All you need to Know About China’s Music Listening Habits

Music has become a part of our life, sometimes we cannot think of a single day going without music. According to a survey conducted 72% of the population which is 977 million people in China listen to music every week. The TME will bring to you all the facts that you need to know about China’s music listening habits.

In China, on average, a consumer listens to music for 16 hours a week and 66% of the users use streaming services for this purpose. China is lagging behind the US which has 91% of its population listening to music every week and the UK with 85.5% of its population. But the other thing that you should note is that China has 57% of opulent fans going to concerts as compared to figures of the US which are only 51%. You can see a great difference between wealthy Chinese users and users who earn a lower income. According to the stats, 83% of opulent listeners listen to music every week as compared to 53% of low-income users.

The opulent listeners generally tend to listen to Western or English language music and are more inclined towards jazz, pop and rock. Every year the well off a section of users spends on an average 914 yuan as compared to 118 yuan spent by the poorer section. It is predicted that in the next decade spending on music will be increased to $56 trillion driven mainly by opulent, connected users who have disposable income. 

Even after everything, the major threat of piracy remains in the picture. According to a survey, only 3% of low-income users are willing to pay for streaming services in the future.

China was closed from foreign music, but now the country has slackened restrictions and has come out as an important region for all types of bands. Many years ago Wham! was the first band to perform in Beijing and the southern city of Guangzhou. And recently in 2002, Kenny G held a concert there. 

Chinese cities have emerged on the touring routes for a lot of different activities. Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan, Robbie Williams, Bon Jovi, Michael Buble and Ellie Goulding have all performed in China in recent years. But to book a show here has its disadvantages. 

Before any foreign artist can perform the culture ministry of China will run a background check and pre-approves setlists. In recent times in the year 2006, the Rolling Stones were told to drop five songs because they have suggestive lyrics. And some other artists are banned completely to perform there. Jay-Z was denied permission to perform because of the vulgar lyrics.

Well, the music listening habit of the people of China has changed a lot in decades. Now the streaming services have also played a very major role in introducing world music to them. They have numerous music on the tip of their fingers. This will also help Chinese artists to get some exposure and bring more interest in Chinese music.