Streaming music platforms step up restrictions to rein in excessive pop-idol worship

HelloRF

Leading domestic music streaming sites including NetEase Cloud Music and QQ Music have limited purchases to one per account for digital albums following a new set of rules designed to temper chaos in the online entertainment sector and fan culture.

NetEase Cloud Music said on Sunday it would only keep music-related rankings for pop idols and will prioritize comments and rankings that focus on the professional level of music works.

Restrictions on all paid digital albums and singles will soon be implemented into normal regulations, it added.

Tencent-backed QQ Music put similar restrictions in place over the weekend.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) published a notice on Friday to urge entertainment-related platforms to step up regulation against frantic or improper idol-worshipping behavior.

But rankings, such as those for the hottest singles and most played music videos, are still available on both QQ Music and NetEase Cloud Music as of Monday morning.

Sina's Twitter-like microblogging site Weibo said over the weekend it has temporarily suspended more than 1,000 Weibo accounts that are said to have been provoking quarrels and posting under rankings for popular pets after they were previously restricted to posting under idol rankings.

Dozens of accounts were also banned from posting on Weibo for defaming celebrities and official media reports, and also for broaching controversial topics among fan organizations in violation of community guidelines.

The cyberspace administration has urged regulators to increase efforts to dissipate chaos in fan circles and adjust the ranking rules to prevent fans from spending money to rig the charts in favor of their favorite celebrities.

Individual or business accounts that are verified as entertainment celebrities or official fan clubs will be strictly managed and scrutinized by their respective talent agencies.

These entities are also forbidden from organizing activities that ask for fans to engage in fundraising and voting, and underage fans are strictly prohibited from fundraising or sponsoring online rankings with payment.

The cyberspace watchdog has also urged websites to draw up specific rules regarding how talent agencies post commercial links and how they manage fans.

The China Internet Network Information Center counts a total of 158 million younger internet users aged between 6 and 19, and according to a report released in July this year, about 8 percent of them have engaged in reputation-boosting activities, with the majority of participants being middle school students.

Domestic entertainment data provider Endata estimates the popular idol industry in China to be worth 130 billion yuan (US$20 billion) by the end of 2020.

Earlier this month, NetEase Cloud Music reportedly suspended a Hong Kong listing, citing market turmoil and uncertainty.

According to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the number of users in China's online music entertainment market reached 658.3 million in 2020, and CIC Consultancy estimates that the user base will reach 792.8 million in 2025.

By the end of 2020, NetEase Cloud Music had an active monthly user base of 180.5 million, among which paying users numbered 15.96 million.