Music Business News: Asia

Primary Wave makes strategic investment in Vietnam’s POPS Music – with plans to ramp up catalog deals in Southeast Asia

POPS claims to be 'home to the largest catalog of Vietnamese and Indonesian music'

South Korea’s Kakao Entertainment appoints JungHee Ko as Co-CEO alongside Joseph Chang in leadership restructure

Ko takes on an additional role as Chief Platform Officer, overseeing a newly created unit responsible for Kakao Entertainment's platform services

News

BTS comeback concert drew 18.4M global viewers says Netflix

The group's first live performance since 2022 was streamed from Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square.

News

With $50M+ in music rights deals to date, Larrosa’s MusicTraders builds out new M&A team targeting LATAM and emerging market catalogs

Invitation-only music rights platform names specialist division as it renovates after six years and $50M+ in deals.

News

Timbaland’s AI artist TaTa Taktumi signs with Ne-Yo’s Pacific Music Group

The deal names Pacific Music as exclusive Asia manager and worldwide label for the AI project that confirmed its Filipino heritage.

Analysis News

Mandopop superstar Jay Chou is about to release his new album ‘Children of the Sun’ via UMG, led by a $2.8M music video. The timing couldn’t be more significant.

The album is also the first new studio record released since Chou and his label JVR Music signed a strategic global partnership with Universal Music Greater China in December 2023,

News

BTS smash K-Pop records with new album Arirang – but HYBE shares drop after comeback concert draws smaller crowd than expected

All 14 tracks from the album also occupied spots on the Spotify Global Top 50, with the lead single SWIM, debuting at No. 1.

Interviews

As recorded music revenues hit $31.7B globally, IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley explains the opportunities – and the threats – ahead

Oakley spoke on the publication of the IFPI Global Music Report 2026, which is now available to purchase