Tencent Report: 1.145 Million New Chinese Songs Launched in 2021

The Tencent Music Data Research Institute released the “2021 Chinese Digital Music Annual White Paper” on Tuesday. The report shows that the total number of new Chinese songs reached 1.145 million in 2021, maintaining a year-on-year increase of 53.1%. This means that in 2021, a new song was launched every 27 seconds on average.

As a music data research brand under Tencent Music Entertainment (TME), China’s leading online music and audio entertainment platform, the institute is committed to building the most professional think-tank in the domestic music industry. It can rely on the company’s diversified products and services and industry partners, its massive users and music data to count inventory comprehensively and get insight into the Chinese digital music industry.

According to the institute’s statistics, in 2021, the total broadcast volume of new Chinese songs increased by 9.3% compared with the previous year. Behind this vigorous development is an influx of new musicians. In 2021, the number of new singers reached a year-on-year increase of 41.2%, and it has become the norm that singer-songwriters create and release their music independently.

The statistics of the white paper show that there are hundreds of musicians with an annual viewcount exceeding 500 million in 2021. Meanwhile, the number of new and old songs played over one million times in the five major genres including rap, R&B, electronic, rock and roll and folk increased by 4.5% compared with that of last year, among which rap and electronic music increased significantly.

In terms of revenue, as of July 2021, the number of musicians on the platform with an average monthly income of over 10,000 yuan ($1,486) in 2020 increased by nine times this year.

According to the white paper, the upsurge of investment in the NFT market in 2021 has also penetrated the music world, with world-renowned musicians testing the water continuously as well as leading music companies and platforms. With their music as NFT products, it is undoubtedly a supplement to musicians’ current income. NFT transactions can also bring about more possibilities for musicians to enlarge their copyright income.

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