At the 11th Music Industry Forum, held on June 12 at the Communication University of China in Beijing, a new report outlined how China's music industry is entering a more mature, tech-driven phase.
Overall, China's music industry reached 519 billion yuan ($76.64 billion) of gross revenue, up 5.3 percent year-on-year. The report concludes that the industry is entering a new phase defined by AI-driven production, platform-based competition, and scenario expansion, with growth increasingly tied to technology, ecosystems and cross-industry integration rather than scale alone.
In 2025, China's digital music market reached 115 billion yuan, up 12 percent year-on-year. Growth is no longer driven by user expansion, but by deeper monetization. Online music services grew by 20 percent, with paid users nearing 190 million, while short-video platforms have become the primary gateway for music discovery — shaping how over 80 percent of users discover new songs.
Generative AI is now central to music production. AI-assisted creation is shifting from experimental use to industrial deployment, enabling faster, more scalable content production through human-machine collaboration. At the same time, it is intensifying debates around copyright, income distribution, and creator protection.
Industry competition is shifting away from copyright ownership toward technology and user scenarios. Streaming, short video, livestreaming, and emerging channels such as smart cars and home devices are forming an integrated ecosystem.
In 2025, the Music Copyright Society of China reported 604 million yuan in licensing revenue, up 26.6 percent, with over 24 million works under management. Copyright value is increasingly extending into cars, public spaces, tourism, and cultural venues, with more flexible licensing models replacing high, fixed guarantees.
China's musical instrument industry generated 26.96 billion yuan, down 4.5 percent. Traditional piano sales declined, while electric guitars surged 110 percent and synthesizers grew steadily. Growth is shifting toward smart learning tools, AI practice systems, wellness-focused instruments, and cross-border e-commerce.
The segment of film, game, and animation music is quickly growing, reaching 11.37 billion yuan, up 17.8 percent. Animation music saw the strongest growth of 33.5 percent, followed by gaming music at 7.68 percent, while film and TV music continued to evolve toward stand-alone IP and copyright assets.
