Mapping China: Music - Authoritative Media & Institutions: Written Media

The official press is influential, and it is common for music companies to organize press conferences for major concerts, festivals and deals.

However, journalists get structurally underpaid, and are expected to generate part of their income by selling access to audiences—the more reputable a newspaper or magazine is, the more valuable access to it is and the less journalists that work there actually do. Journalists expect to be paid for just showing up at press conferences and launch events. Companies need to write their own texts, or hire professional music critics to do so, and then pay media platforms for distribution.

Music Magazines

Magazines are difficult business, and music magazines have it tough fighting with the internet for advertisers, despite a kiosk on every corner.

• Rolling Stone launched its Chinese version first as Rolling Stone. After two editions the Chinese company continued as Inmusic 音乐时空. After the chief editor and the publisher had a fallout, two versions were published, one focusing more on mainstream pop and one more for rock. Its impact gradually declined.

• Q Music launched its Chinese version in 2013, combining translations with original articles. Due to disappointing revenues, the focus changed to concert promotion and then it became relatively quiet.

Nowadays there are few print media dedicated to music in China. But lifestyle magazines occasionally publish specials on music related subjects that have been hugely influential.

• City Pictorial 都市画报 helped folk music become a hype, and several years later boosted the career of Taiwanese singer-songwriters in the PRC by promoting a hipster subculture around this music dubbed ‘little fresh’ or ­xiaoqingxin 小清新.
• City Magazine 号外in Hong Kong.

Entertainment News

Because specialized music media are lacking, most music-related news appears in entertainment sections of major on and offline news outlets such as Sina, Sohu, Netease, South China Group and so on.

Music Blogs and Online Magazines

English

• China Music Radar. English language Chinese music industry blog affiliated to the promotor Split Works.
• China Music Dish. English language Chinese music industry news, as a promotion for the music consultancy and tour promotion service of the company.
• F Yeah Chinese Indie, an active English blog introducing Taiwanese, Hong Kong and PRC singer-songwriters and bands to international audiences.
• Bitetone does something similar, but most of its material is in Chinese. According to their website, ‘Bitetone is an independent online music magazine focused on capturing the best sounds from the up-and-coming Hong Kong / Taiwan / PRC music scenes. Our content is presented in both the Chinese and English languages, and caters to both demographics.’

Chinese

• Musician Guide 音乐人攻略 is a Chinese language website translating news about the latests international developments, and occasionally doing their own reports, for instance a series on live houses all over China. It is part of a music ecology with the concert agenda and ticketing service You Yanchu 有演出and the music collaboration platform Hepai 合拍, all of which are owned by the company Gaia Magic盖亚魔力.
• Music Business China中国音乐财经网. Since 2014, based in Beijing. Frequent updates of industry news on the website and a weekly digital newspaper with interviews with music entrepreneurs, data about international players, mergers and so on.
• Eardrum. Predominantly consists of reviews of foreign albums for Chinese listeners. 
• 36kr is a website for technology upstarts that reports on developments in the field of music licensing, hardware and so on.
• Blow.media, part of iNDIEVOX in Taiwan. Provides frequent updates of industry news, including the latest major concerts, tips for making it in the music business, and interviews with experiences indie musicians.

Ticketing and Concert Agenda

• The PRC’s major ticketing services are Damai, Yongle and Juooo. With music and IT companies moving into their turf, they have become more actively involved in the production and promotion of live concerts and festivals.
• Several relatively new online ticketing services provide overviews of shows, including Douban, You Yanchu and Pogo.Live.

English Language Press

Free English language magazines and websites have listings for concerts and nightlife, and regularly do interviews and reviews. Any promotional campaign should include these:

• Beijinger
• Shanghaiist
• City Weekend, in various cities.
• Time Out, in various cities.

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