The NFC chip in a frame: how it works

Diagram of the NFC chip set into the back of the frame and the phone held up to it

Every framed print has a built-in NFC chip. Tap your phone against it and the album starts playing in your music app. Here is what sits behind that.

What an NFC chip is

An antenna and a tiny memory, with no battery. It does not switch on, does not need charging and does not wear out: your phone's magnetic field powers it for the time it takes to read, exactly like a transit pass or a contactless payment.

Where it sits

Inside the frame, on the right, level with the artist's name. It is invisible and changes neither the print nor the framing.

What it does

It holds a link to the album. Your phone reads it and opens your usual music app. No app to install, no QR code to line up, no account to create with us.

What it does not do

It stores no music and does not replace your subscription: it opens the album wherever you already listen. It collects nothing either, since it is a passive chip that simply returns the same link every time it is read.

Compatibility

Almost every smartphone has read NFC natively for several years now. On iPhone, just bring the top of the device close. On Android, NFC has to be switched on in the settings, which it is by default on most models.