DUBAI: BMW Middle East in partnership with its Dubai importer AGMC, and agency Serviceplan Middle East has released a new NFT, or non-fungible token, campaign called the “Museum of Sound.”

Electric cars are becoming more commonplace as consumers look to a sustainable future. By 2023, BMW will have 25 electric car models on the road, and so the car maker wanted to record and archive the sound of the BMW M engines in its latest campaign.

“A BMW M engine sound is something so unique that fans all over the world get goosebumps whenever they hear its roar,” said Andre Couto, creative director of Serviceplan Middle East, in a statement.

The campaign “came as an idea to immortalize these sounds and these feelings so future generations can appreciate these masterpieces as unique NFTs that we gave to the most valuable BMW M fans, the owners,” he added.

The 19 NFTs were recorded at the Dubai Autodrome Club circuit with the cooperation of several BMW M owners, who followed a pace car driven by racing champion Bruno Spengler so that they could match his braking and track lines, said Kenneth Barnes, senior art director, Serviceplan Middle East.

“Using external mics rigged near the exhaust, engine bay and in the cabin, we documented their rev-ups, downshifts, roars and those crackles and pops. We were particular on the timing of the recording session, as the speed of sound is affected by wind, temperature and humidity,” he said.

Barnes added: “We converted the vehicle’s audio recordings to bend the sound wave into an abstract reactive art giving a unique visual experience and these were preserved as a 1 of 1 ethically-created NFTs.” 

The Museum of Sound NFTs are available on NFT marketplace OpenSea.