Tencent Music Entertainment Group has revealed that record labels and artists using its TME Music Cloud service can now distribute their music to Apple Music.
TME Music Cloud is described as “a new global music distribution platform”, and via the new partnership with Apple Music, TME says that “premium music content from Chinese labels and creators” will now be available to the music streaming platform’s users worldwide.
TME says that it “has long drawn on its advanced technology and extensive industry resources, creating a large volume of high-quality new music in collaboration with industry partners”.
The music streaming company also notes that it currently “attracts hundreds of thousands of Chinese musicians hoping to achieve their musical dreams through the Tencent Musician Platform”.
TME revealed in its Q3 2021 financials this week, that by the end of the quarter ended September 30, the number of indie musicians on the Tencent Musician Platform reached 260,000, and that the “streaming volume of their original works continues to record healthy growth”.
TME also cites two case studies of successful original content that it produced, including the theme song The Peerless King by artist G.E.M. for the popular game Honour of Kings. The song was released for the game’s 2021 World Champion Cup and TME says it has “been well received by both music and game lovers”.
In addition, TME cites Wang Jing Wen, a rising musician who it says it “nurtured” whose songs were streamed 1.9 billion times on its platforms in Q3 after entering the “SING!CHINA 2021 singing competition show, where the artist finished in second place.
TME reported this week that its ‘online music paying users’ increased by 5m (37.7%) year-over-year, reaching 71.2 million in Q3.
The company’s total ‘Mobile MAUs – online music’ fell by 1.5% year-over-year in Q3 however, to 636 million. According to TME, this year-over-year decline was primarily due “to churns of our casual users served by other pan-entertainment platforms”.
The company generated total revenues of RMB7.81 billion (approx $1.21billion) in Q3, representing an increase of 3% year-over-year.
“Bringing TME’s premium music content from Chinese labels and creators to Apple Music users worldwide, will enable music lovers to explore China’s unique music culture and genres.”
Tencent Music Entertainment
“Bringing TME’s premium music content from Chinese labels and creators to Apple Music users worldwide, will enable music lovers to explore China’s unique music culture and genres, further enhancing the global discovery of Chinese music and assisting in the international development of Chinese musicians,” said Tencent Music in a statement.Music Business Worldwide