Taming pirates

[Photo by Song Chen and Li Min/China Daily]

New copyright regulation and the reach of the internet help China's music industry grow, experts tell Chen Nan.

China is now seeing the emergence of a transactional recorded music market.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's annual music report says that music sales in China rose 63.8 percent in 2015, to $170 million, which is "a tremendous increase".

"Of all the emerging markets, where licensed streaming services are engaging fans and growing the legitimate industry, China tops the list for record companies," says the report, released on April 12.

"Undoubtedly, last year saw lots of good news for China's music market, which has been in the doldrums for many years," says Guo Biao, China's chief representative for London-based IFPI.

The country's music market witnessed rampant piracy in the past. But the situation has changed, thanks to a combination of factors.

The first is support from the government, which stepped up the pressure for removal of copyright-infringing content.

Last July, the National Copyright Administration of China issued a notice, saying that "online music delivery platforms must have all unauthorized musical works removed by July 31, 2015".

Yan Xiaohong, deputy director of the copyright administration, recently said more than 2.2 million illegal songs had been removed within two months of the notice being issued.

George Ash, president of Universal Music Asia Pacific, says: "The government is determined to see this transition succeed. Having seen the success achieved in games and cinema, they recognize music as another sector that can generate significant numbers of jobs, substantial revenue and a bright future for the industry."

Another factor has been digital services, led by Chinese tech giants Tencent and Alibaba, which helped to move China's music market to a paid model.