Huang He, a reporter for this magazine

Wang Qian

A renowned domestic talent agent and entertainment producer. A pioneer in China’s original music and cultural industries, he is dedicated to building an innovative system for original campus music. He has long been involved in the cultural and economic sectors. He graduated from Shandong University of Finance and Economics with a degree in International Finance and completed postgraduate studies in cultural industries at Peking University. He currently serves as President of the Peking University Qingniao Music Group, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the China College Student Music Festival, Founder of the Peking University Qingniao Youth Music Academy, and Executive Producer of the “China Music Series Charts.” He has previously planned and produced the Hangai Music Festival, as well as concerts for artists such as Lao Lang, Shui Mu Nian Hua, Wang Feng, Xu Wei, and Zheng Jun.Large-scale concert.

Music is the most common form of popular entertainment and artistic expression. As times have changed and the ways the public accesses music have evolved, the market share of traditional record releases has been steadily declining. This has disrupted a key revenue stream for musicians and record labels; however, in recent years, as copyright protection in the Chinese market has become increasingly robust, this trend has gradually improved. Musicians face a challenge that is “half sea, half fire.” This is particularly true for original Chinese music. On this topic, Asia News Weekly interviewed Wang Qian, President of the Peking University Qingniao Music Group.

Reporter: Is copyright protection for original music still virtually nonexistent?

Wang Qian: The introduction of the “Measures for the Payment of Remuneration for the Broadcast of Recorded Works by Radio and Television Stations” in 2010 offered a glimmer of hope to music creators. With the growing awareness of copyright among the market and the general public in recent years, I remain optimistic about the current music landscape. Although there are still many areas that need improvement—and these issues cannot be completely resolved overnight—they involve fostering legal awareness and refining relevant regulations. We’ve seen many major investors acquiring music copyrights on a large scale over the past year or two, and suddenly, copyrights have become significantly more valuable. From what I understand, some partner platforms and major record labels generate annual copyright revenue of around 100 million yuan; before the relevant copyright laws were enacted, that figure might have been one zero less. Furthermore, companies like Kugou, Kuwo, Tencent Music, and Baidu have the financial resources to support paid copyright models. In a sense, the value of copyrights has increased, and the biggest beneficiaries are actually the musicians. Since they are the creators of the music and its content, their income has risen, their standard of living has improved, and they now have more energy to devote to creating new music. I believe that as laws and distribution terms become more reasonable and adhere to the principles of fairness, justice, and transparency, musicians’ incomes will become more standardized and stable. China’s music market is gradually improving its copyright protection system.

Reporter: How do you view and evaluate China’s original music?

Wang Qian: Actually, this is a very broad topic, so I can only share my perspective based on the platform and environment where I work. First, I believe that original music is the true essence of music; it has the greatest longevity and vitality. That’s why the Peking University Qingniao Music Group launched a major project called the “China College Student Music Festival,” where all musical content must be original. Just as you mentioned earlier, as a music professional, I have both an obligation and a responsibility to encourage more young people to persevere in musical creation. After all, they are the future of Chinese music and the future of China’s consumer market, so I do my best to tap into the source. Much of the music we first listened to was pop music from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, followed later by rock music, with the emergence of musicians from the Cui Jian era. They created many original songs back then—perhaps drawing inspiration and motivation from their lives and work—but why hasn’t there been more original music since then?

First, it’s easier for musicians to generate commercial revenue by performing the song that first made them famous. Second, promoters expect—or even require—a singer to perform one of their hit songs. If a singer insists on performing new material, promoters are unlikely to book them. As a result, they end up compromising to meet market demands.

Reporter: The mainland music market has surpassed those of Hong Kong and Taiwan. What has driven this phenomenon?

Wang Qian: First of all, the consumer markets in Hong Kong and Taiwan, along with the income levels of musicians there, provide better support for their creative work. Musicians, producers, and songwriters from Hong Kong and Taiwan have almost all established careers on the mainland, and in the early days, they helped many mainland musicians. This phenomenon clearly demonstrates that the mainland’s music market has attracted artists from Hong Kong and Taiwan—after all, the sheer size of the population and the open, information-driven development of the market provide effective support. However, alongside these developments, mainland musicians have gradually closed the gap with their counterparts in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas in terms of musical proficiency. Many mainland musicians have received professional and systematic musical training, whether domestically or abroad. From the perspectives of creative origins, market prospects, and the evolution of the times, China’s music market is booming.

Reporter: Do you think the distinction between original music with a local flavor and original music in the Hong Kong and Taiwan styles will become increasingly blurred in the future?

Wang Qian: When it comes to creating musical content, everyone’s living environment is different, and original art stems from life. A few years ago, the creative environment and new trends overseas were still relatively ahead of the curve, including production standards. However, I agree with the point you just raised—in the past, information was subject to barriers. Now, as our standard of living has improved—and technology has fostered seamless connectivity across the globe—there are no longer any barriers, whether between the Eastern or Western hemispheres. This is a significant step forward. Another issue is production standards. Whether mainland musicians are seeking collaborations overseas or inviting artists from Hong Kong and Taiwan to co-create, the quality is virtually on par. So, I believe that for now, there may still be some differences—after all, our living environments are different. It’s impossible to create a culture native to Beijing while living in Hong Kong. It would be very difficult to imagine an old Beijing resident strolling down the street carrying a birdcage in Hong Kong. On this issue, I believe production standards will become increasingly similar—and may even catch up—but the cultures will never be the same. After all, the overall lifestyle and cultural differences between these two cities and regions are quite significant, and I think this is quite evident.

Reporter: What are your thoughts on the music variety shows that are popping up like mushrooms after rain, and the various music festivals flooding cities both large and small?

Wang Qian: I’m really eager to answer this question, and I’d like to share my thoughts through our newspaper. I just finished a segment on Xinhua Net where I was asked the exact same question. I have mixed feelings about this issue. How can I put it? The abundance of talent shows—whether singing competitions, reality TV, or programs featuring internet celebrities—shows that more platforms are available to help people realize their dreams. However, today’s audiences and consumers have increasingly high expectations, and many shows have only mediocre ratings. Furthermore, many reality shows are leading young people astray. In their quest for sensationalism and to create false narratives that distort reality, they cause some contestants to lose sight of who they are and misguide them in their life paths. Consequently, some young people fail to adapt to the realities of life and become fixated solely on their dreams of stardom.

I think the music festivals you mentioned are truly springing up like mushrooms after rain. Nowadays, almost every city—whether it’s a first-, second-, third-, or fourth-tier city—has its own so-called music festival. Most of these festivals are supported by government and corporate platforms, rather than being driven by the commercial market. Furthermore, the production quality varies widely,80%The format and content of this music festival are almost identical—there’s no creativity whatsoever. As for music festivals, the Strawberry Music Festival and the Midi Music Festival have been around for nearly20Years! Musicians like Shen Lihui are pioneers of music festivals; his own life journey has been like a roller coaster. I remember that in05,06Back then, his company was on the verge of going under. Fortunately, his wife supported him by putting their house up as collateral, which allowed him to keep it afloat. The entire process was very difficult, but he persevered in building and enriching his brand’s content. Nowadays, people go to the Strawberry Music Festival and the Midi Music Festival not so much to see celebrities, but rather to enjoy the music scene and a different lifestyle.

Reporter: There are many outstanding singers in China, but there isn’t much good original music. Does Peking University Qingniao have any plans to support original music?

Wang Qian: Today, I’d especially like to talk more about this issue. The Peking University Qingniao Music Group is currently developing the “China College Student Music Festival,” the largest original music project in the country, with a nationwide reach.20cities,17One mainland city plus Hong Kong and Macau. The university offers in-person classes.200Other universities, online1000The universities I attend. We have4There are four components: the first is the “Chinese College Student Music Super League,” the second is the “Youth Music Academy,” the third is the “National College Student Concert Tour,” and the fourth is the “Annual College Student Music Gala.” This competition format is designed to engage more college students who love music and have musical dreams. Furthermore, participants must enter the competition with original works. Apart from music colleges, most participating universities are part of the regular national college admissions system, which means their creative capacity is limited. To address this, we’ve launched an online platform for original works, while our offline events feature a mix of cover songs and original compositions—we encourage everyone to participate and enjoy the world of music. The second phase is called “Youth Music Academy,” which serves as an incubation hub for original music, selecting participants from across the country for offline events30Qianghe Online30These dozens of contestants will enter the “Youth Music Academy” for over a month of grueling training. Crucially, we focus on nurturing the students“ original works; we guarantee that every student who graduates from the ”Youth Music Academy“ will have their own original compositions. During the third phase—the ”National College Student Concert Tour”—we’ll have these students perform their own original songs and invite celebrities to cheer them on! This will boost public interest and make the event even more appealing!

Now that we’re back on campus, we’re providing college students with a stage that can hold 10,000 people in a professional stadium. For college students, performing their original works on such a stage is a truly rare opportunity. We chose to hold the grand finale at the very end because our primary goal is to encourage original works. Throughout the entire process, all the renowned musicians we invited were original artists, in the hope that these mentors and students would connect on a deeper level.

We also plan to establish "Blue Bird Music Creation Spaces" in each school, with each one having approximately120square meters; there is a nearly20In our square-meter recording studio, we welcome more students to bring their inspiration here and create for free. We provide a creative space, but we still refuse to do cover songs! If someone writes lyrics, we’ll help them put together a melody elsewhere, so we’ll refine the work once again. Finally, we have another platform called the “China College Student Original Music Chart,” through which we collaborate with Seagull Music, Kugou, Kuwo, and Tencent. When you open these music players, you’ll see a chart called the “China College Student Original Music Chart.” This chart features many original works by college students, allowing everyone to see and hear their creations. We’ll provide college students with a large platform for their music so that more people can listen to and comment on their work. That’s why original music has always been the core competitive advantage of the Peking University Blue Bird Music Group.

China has no shortage of talented singers and performers; what is truly lacking, however, is high-quality original music.

In addition, I’d like to mention that Peking University Qingniao is partnering with the global brand “Grammy.” We will soon be hosting the Grammy Music Festival. We aim to bring this world-class music event to the domestic market, with all the performers90%I am a Grammy Award recipient. Music is a timeless art form, and Bluebird Music will establish a systematic platform for international exchange to bring excellent music into the country and promote it abroad. As a musician, I will fulfill my professional and social responsibilities to better serve society.