Kakao Entertainment said on the 23rd that it signed separate memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with China's Tencent Music Entertainment Group and Japan's Line Music to launch a "K-pop artist chart" (tentative name).
Through this agreement, Kakao Entertainment plans to introduce a new global chart within its music platform Melon that integrates user data from Tencent Music's QQ Music, KUGOU Music, KUWO Music, JOOX, and Line Music. The "K-pop artist chart" will be calculated by aggregating user activity and consumption status from each platform and is scheduled to be unveiled on Melon in the first half of next year.
Kakao Entertainment said it intends to present the trends of key K-pop consumer markets in Asia as a single indicator through this chart, allowing users to see global K-pop trends at a glance. It also said artists and labels are expected to use it as a reference index to objectively gauge overseas performance and fandom response.
Tencent Music operates major music platforms such as QQ Music, KUGOU Music, KUWO Music, and JOOX, mainly in China and Southeast Asia, and holds strong influence in local music markets. Line Music is a music streaming service linked to the messenger LINE, used by about 99 million people in Japan, and has established itself as a core platform in Japan's music consumption ecosystem.
Melon has served as a representative indicator for the K-pop industry based on more than 20 years of accumulated data and chart operation experience, and Melon chart data is used for determining rankings at domestic and international music awards and broadcast shows, as well as being reflected in global charts.
Jang Yoon-jung, co-CEO of Kakao Entertainment, said, "It is significant that platforms leading the Asian music market are together introducing a global-standard chart for K-pop," adding, "Through a highly reliable index, we will provide new value to the K-pop industry, artists, and fans, and contribute to strengthening K-pop's global standing."
Masuda Jun, CEO of Line Music, said, "It is meaningful to participate in building a new global index for K-pop together with music platforms representing Asia," adding, "As the activities of Japanese fans are reflected in the global chart, it will be a meaningful attempt for both artists and fans."