South Korea-headquartered entertainment company RBW has entered into a “strategic copyright partnership” with NetEase Cloud Music.
RBW is home to K-POP acts such as MAMAMOO, ONEUS, ONEWE, and PURPLE KISS.
According to the announcement, the partnership “is set to mark a new chapter in Korea-China music exchange and accelerate K-POP’s expansion into the Chinese market”.
Under this partnership, RBW will provide access to its entire catalog on NetEase Cloud Music, including all group and solo releases from its artists —MAMAMOO’s Solar and Moon byul included.
Future releases will also be rolled out as exclusives, according to NetEase Cloud Music, offering earlier access to RBW’s music for listeners in China.
According to the press release, the “alliance goes beyond conventional music distribution, aiming to foster deeper industry cooperation and cultural exchange between Korea and China”.
“Our partnership with NetEase Cloud Music is a strategic collaboration built on trust — not just a copyright deal. We are committed to expanding the global competitiveness of K-POP through various forms of future cooperation.”
RBW representative
The release added: “Built on mutual trust, the partnership reflects both parties’ commitment to long-term collaboration and shared strategic goals in the Asian music ecosystem.”
An RBW representative said: “Our partnership with NetEase Cloud Music is a strategic collaboration built on trust — not just a copyright deal. We are committed to expanding the global competitiveness of K-POP through various forms of future cooperation.”
The deal marks the latest K-Pop partnership for NetEase Cloud Music, following the company’s deal with Starship Entertainment in February.
Hits from K-pop girl group IVE, including their newest songs and third mini album IVE EMPATHY, will now be available to a broader Chinese audience as a result of this partnership.
Over the past few years, NetEase has also secured partnerships with other prominent South Korean entertainment companies, including SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, Kakao Entertainment, and CJ ENM.
The agreement with Kakao, signed in October, gave NetEase users exclusive access to music distributed by Kakao for 30 days from the moment of its global release.
NetEase Cloud Music’s latest K-pop deals arrive alongside recent reports that China is set to lift an unofficial ban on South Korean cultural imports. K-pop groups have reportedly been unofficially barred from performing in China since around 2016/2017.
On Tuesday (May 27), it was revealed that NetEase rival Tencent Music is acquiring a 9.38% stake in K-Pop giant SM Entertainment from rival HYBE for nearly $180 million.
TME’s investment signals a vote of confidence in South Korean Entertainment’s future positioning in the Chinese market. China is the world’s fifth-largest recorded music market, according to the IFPI.Music Business Worldwide
