CHINA // INDUSTRY NEWS
// EDITOR’S NOTE
Hello friends! This newsletter has been quiet for a few years, partially because all news coming out of China was covid-related, and partially because I had focused my time on other projects. It’s time to change that. If you’re new here, the below are all headlines related to music and China, with original thoughts from Kyle, Groove Dynasty’s CEO. In my opinion, there isn’t a good repository for news in this area. The tech sector is well covered, as is social media as a whole. But I don’t believe either of those provide a lot of value for the music industry, as they lean either towards some quirky viral video about China, or are focused on selling a fashion brand here. If you get some value on the below, please forward it to a friend or coworker, and feel free to reply with your thoughts or comments any time.
// APPLE TO LAUNCH CLASSICAL MUSIC APP IN CHINA
The DSP market in China is crowded, in my opinion, and recently getting even more so. NetEase vs. Tencent has always been the Spotify vs. Apple Music of China. ByteDance has a new app called Luna (or “Soda Music” in Chinese for some reason), that is the Douyin (TikTok) version of a streaming platform. It’s new but is showing some promise (and making new license deals). Apple Music has been active in China for some time, but with a much smaller market share than the others. Last I heard that was about 2%, but that was a rumor from a few years ago; accurate numbers are impossible to find. I don’t expect a new, separate app, with only classical music, to move the needle in any meaningful way. But this isn’t about market share, it’s about iPhone sales. Best of luck to them.
SCMP // Can Beethoven, Bach and Mozart help iPhone sales in China? Apple to launch…
MBW // Apple Music Classical Expands To China, Japan, South Korea And More
// LIVE MUSIC UPDATE IN CHINA
I had a whole article planned about this, I’m scrapping it for now for an update here, thanks for subscribing :). Live music, if you haven’t heard, is back in China, but looking a bit different than it did before. China officially reopened in spring 2023, the more eager artists were back nearly immediately. I have a few clients who have come in 2-3 times for shows already in that time, others are scrambling for bookings. All this to mixed reviews. Booking fees are reportedly down (or were they just inflated previously?), and events are a little harder to come by. Personally, I see that as a reflection of the general economy in China rather than the music market itself, particularly in the EDM / club scene. Many venues were funded by investment, and stereotypically focused on booking expensive VIP tables rather than hard tickets for the masses. Artists’ whose fanbase is more aligned with the latter may win out on this one. In my opinion, the live music scene as a whole will be better off with these changes. Some clubs and livehouses closed during covid, and brand sponsor budgets for major events are apparently smaller also, but it’s not hard to find an event full of people any given weekend in China. Again looking at the EDM scene, we also had three major festivals return this year, with huge lineups and crowds to suit: EDC, VAC, and STORM.
My prediction for 2024 is that all of this will continue to grow. Shows and festivals will be more diverse in terms of genre and fanbase. DJs will still do fine, as will stage acts that don’t require multiple people with giant tech riders: hip-hop, solo acts, and the like. The government is making serious efforts to ease the visa process for tourists, I can only hope that the process is streamlined for artists as well. Watch this space, as they say.
// CHINESE NEW YEAR
Happy new year, again! Chinese New Year is Feb. 10th this year, and news outlets are predicting the largest human migration in history as people return to their hometowns to visit family. The New Year’s Gala is also one of the most watched events on television annually. On my side, artists who are active on social media locally (or who release on a label that is) are already in the midst of recording their well-wishes as is standard. In terms of music media around this time, big campaigns or releases are not ideal, but I expect a lot of bored youth to be glued to Douyin as they are forced to sit with their family.
// IMX SHANGHAI
In October last year, the IMX conference returned to China, with online and offline keynotes and panels covering various market sectors and companies. Their website and YouTube channel below have a ton of content if you want to dive in on more topics.
YouTube // China IMX
China IMX // China IMX Overview 2023
SPOTLIGHT // CHINESE MUSIC
This section highlights local Chinese artists, DJs, and labels.
// BIRDSTRIKING – “MOUNTAINS IN YAKUSHIMA”
From the band’s bio: “Beijing-based trio Birdstriking blend textural shoegaze with spirited, often cathartic indie rock.” I heard about them on Jake Newby’s Substack music newsletter which is also worth a follow.
Spotify // Mountains in Yakushima
Substack // Jake Newby Concrete Avalanche
