BTS may be the big global story for South Korea’s music industry this week, but there are some interesting things going on domestically too. Two reports today shed light on trends for the country’s music sector.
First, The Chosun Daily reported on efforts from homegrown streaming services and Spotify to catch up to the market leader YouTube Music, noting that “the most heated competition is in offline experiential events”.
Melon’s ‘The Moment’ concerts and Spotify’s pop-ups and indie gigs are cited. Meanwhile, Genie Music is focusing more on “collectible albums and merchandise” to stand out from the crowd.
Live music is the main focus for the second article, on The Korea Herald, which reports on South Korea’s “growing influence in the global touring circuit” thanks to a wider variety of international acts playing there.
“This year, audiences in Korea can expect a more diverse lineup of international artists spanning indie, R&B and even folk,” it noted – this complementing the existing big stars who play concerts there.
The report also cited stats showing that the average South Korean went to 5.4 concerts in 2025, up from 3.4 in 2024. The proportion who went to an international artist’s gig rose from 9.5% to 15.9% too.
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