History of Korean Music Platforms and Their Impact on the K-pop Industry
Last week, we explored how the platform era has introduced new ways to enjoy and promote music. Among these changes, online music stores and streaming services have also evolved, playing a crucial role in shaping the industry, including the history of K-pop.
Before YouTube: Music on Mobile Carriers
According to recent reports on the Korean music streaming industry, the influence of YouTube extends far beyond traditional media like TV. This is especially evident with the rise of "YouTube Music," which has gained significant traction in South Korea. Last year, YouTube ranked as the top platform in combined paid and free music streaming usage in Korea. Unlike in other countries where YouTube Music operates independently, Korean users must subscribe to YouTube Premium to access it. This bundling strategy has naturally led many Premium subscribers to stream music exclusively through YouTube Music, leading domestic streaming platforms to raise concerns about unfair trade practices.
But what was the landscape like before the arrival of this tech giant? To understand the streaming culture and controversies often associated with K-pop, we must revisit the pre-YouTube era. Notable homegrown streaming services in Korea include Melon (yes, the same “Melon” famous for the Melon Music Awards), Genie, and FLO.
Interestingly, all three services were developed by telecommunications companies. Up until the early 2000s, Korea's music market operated without stringent copyright enforcement. However, after copyright laws were revised, the concept of music ownership became more widely understood. In response, SK Telecom, a major telecom provider, quickly launched Melon, a digital music service.
The Rise of Streaming Culture, and Streaming War
Services like Melon thrived in a technological landscape where mobile phones were virtually the only devices capable of legally downloading and playing music. These platforms also introduced ranking charts based on real-time, weekly, and monthly streaming data. This system gave rise to terms like "Top 100" and "Chart-In," which remain significant in the K-pop world.
These services quickly dominated both mobile and web, becoming the primary way Koreans accessed music. K-pop fans and casual listeners alike relied heavily on these Top 100 charts. Imagine opening a new store at the time and deciding to play K-pop music—what playlist would you shuffle? Likely, the Top 100. As a result, artists and their fandoms began prioritizing high chart placements to maximize exposure to a broader audience.
This behavior led to the phenomenon now internationally recognized as "Streaming Culture" or the "Streaming War." When artists release new songs or stage comebacks, fans often stream tracks incessantly to boost chart rankings, aiming for recognition on music shows and awards programs. However, this competitive culture also revealed loopholes in ranking systems, leading to unethical practices like artificially inflating streams to manipulate chart positions.
Today, with individuals able to easily discover songs tailored to their preferences across diverse platforms, the importance of chart dominance has diminished. Still, debates about the flaws in ranking systems and discussions on potential improvements continue.
The Future: Navigating the Global Streaming Era
Faced with the rise of global platforms like Youtube Music and Spotify, Korea’s domestic music streaming services have worked hard to adapt to the rapid growth of the K-pop industry. Among these, Melon has shown remarkable resilience, maintaining the largest market share among domestic platforms.
Beyond its streaming services, Melon operates Melon Ticket, which manages concert ticket sales, and organizes the prestigious Melon Music Awards, creating more opportunities for artists and fans to connect. As K-pop culture continues to expand globally and foreign platforms gain a stronger foothold in Korea, what can we expect for the future of these domestic services? In the next episode, we will explore new trends introduced by global platforms and their potential impact.