Overseas sound waves crescendo

According to the global music report released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry in March 2023, China — as Asia's second-largest market — saw a significant rise of 28.4 percent in revenue, pushing it into the top five markets globally for the first time.

"The significant growth of fans in China who pay for streaming services naturally makes the market healthy and attractive for foreign artists. There are also a growing number of homegrown musicians who become new forces for collaboration when foreign artists consider expanding their fan bases," says Wei Yuan, vice-president of copyrights of NetEase Cloud Music. "The paid ecosystem is established, and international artists cannot ignore it."

Wei says registered foreign artists account for more than one-third of the 1,000 most popular artists, and the number is going up.

"Our platform users are open to a diversity of music styles, such as hip-hop and R&B, and we also help these foreign artists launch tours in China, as well as help them build a presence on Chinese online platforms by communicating with Chinese fans," Wei adds.

China's music-streaming platforms also offer their own form of social media, allowing verified artists to post photos and videos to their profiles for users to "like "and comment on.

Canadian rapper Alexander Leon Gumuchian, who's known by his stage name, bbno $, is one of the most popular rappers on NetEase Cloud Music. His song, Lalala, has been played on the platform over 150 million times.

The rapper has been keeping in touch with his Chinese fans since 2017 by releasing songs on Chinese streaming platforms.

"The first time that I found out about my popularity in China was a huge shock to me. Also, growing up in Vancouver, Canada, most of my friends were of Asian descent, and lots being Chinese. I deeply appreciated the culture prior to having success in the market," says the rapper, who was born in 1995 and has released seven studio albums since 2017.

He adds that he learned Mandarin when he was home-schooled.

He has released nearly 200 songs on Chinese streaming platforms, including some created exclusively for China. He also has collaborated with Chinese artists, such as female rapper Vava.

"The world is so interconnected via social media these days," adds Gumuchian, who will return to China with a tour in September and October.

Among China's younger listeners, songs often go viral on social media apps like Sina Weibo and Douyin, so active social media presences help artists expand their fan bases. Many young Chinese are bilingual, which allows them to communicate with foreign artists without language barriers.