(l to r) Universal Music Greater China CEO Timothy Xu, Modern Sky founder and head Shen Lihui, and UMG market-development EVP Adam Granite. Photo Credit: Universal Music Group
Doubling down on efforts to expand in China, Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced a partnership with Modern Sky, ostensibly the nation’s “leading music label.”
UMG unveiled its Modern Sky deal, finalized specifically via Universal Music Greater China, in a brief release today. Founded in 1997, the Beijing-based label touts itself as “the leading music entertainment company in mainland China.”
Behind that billing, Modern Sky’s roster includes approximately 150 artists, with past releases from domestically prominent acts such as Miserable Faith, Zuoxiao Zuzhou, New Pants, and Xie Tianxiao.
Additionally, the Strawberry Music Festival founder Modern Sky “organizes over 30 music festivals annually and more than 1,000 performances across China,” according to Universal Music Group.
In other words, Modern Sky, at least as described, appears to be a big player in China, the recorded music market of which expanded by 25.9% year over year in 2023, according to the IFPI.
Now, the 27-year-old indie is poised to capitalize on “UMG’s worldwide distribution network” in an attempt to find new fans around the globe. Already, Modern Sky’s presence extends well beyond China, referring to offices in New York, Liverpool, and Tokyo. (The latter is set to host the mentioned Strawberry Music Festival next year.)
Unsurprisingly, Modern Sky intends to plant flags in different cities (and countries) yet, higher-ups signaled. Also as anticipated, today’s tie-up is expected to open “doors for expanded collaboration between” UMG and Modern Sky, presumably referring in part to bolstering the former’s commercial reach in the Chinese mainland.
“At Modern Sky,” weighed in founder and CEO Shen Lihui, “we’ve always embraced an independent spirit and a forward-looking vision, committed to reflecting the cultural identity of China’s younger generation. … Through this collaboration, we’re thrilled to bring a fresh side of Chinese originality to the world, inviting audiences everywhere to experience the unique energy and cultural depth of China’s youth.”
And in remarks of his own, UMG market-development EVP Adam Granite emphasized the perceived opportunity for the “two-way connection” to help the major’s “international artists to connect with China’s audiences.”
The Modern Sky agreement marks the latest in a line of China-focused expansions for TF Entertainment-partnered UMG, which launched “Universal Music China Greater Bay Area” in September and, once again via Universal Music Greater China, is distributing releases from iQIYI’s The Rap of China 2024 program.
Of course, UMG isn’t alone in targeting growth in the nation of 1.4 billion. To name one of several examples, Believe (which, incidentally, is entangled in a massive legal battle with Universal Music) over the summer confirmed multiple executive appointments in China.