Kakao Entertainment Launches “Unified K-Pop Artist Chart” With China’s Tencent Music and Japan’s Line Music
- Jon Lui
- 22 minutes ago
- 2 min read
K-pop fans! Are you tired of scanning through various music charts to see if your group has reached number one on the streaming charts? Well, look no further! Kakao Entertainment, a subsidiary of the internet/communication giant Kakao, has partnered with China and Japan to create a single indicator in Asia. Read on to find out more details!
Melon Is The Prize
Announced on December 23, 2025, Kakao Entertainment stated that it signed agreements with China's Tencent Music Entertainment Group and Japan's Line Music to launch a definitive "K-pop artist chart" (tentative name) in early 2026.
According to Chosun Biz, Kakao plans to consolidate all streaming data across Asia into a single ranking on Melon. As all K-pop fans know, Melon is one of the biggest indicators of a K-pop group's success. Recently showcasing breakout artists on the Melon Music Awards 2025, a single posted performance on YouTube can garner millions of views in hours.
A Global Benchmark
Kakao stated that through this new music chart, they can see "key K-pop consumer markets in Asia", and labels and artists can use it for their marketing and reference to gauge foreign markets' interests.
Final Thoughts
With Kakao partnering with China's and Japan's biggest streaming services, South Korea is poised to become the center of the Asian music and entertainment scene. We believe that within a short time, it will be the epicenter of the entertainment industry in the East, closely rivaling its counterparts in the West.
What do you think about this new music chart system? Do you think it will matter if existing music charts, such as Billboard, exist? Comment your thoughts below!
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