Melon to launch integrated Korea-China-Japan chart for K-pop artists

Melon to launch integrated Korea-China-Japan chart for K-pop artists: K-POP / 연합뉴스 / 2025-12-23 14:42:04

▲ This composite image of the three entertainment giants is provided by Kakao Entertainment. The South Korean firm, which operates music streaming platform Melon, has signed separate agreements with China’s Tencent Music and Japan’s Line Music to jointly launch a tentative “K-pop Artist Chart" on Dec. 23, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Yonhap) -- Melon, South Korea’s leading music streaming platform, will introduce a new chart that integrates K-pop usage data from South Korea, China and Japan.

Kakao Entertainment, which operates Melon, said Tuesday it has signed separate agreements with China’s Tencent Music and Japan’s Line Music to jointly launch a tentative “K-pop Artist Chart.”

Slated for release in the first half of next year, the chart will aggregate K-pop usage data from Melon, Tencent Music’s platforms — including QQ Music and Kugou Music — and Japan’s Line Music to present a unified ranking.

Kakao Entertainment said the rankings will be calculated by objectively and fairly reflecting user activity and consumption data across the participating platforms.

Through the new chart, users will be able to track K-pop trends on Melon, while artists and labels are expected to use the data as a reference for planning promotional and release strategies.

With a history spanning more than two decades, Melon currently provides rankings such as the “Top 100,” and its data has been incorporated into the U.S. Billboard charts since June 2023.

Tencent Music operates major platforms including QQ Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music and JOOX, and has strong influence in China and Southeast Asia. Line Music offers a streaming service linked to Line, a communication application used by some 99 million people in Japan.

“Three companies leading the Asian music industry coming together to present a global-standard chart for K-pop is highly meaningful,” said Jang Yoon-joong, chief executive officer of Kakao Entertainment. “By offering a highly credible benchmark for the K-pop market, this initiative will create new value for the industry, artists and fans alike.”