MusicDish & Music Matters Launch Newsletter Focused On China's Music Market

Website: http://musicdishchina.fanbridge.com
Music: http://china.musicdish.com

Music Matters and MusicDish are pleased to announce a joint venture to produce "MusicDish*China Monitor in association with Music Matters", a monthly newsletter focusing on the Chinese music market. 2010 has seen major changes to the Chinese music industry. Whether it's Nokia's launch of "Comes With Music," success of chinese indie bands at SXSW 2010 or fate of Google China Music, the largest music market is showing signs of coming into its own. Offering a mix of articles, interviews and news, MusicDish*China Monitor will examine the Chinese music market both from a business and technology perspective as well as its growing independent music scene.

The inaugural issue MusicDish*China Monitor in association with Music Matters will include:
- interview with Thomas Reemer, founder and chairman of 88tc88.com, about their partnership with Shanghai Synergy Culture & Entertainment Group
- article on brands and music artists by Adam Gerard, Tiger brand champion at Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd
- findings from Synovate survey on the buying habits and preferences of music consumers
- interview with Kenny Bloom, a 30 year veteran of the Chinese music industry and Founder of VisiTek Holdings
- feature on Chinese bands Poubelle International, Vivien Albarn's (Muscle Snog) The Curry Soap, 21g named after the movie "21 grams," Beijing indie veterans Hedghog and My Little Airport's songwriter Ah-P

Readers can subscribe to the monthly newsletter for free at http://musicdishchina.fanbridge.com/

MusicDish President Eric de Fontenay said: "Our attendance and sponsorship of Music Matters 2009 opened our eyes to the opportunities and challenges in China, and was instrumental in MusicDish*China's development. We could not imagine a better partner in helping us communicate with a broader worldwide music industry the increasingly rapid changes shaping China and Asia."

Jasper Donat, Music Matters' President said: "With an exploding live music scene, over half a billion internet and mobile phone connections and a music hungry public, the Chinese music industry is experiencing a quantum shift in change. We are, therefore, delighted to be able to provide such a unique monthly newsletter and couldn't think of better partners than MusicDish with whom to give it a global voice."

The MusicDish*China site and podcast, co-produced with Hong Kong based Metal Postcard Records, were launched at .

About MusicDish*China (http://china.musicdish.com)
Launched at MIDEM 2010 in Cannes, France, MusicDish*China is the latest online brand from MusicDish LLC, a digital music company, focused on the transforming music market in China. Leveraging its various online properties and growing network of Asian partners, MusicDish*China capitalizes on the growing interest in the Chinese market to educate and influence music executives and professionals worldwide. MusicDish*China also co-produces a monthly podcast in association with Hong Kong based Metal Postcard Records that covers the music and artists shaping the independent scene in China and Mandarin-speaking Asia.

About Music Matters (http://www.musicmatters.asia)
Held annually in Hong Kong, Music Matters is Asia's first and only regional music business conference and was created to encourage positivity, innovation, collaboration and transparency within the music industry. In five years, it has evolved into an indispensable platform for accelerating the success and profitability of music in this region. Previous attendees include some of the world's most respected artists and industry leaders such as U2 manager Paul McGuinness, Harvey Goldsmith, Seymour Stein, Edgar Bronfman jnr, Nile Rogers, Nettwerk's Terry McBride, Jamie Cullum, Rock Record's Sam Duann, UMG Japan's Kei Ishizaka, Linkin Park's Rob McDermott, UMG's Max Hole and some major league stars from the Asian world of musicians, promoters, managers, agents, telco and tech. All have used it as a platform to promote and push artists, shows, business models and new ideas. All give it rave reviews and most return each year.

In 2009 Music Matters expanded it's horizons, producing a localised version in Mumbai, India (Nokia Music Connects) and the Music Matters Advertising Forum in Singapore.

Contact:

Eric de Fontenay
MusicDish*China
chinasounds@musicdish.com
+1-718-278-0662
skype: musicdish

Konstancija Stan Ruza
Commercial Director
Music Matters
stan@brandedasia.com
+852 2167 8040

88tc88: Connecting Western Bands & Chinese Fans Through Mandarin

Website: http://china.musicdish.com

By Eric de Fontenay (Founder & Publisher)
A growing number of Western music companies are dipping their toes into the Chinese market, hoping to increase opportunities for independent artists in one of the most dynamic and treacherous music markets ever. We've already reported on Australian-based Cowbell Digital Music, which launched a Chinese portal earlier this year. Now, Berlin-based 88tc88, which took advantage of the global attention on SXSW 2010 to introduce its Web-based translation service, is enabling Western bands and musicians to access and sell to Chinese music consumers.

The service tackles a basic problem with going global: If people can't search your band name or song title in a browser or search engine, you don't truly exist in that market. Considering the fact that searching the internet is the #1 way Chinese consumers access music, having your information accessible in Mandarin is key. This is not just true for Mainland China. Citizens of Taiwan and Singapore predominantly speak Mandarin, while countries like Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam have significant Mandarin speaking populations.

I spoke with Thomas Reemer, founder and chairman of 88tc88.com about their partnership with Shanghai Synergy Culture & Entertainment Group to launch the service, and how to avoid Chinese censors and monetization in the face of piracy.

Full Article: http://www.musicdish.com/mag/?id=12640

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MusicDish*China Sounds Pod3 - The Chinese Indie Triangle

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This edition of the MusicDish*China Sounds podcast presented by Metal Postcard Records features bands from China's main music hubs - Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai - as well as our first artist interview with Poubelle International.

The podcast opens with Hong Kong's rock monsters DP, which recently took the stage at Austin's SXSW conference. We originally played DP's single "Supermegadon" in our inaugural podcast, and they have since been putting the finishing touches to their full-length, self-titled debut release. The track "Man Thresher" will be released on a double A-side 7' with their track "My Hyena" this spring. Also, keep an eye out for the band's collaboration with multi-talented Quan Yeomans to create a video for their track Velvet Tiger. The video is set for release in the coming weeks.

DP recently shared the stage with our featured band Poubelle International on March 27th during the "Music For Your Marrow," a benefit concert to support the Hong Kong Bone Marrow Service. We first mentioned Poubelle International when they played the closing music performances for the 2009 Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism - Architecture: 'Bring Your Own Biennale' (BYOB). We then promised to play my favorite track "The Sell Out," and we kept our word and more. Sean Hocking interviews band leader Ben McCarthy on the group's name, their recent shows in Manila, Philippines, their new EP "Avec La Boom" and track The Battle of Trafalgar Square.

Off to Shanghai for a pleasant surprise called The Curry Soap, a solo project by Muscle Snog's synth player and vocals Vivien Albarn. Their song "Little Northern Europe" reunites Vivien with Muscle Snog drummer Zheng Ke. The song reminds me of the sounds of Beijing-based White and would be perfect for more high-brow anime.

Staying with Shanghai, we discover the gentle post-rock self-titled single from 21g, named after the movie "21 grams" by Mexico director Alejandro González Iñárritu. Formed in 2004, the 4-piece band released their debut album "21 grams" two years later.

Another one of my personal favorite bands that laid the foundation for Beijing's indie scene is Hedgehog. The band was part of the Sing For China tour last year, joining Queen Sea Big Shark and Casino Demon for 22 days across 18 cities. I'm certainly looking forward to hearing more on "B-side Lovers," a brand new group formed by Hedgehog members Zijian and Atom. In the meantime, we're playing Apart from Hedgehog's 2007 album "Noise Hit World."

We wrap up the podcast with something one does not often find associated with chinese music: political speech. Songwriter Ah-P with Hong Kong band My Little Airport penned a song on the city's Chief Executive Donald Tsang called "Donald Tsang, Please Die," whose video on YouTube is about to break the 100,000 mark.

Industry Spotlight: Christine Wang, Supervisor of International Marketing Department at Sony Music Entertainment China

During my recent trip to China for the Music Matters conference in Hong Kong, I met up with Christine Wang in Beijing. Ms. Wang started in the music business as a MusicDish intern in 2007 and went on to rise up the music ranks to Supervisor of International Marketing Department at Sony Music Entertainment China. Her insights and experiences gained working Sony's international roster in China should be of interest to anyone considering breaking into its music market. (see also Music Matters - A Window Into The Asian Music Market)

[EDF] So let's start with the basics. What are your department's [International Marketing Department] primary responsibilities?

[CW] Our department is responsible for everything related to international repertoire, including publishing, production, press releases, marketing, promotions, events, and strategic marketing. It is all focused on promoting international artists on Sony Music's roster in Chinese territory.

[EDF] And what are your specific functions as department supervisor?

[CW] My functions include everything above, with a focus on production, preparing all press releases, artist/album information and artist promotions across all media platforms. In addition, while we have a digital department, I am also responsible for online marketing as well as over ten artist global websites plus Sony Music official site updates. In short, we are a small version of a label, except for the A&R function.

[EDF] Right, your roster is given to you. But what a roster I must say! What are some of the artists/projects that you have worked on this year so far?

[CW] The releases I've worked on this year include Dido - Safe Trip Home, Pink - Funhouse, Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul, Beyonce - I Am.. Sasha Fierce (2CD), Celine Dion - My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection (2CD), Westlife - Karaoke DVD, John Legend - Evolver, Britney Spears - Circus, Christina Aguilera - Keeps Gettin' Better - A Decade Of Hits, Il Divo - The Promise, Sarah McLachlan - Closer: The Best Of Sarah McLachlan, The Fray - The Fray, David Archuleta - David Archuleta, David Cook - David Cook, Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted, and Michael Jackson 4 album re-releases (The Essential Michael Jackson, Thriller, Off The Wall, Invincible)

[EDF] The biggest star in that list is Michael Jackson, who passed away very recently. How did the Chinese media react to his death? And what was it like for you as the media's main intermediary for the story?

[CW] Yes, Michael Jackson's death had a huge impact on us. Do you know how I found out about his death? The news was announced around 3 AM Beijing time. I still clearly remember that morning. I was waken up by a phone call from a media outlet requesting his album information.

The Chinese media was so shocked by Michael Jackson's death. Early morning radio shows did features on him, print and internet all wrote positive reviews on his life and career. By noon, there were already programs dedicated to him on TV. So it was really widely covered and lasted for a couple of weeks. There are still TV programs rotating Michael Jackson's stories every day. Our department provided as much as information we could to the public, including sending out press release and audio/video content to support the media's coverage.

[EDF] The artists you work on are some of the biggest names in the music industry. So what works in reaching your chinese audience: radio, TV, print, web?

[CW] For international artists, the web naturally offers the most information, followed by radio and print. In the case of radio, despite the dominance of domestic repertoire, stations love to play the newest western music and they'll rotate a single quite often in the first two weeks, generally. Some radio stations even follow the US or UK charts.

But with respect to the artists that attracted the most media attention: Beyonce, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera and Kelly Clarkson. They all enjoyed good levels of print coverage, which also serves an important role in reaching our audience.

In regards to TV, there's very limited coverage for international content.

[EDF] What are some of the major Chinese media outlets that cover international artists; again in radio, TV, print, web?

[CW] Major radio stations that cover international artists include Hit FM, radio channels under Shanghai Media Group, and Guangdong Radio Station. For TV, CCTV digital channel, MTV China, and International Channel Shanghai. In the case of print, there's Hit Music, InMusic and China Daily. And while there are many outlets on the web, the two major ones are Sina and QQ.

[EDF] People are surprised when I say, "Chinese people don't like Western music." Of course, it's not that they don't like Western music, but we in the West tend to assume they do. So I use the phrase to drive a point: international repertoire represents a sliver of the overall chinese market.

[CW] Yes, the international repertoire represents a very small portion of the overall Chinese market. The domestic repertoire is very dominant. However, Chinese consumers do like big names and established pop/ R&B artists, such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Dido, Beyonce, Avril Lavigne, and Michael Jackson, of course. In more recent years, rock bands and hip-hop artists have been gaining popularity. In terms of sales, though, major Chinese pop stars seem to attract a broader audience.

[EDF] How difficult is it to create awareness around a new project?

[CW] It is relatively easy to create awareness on a new project for a globally established artists. However, the difficulty is in broadening the audience beyond their existing fanbase, or, even more challenging, breaking in new artists. Ten years ago, the domestic repertoire market was not very well developed. There weren't nearly as many pop stars as today. Most of the artists you'd hear of would be from Taiwan, Hong Kong or the West.

But over the past ten years, the Chinese domestic market has grown dramatically. More people are paying attention to the domestic repertoire now. This is particularly true for those with language barriers -- in other words, most Chinese -- who are being offered an ever-growing number of opportunities to enjoy Chinese music instead of being "forced," out of a lack of choices, to listen to western music.

Many assume that because the market is more open than before and young people have more foreign experience through higher education, there would be a larger amount of people enjoying western music. And while It's true that more people appreciate western music today, at the same time there are many new ways to access information and music. These people are innovative and creatively discovering unknown music. The chinese youth is more active than ever before and are finding their own cultural identity through music.

The Chinese media market is generalized and complicated; unlike the U.S. market which is fragmented along genres and lifestyles, such as, Disney Radio for pop music and The Source for hip hop. The lack of niche media markets in China makes it difficult to know which consumers you are reaching through a media outlet. This makes it particularly challenging to break new artists. For the people who like western music but cannot find a great music platform to know what is new, they tend to stick to the established names, which makes this small group of people very loyal to the artists, such as Celine Dion and Dido.

To add to the point about media, people working in the industry tend to have a preference for Chinese music. Therefore, DJs tend to play Chinese music more often and journalists are more likely to cover Chinese artists they know, rather than spending the time learning about what's new in western music market. In order to create greater awareness among media and the consumers, education still has a long way to go.

[EDF] The key point I retained is that China is a very challenging market, in large part because it is still on a path of development, from a copyright regime to supporting creativity. There is no question that the Chinese music industry and consumers will become increasingly sophisticated over the next decade. The question is how to position oneself to be able to play a role in that development.