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.