Now NATURE is officially an artist

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Two minutes

The greatest artist of all time has never been credited for her work. Until now.

Our planet’s staggering biodiversity is in crisis. Wildlife populations have declined by an average 69% in the past 50 years, and an estimated 1.2 million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction. Over two-thirds of Earth’s land and marine environments have significantly deteriorated as a result of human activity.

So far, we’ve failed to address the root cause of the biodiversity crisis. Our economic model doesn’t value nature adequately, instead treating it as a resource to be exploited or a place to dump waste. How might we prompt millions of people to re-evaluate nature’s contribution? At the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live, we think this requires meeting people where they are — in this case, via their phones and the music they love.

On 18 April 2024, the Sounds Right partnership launched NATURE as an official artist on all major streaming platforms. By listening, fans will direct royalties to conservation and restoration projects. It’s an action that we hope will instil a sense of agency in our collective efforts to protect the planet, helping ignite a new era of environmental stewardship.

We launched with 15 tracks that feature sounds from the natural world. Ellie Goulding’s ‘Brightest Blue – Nature Remix’ uses sounds from the lush rainforests of Colombia, from speckled chachalacas in Caquetá to the birdsong of Amazonian oropendolas. Brian Eno brings a visceral aspect to his David Bowie collaboration ‘Get Real’, with the harsh cries of hyenas, rooks and wild pigs, while Cosmo Sheldrake’s ‘Soil’ is a homage to subterranean ecosystems. Participating artists are not only ensuring at least 50% of recording royalties go to conservation projects, but also shining a light on the beauty and vulnerability of critical ecosystems.

NATURE now also has over 80 ambient nature tracks — her solo music, if you will — ranging from a Queensland rainstorm to sounds of Patagonian sea swells. These soundscapes will help listeners unwind and connect to the natural world. 

We’ve been blown away by NATURE’s reception. Her tracks have been streamed over 40 million times, a significant step towards generating a projected $40m in royalties for conservation over the next four years, and she’s reached six million listeners around the world. The Sounds Right launch was picked up in more than 450 news outlets, globally with a potential audience of 3.6 billion people, while global Wikipedia searches for ‘nature’ increased eightfold in the week after launch.

Looking ahead, our aim is to make NATURE one of the highest-streaming artists in the world. We’ll be releasing new tracks featuring NATURE, as well as supporting her live performances at festivals and global environmental forums. In doing so we hope to demonstrate how the environment can be better valued in our society and set a course for other industries to follow. 

Search for NATURE on any major music streaming platform to listen to her music and take action. Follow along for updates on Instagram @soundsright.earth

Gabriel Smales is Global Programme Director for Sounds Right at the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live.

This article first appeared in RSA Journal Issue 3 2024.