How Asia's music scene is reinventing itself

The industry is shifting from traditional labels to self-marketing and engagement

Malaysian singer-songwriter Uriah See regards being active online as part of his job. "I'm not naturally a social media person," See said. "But if I don't post, I disappear." (Photo by Norman Goh)

NORMAN GOH

April 9, 2025 08:00 JST

KUALA LUMPUR -- When the 19-year-old U.S. Taiwanese singer-songwriter Wang Leehom broke onto the music scene in 1995 an artist's success was measured by album sales, radio play and sold-out concerts. The industry was tightly controlled -- record labels dictated distribution, marketing and artists' creative direction.

Today, that landscape has changed beyond recognition. "Now, you have around 100,000 new songs uploaded every day," Wang said in an interview with Nikkei Asia, adding that the way music is marketed, promoted and consumed is now strikingly different.