The Music Industry in China: Analyzing Consumption, Marketing, and Historical Trends

The project completed for my culminating experience was a research paper covering the music industry in China. My paper is an effort to provide a greater understanding of the country and how music is consumed and marketed. It starts with a literature review, which looks at historical realities in the country, first being the development of piracy in the country. Unlike the US, who views piracy as a digital issue, China has had problems with piracy going back to the 90’s, with illegal CD’s being sold on the black market. The paper also outlines methods of government censorship, in the form of social media control and festival closures. I also analyze how Western countries have influenced the music, through the opening of China’s borders, and through sovereign regions within China including Hong Kong and Taiwan. The second half of my paper outlines social media networks and habits. Platforms are analyzed individually by users, content, and trends to produce best practices and methods for success. Streaming services are also considered to measure current usage and provide an overview of the music technology market. Branding and sponsorships are briefly covered as an important method of raising money and awareness for artists and companies. Lastly, I discuss areas for growth and untapped markets within China, which include crowdfunding, and increasing merchandise and value added sales.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-global-entertainment-business/1046/thumbnail.jp