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Oct 24, 2024

Kakao Entertainment partners with China’s NetEase Cloud Music to expand K-pop’s global network

Seoul, October 24, 2024 – Kakao Entertainment is set to expand its global network for K-pop distribution, a move expected to strengthen its influence as a key player in the music scene.

On October 24, the company announced that it has forged a strategic partnership with NetEase Cloud Music, a major music streaming platform in China, to work together in bringing K-pop to a broader audience. Under this partnership, it will showcase a diverse array of songs across various genres to Chinese music fans through NetEase Cloud Music and release new songs on the platform simultaneously with Korea.

Kakao Entertainment said that the two companies began collaborating on music services in May and that the ensuing success and mutual trust have led to this new long-term partnership. This partnership will make NetEase Cloud Music the fastest music platform in China to upload Kakao Entertainment’s newly released songs. In addition to music services, the partnership will intensively drive a multitude of business endeavors in China, including K-pop-related promotional campaigns.

NetEase Cloud Music, a music streaming platform under the Chinese tech giant NetEase Group, has been leading a new music consumption trend, winning the hearts and minds of Chinese Millennials and Gen Zs with its unique services and highly personalized music recommendation system.

Kakao Entertainment possesses music assets of diverse genres and the capabilities to promote K-pop songs, while NetEase Cloud Music’s competitive edge lies in providing streaming services and conducting local marketing. By combining these, the two companies will treat more Chinese music fans to a richer world of K-pop. In particular, the platform’s focus on communication and interaction with users is projected to make Chinese fans feel even closer to K-pop songs and artists.

Building on the more reliable distribution channel for Greater China that has been enabled by the newly formed partnership, Kakao Entertainment is poised to accelerate its drive to expand its global distribution network going forward. Robust partnerships with renowned entertainment companies have allowed Kakao Entertainment to reinforce its network around the world over the last few years. The company plans to deepen its cooperation with key music platforms in China such as NetEase Cloud Music and further expand its music distribution network to different parts of the world including North America, Europe, and the Middle East, as part of its bid to solidify its position as a key player in the global K-pop scene.

“We are thrilled that we can steadily showcase Kakao Entertainment’s broad range of K-pop assets to Chinese fans,” said NetEase Cloud Music. “Through comprehensive cooperation with our new partner, we will help our users enjoy a richer array of K-pop songs.”

“This partnership with NetEase Cloud Music will allow Chinese fans to communicate with and feel closer to K-pop and its artists through a greater variety of content,” Kakao Entertainment said. “We will leverage collaborations with our international partners to strengthen the competitive edge of our global distribution channel and lead the expansion of K-pop’s global network.”

NetEase Cloud Music already has more than 200 million monthly active users in China, and has formed partnerships with various Korean music companies to consistently deliver high-quality K-pop content to Chinese listeners. Moving forward, NetEase Cloud Music plans to collaborate with music companies worldwide in areas such as music services and events, with the aim of providing an even more diverse and enriching music content experience.