Introducing The Cosmic Selector: An Innovative NFT and NFC-Enabled Jukebox Experience

In the evolving landscape of digital and physical media integration, creating engaging experiences that bridge both realms has become increasingly vital. Recently, I developed an interactive web application for the acclaimed band Lord Huron, titled The Cosmic Selector, which offers fans a unique way to connect with the artist’s new music through tangible, programmable NFC coins. This project exemplifies how modern web development, 3D modeling, and NFC technology can converge to craft immersive, collectible experiences.

Concept and Inspiration

The Cosmic Selector is designed as an interactive digital jukebox accessible via a web browser. Fans who receive a specially crafted physical coin—distributed at concerts or through mail—can unlock exclusive tracks from Lord Huron’s latest album. The catch? They must scan their NFC-enabled phone against the coin to play their selected song. Once scanned, the audience present on the site can listen to the track in real time, mimicking the atmosphere of a classic jukebox in a lively bar setting.

Technical Architecture

The application is built with a modern web stack, leveraging Vue.js and Nuxt.js to ensure a smooth and responsive user experience. Hosted on Netlify, it benefits from seamless deployment and scalability.

3D Modeling & Visualization:
The visual centerpiece—an animated jukebox—was designed using Blender, bringing a stylized 3D model to life. Through Three.js, this model was integrated into the web interface, allowing for dynamic, real-time rendering directly within the browser.

Realtime Interaction & Queueing:
Real-time updates, such as song selection and playback, are managed using Pusher, enabling instant communication across users. To ensure a fair and orderly experience, a custom queue algorithm was implemented with AWS Lambda functions, handling incoming song requests and maintaining playback order effortlessly.

NFC Integration & Minting Workflow:
A core innovation of this project lies in the seamless integration of NFC technology. Utilizing the Web NFC API, I developed a streamlined process for minting unique coins. Each coin is represented as an entry in DynamoDB, storing metadata and a unique URL pointing to a specific track. During minting, the system writes this URL directly onto a NFC chip embedded within the physical coin, allowing fans to simply scan and access their personalized music selection—restricting each coin to a single play to preserve its exclusivity.

Physical Coin Design

The physical coins serve as tangible tokens of engagement—collect