockchain technology on the music industries, in particular those associated with recorded music. Yet while the debate between ‘for’ and ‘against’ camps has at times seemed black and white, it is important to remember that the blockchain is a technology rather than a particular product, and its applications are already diverse. What is called for is a critical, analytical overview. In this report, the Blockchain for Creative Industries cluster at Middlesex University highlight four areas in which blockchain technology does appear to have transformative potential for recorded music