Mapping China: Music - New Media: Crowdfunding

As elsewhere, most crowdfunding sites in China focus on the development of hardware. Even relatively successful music-oriented sites are developing instruments, equipment and merchandise, such as headphones designed by musicians. That said, artists have successfully raised money for album recordings plus national tours (usually as a package deal). These following websites focus on music, and usually take 10~15% of pledges received.

• Musikid (Yuetong). Over 400 successful projects, around 150 of which have a live performance component, resulting in over 600 shows. Total revenue is around 5 million RMB, of which one million was raised by a gramophone player. Musikid has a network and format to arrange national tours (however, it’s in Chinese).
• 3fenban, literally ‘three and a half”, ‘the average length of a pop song’, in Hong Kong and Beijing.
• 5Sing. Owned by music streaming service Kugou. The website encourages Chinese singers to upload their cover versions and original compositions for its users to enjoy and rate. In this overall effort to promote musical creativity (heeding national policy), crowdfunding is an additional feature.

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