Posted by : TeamNH
Things took a serious turn in the K-Music world as fans realised that songs distributed by Kakao M were no longer available in Spotify Worldwide. But is this a new move?
When the World’s largest streaming app, Spotify finally launched in Korea earlier this Month, it had launched without the songs distributed by Kakao M and hence this meant that even though Spotify was officially available in Korea, songs from artists like IU, MONSTAX, Zico etc were not available. This move did raise questions but it was assumed that it was because of the presence of other local streaming sites like Melon, Genie and Flo. During that time, a spokesperson from Kakao M had told The Korea Herald, “We are still talking with Spotify (about distributing our songs through their platform)”.
Kakao M is after all one of the biggest content distributors in South Korea and is also in-charge of streaming app ‘Melon’. It was because of this reason that it was speculated that even though iTunes already had a presence in the Korean Market it could not break through because it did not have access to the songs distributed by Kakao M. Korea already has streaming sites like Melon, Genie and Flo. Korea’s largest music streaming platform is Melon, which enjoys a 37.5 percent local market share and together with Genie and Flo, it has more than 80% of the market share.
But even though the Kakao M songs were not available on Spotify Korea, it was available worldwide until today. This move has not only affected top groups like MonstaX, Mamamoo, Seventeen, Sistar, BTOB, A-Pink, Astro, Kard, IU, (G)i-dle, Sunmi etc but it has also affected new rookie groups like P1Harmony, Cravity, E’Last, Wei, StayC and many other groups belonging to small companies as any or all songs released by these artists since 2019 has been removed. Hiphop artists like Code Kunst, Zico, DPR Live, Giriboy etc along with Korean Band Jannabi and more has also been affected. K-Drama fans were also affected as many OSTs are no longer available.
Spotify has debuted it’s first K-Pop playlist in 2014 and ever since then, listeners have streamed more than 180 billion minutes of the genre and added K-Pop tracks to more than 120 million playlists. Spotify had also confirmed that in the last 6 years, the share of K-Pop listening on Spotify has even increased by more than 2,000%.
Platforms like Spotify help the artists reach out to international fans and also makes access to music easier for the fans and this move by Kakao M/Spotify has definitely brought about an uproar in the K-POP community. As fans started to realise that songs from many K-POP groups/artists have been removed, #Spotify #Melon #KakaoM began to trend worldwide. #Spotify trended No. 1 in India.
There has however been no news or update from Spotify or Kakao M but Tablo from Epik High did tweet about it and confirmed the news that their latest album, ‘Epik High is Here’ is currently unavailable because of a disagreement between Kakao M and Spotify.
Apparently a disagreement between our distributor Kakao M & Spotify has made our new album Epik High Is Here unavailable globally against our will. Regardless of who is at fault, why is it always the artists and the fans that suffer when businesses place greed over art?
— 에픽하이 타블로 | Tablo of Epik High (@blobyblo) February 28, 2021
With this move, many fans noticed that the number of streams for the affected artists has also gone down by a huge number. Streaming sites like Spotify, iTUNES, YouTube etc play an important role for the international fans as it is through these sites that they can show their support by streaming. In India as well, a lot of songs have topped the charts because of the efforts of the fans but it now looks like this will no longer be possible.
At a time when there has been a very high increase of interest towards Korean Music and Korean Drama, this move by Korea’s biggest content distributor does raise questions as Spotify holds a steadfast market worldwide when it comes to music streaming. Whether this move is permanent or temporary we do not know but we hope that a solution will be found between the two giants so that the artists and the fans will not suffer because of it.
Tags: K-HIPHOP, K-Pop, KAKAO M, MELON, Spotify, SPOTIFY KPOP
10 hours ago
10 hours ago
P.C: KOZ Entertainment
Namaste Hallyu is super excited to share our interview with our Artist of The Month – Singer and Songwriter Dvwn!
If you’re a fan of versatile Korean music, you might have definitely heard his song, ‘Being Left’ with Zico or ‘Fairy’ or even ‘Last’ and if you’re a KDrama fan, you must have heard him when listening to the OST ‘No Problem’ from the drama, ‘The Uncanny Counter’ or you might have seen Park Shin Hye featured in his latest music video, ‘Free Flight’.
Soundcloud has been a big platform for various artists around the world, both popular and rising and this platform holds the stories of many world famous artists who initially started there including Dvwn’s musical journey. He gathered a lot of attention on Soundcloud and is known for his soothing melodies that are self-written and composed and this caught the attention of one of the biggest South Korean rapper, Zico. Dvwn is now signed with Zico’s KOZ Entertainment, a subsidiary of HYBE Corporation (formerly known as Big Hit Entertainment).
P.C: KOZ Entertainment
Dvwn has not only made music for his fans but he has also worked with various artists. Dvwn has worked with EXO’s Lay Zhang and Chanyeol, separately for ‘Mapo Tofu’ and ‘SSFW’. He further participated in SHINee’s ‘Heart Attack’ from their recent album, ‘Love Yourself’ by Eric Nam, Babylon’s ‘Karma’, and had also featured in Kang Daniel’s track ‘Movie’. Dvwn has also received IU’s appreciation for his cover songs.
What we love the most about Dvwn is how he effortlessly shifts genre and makes it his own. Dvwn cannot be classified as one genre of artist and that is why, it is best to understand his style of music by listening to his music because he creates a genre of his own. But if we have to categorise him, then it would be ‘Versatile’. Ahead of his EP ‘It’s Not Your Fault’ releasing on the 14th of April, we got to speak with Dvwn. Read on to know about his musical journey, his inspirations, the upcoming EP and more, including a special message for his Indian fans.
Namaste Hallyu (NH): First of all, congratulations! You came back with a new single ‘Free Flight’ and it has been well received. What does the song ‘ Free Flight’ mean to you ? You have also mentioned that it was written and recorded two-three years ago, is ‘Free Flight’ in any way different from your album series ‘Dawn Defibrillation’- lyrically and musically?
Dvwn: Thank you very much! I tried to express a journey of flying into one’s dream to tell things that I wouldn’t be able to tell in reality, and then flying back to reality with clearer conscience with ‘Free Flight’. A friend of mine who is a producer wrote the song as an instrumental track, which we rearranged to complete it as it is now. This song was supposed to be one of the tracks in ‘Dawn Defibrillation’ and you will find many similarities but on the other hand, the topic of the lyrics and the genre form are quite different. ‘Free Flight’ is a song where I tell a story in a more calm manner.
NH: You have been giving us so many amazing songs. What is your process when you’re writing a song? Any musical artist/art in general that has a major influence on your style?
Dvwn: The music writing process differs for each song. I sometimes stumble across a word in my daily life and start from that word and sometimes I get inspired by a book. Most of the time, I start by just sitting down in a chair. The artists that influences me the most, changes all the time and recently, I’ve been most inspired by films directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.
NH: It has been two years since you released your first self-produced album, ‘Panorama’ and ‘Fairy’ still remains as your most streamed song from that album and since then, it has been a journey of so many amazing songs. Which is your favorite work so far?
Dvwn: My favorite work changes all the time. I always find myself liking the most recently written song the most and I believe that many artists would relate to that. Of all the released songs, I like ‘Free flight’ the most. It must be because I prefer calmer music nowadays.
NH: You mentioned in a previous interview about how The Black Skirts is one of your favorite musician, have you ever thought of a possible collaboration and how do you think it will turn out?
Dvwn: I do like The Black Skirts very much but a collaboration is a very difficult process. I feel that it would be better to keep my favorite artist as the favorite artist and nothing more but if I were to collaborate with him, I think the song will turn out to be a very rocking one.
NH: You have never been bounded by a single genre and in the past, you had mentioned that you would like to try ‘Gospel’ music, is that still the same or is there any particular genre that you want to try?
Dvwn: Yes, I still want to try Gospel music someday, as the majestic feel of the genre can’t be replaced by any other. Other than Gospel music, I would love to try to write psychedelic or alternative rock music.
NH: ‘Dawn Defibrillation’ has continued as a series and you have also expressed that it will be finalized as an EP or LP. So can we expect it in the near future?
Dvwn: I have currently pushed the project to a later time, and am focusing on the upcoming album. As it is a series, I feel that I would need more time to think about it. It will happen when the time is right.
NH: You had shared a snippet in your Instagram Story which seemed like a demo of ‘Free Flight’ but in English. If it is the English version, we were wondering if your fans would get a chance to listen to it.
Dvwn: It’s actually not an English version, but a demo with rough melody guides. I normally sing in gibberish English when I’m writing the melodies, and it must have sounded like an English version. I would love to release an English version if the meaning of ‘Free Flight’ can be translated into English without losing its meaning.
NH: You have recently sung the OST, ‘No Problem’ for the K-Drama ‘The Uncanny Encounter’ and it has been wonderfully received. How was the experience? If we are not wrong, isn’t this your first OST? In addition, is there an OST of any Drama or Movie in particular that you like a lot?
Dvwn: Yes, it was my first time, and it was a very unique experience. I have never had anyone direct me in the recording process and so, it was awkward at first but I enjoyed the experience. I love the OST of Reply 1988, “A Little Girl” sung by Oh Hyuk.
NH: We heard that your new EP ‘It’s not your fault’ will be released soon. As it’s the first record after signing with KOZ Entertainment, we are wondering what kind of story it contains. Could you give us a spoiler before it’s released?
Dvwn: I think the listeners would find the album quite heavy overall. It contains many feelings and stories and its difficult to explain in a short sentence, but I would say the main keywords are sadness and loneliness. You will know what I mean when you listen to it. To spoil it a little, the album consists of songs with many different genres. Please don’t miss out on ‘It’s not your fault’.
NH: Lastly, any message for your Indian fans and what to expect from you?
Dvwn: Thank you so much for listening to my music. I have been working hard to present good music to you. My new EP ‘It’s not your fault’ will release soon, so please look forward to it! Thank you so much again for all the love!
Dvwn has an intense passion for music and sheds light on the importance of fans being able to resonate with his music. We are very happy to have interviewed such a versatile artist who produces fervent music and we are grateful to Dvwn and KOZ Entertainment for the opportunity. We look forward to all the new music and we hope to see him perform in India, someday.
Dvwn’s new EP, ‘It’s Not Your Fault’ is releasing on April 14 featuring various artists like lIlBOI, CHE, jane, and Kwon Jin Ah. KOZ Entertainment Announces Dvwn’s Comeback
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Last updated on December 28th, 2020 at 02:02 pm
K/DA is back to dominate the world with the latest concept video.
P.C: KOZ Entertainment
Namaste Hallyu is super excited to share our interview with our Artist of The Month – Singer and Songwriter Dvwn!
If you’re a fan of versatile Korean music, you might have definitely heard his song, ‘Being Left’ with Zico or ‘Fairy’ or even ‘Last’ and if you’re a KDrama fan, you must have heard him when listening to the OST ‘No Problem’ from the drama, ‘The Uncanny Counter’ or you might have seen Park Shin Hye featured in his latest music video, ‘Free Flight’.
Soundcloud has been a big platform for various artists around the world, both popular and rising and this platform holds the stories of many world famous artists who initially started there including Dvwn’s musical journey. He gathered a lot of attention on Soundcloud and is known for his soothing melodies that are self-written and composed and this caught the attention of one of the biggest South Korean rapper, Zico. Dvwn is now signed with Zico’s KOZ Entertainment, a subsidiary of HYBE Corporation (formerly known as Big Hit Entertainment).
P.C: KOZ Entertainment
Dvwn has not only made music for his fans but he has also worked with various artists. Dvwn has worked with EXO’s Lay Zhang and Chanyeol, separately for ‘Mapo Tofu’ and ‘SSFW’. He further participated in SHINee’s ‘Heart Attack’ from their recent album, ‘Love Yourself’ by Eric Nam, Babylon’s ‘Karma’, and had also featured in Kang Daniel’s track ‘Movie’. Dvwn has also received IU’s appreciation for his cover songs.
What we love the most about Dvwn is how he effortlessly shifts genre and makes it his own. Dvwn cannot be classified as one genre of artist and that is why, it is best to understand his style of music by listening to his music because he creates a genre of his own. But if we have to categorise him, then it would be ‘Versatile’. Ahead of his EP ‘It’s Not Your Fault’ releasing on the 14th of April, we got to speak with Dvwn. Read on to know about his musical journey, his inspirations, the upcoming EP and more, including a special message for his Indian fans.
Namaste Hallyu (NH): First of all, congratulations! You came back with a new single ‘Free Flight’ and it has been well received. What does the song ‘ Free Flight’ mean to you ? You have also mentioned that it was written and recorded two-three years ago, is ‘Free Flight’ in any way different from your album series ‘Dawn Defibrillation’- lyrically and musically?
Dvwn: Thank you very much! I tried to express a journey of flying into one’s dream to tell things that I wouldn’t be able to tell in reality, and then flying back to reality with clearer conscience with ‘Free Flight’. A friend of mine who is a producer wrote the song as an instrumental track, which we rearranged to complete it as it is now. This song was supposed to be one of the tracks in ‘Dawn Defibrillation’ and you will find many similarities but on the other hand, the topic of the lyrics and the genre form are quite different. ‘Free Flight’ is a song where I tell a story in a more calm manner.
NH: You have been giving us so many amazing songs. What is your process when you’re writing a song? Any musical artist/art in general that has a major influence on your style?
Dvwn: The music writing process differs for each song. I sometimes stumble across a word in my daily life and start from that word and sometimes I get inspired by a book. Most of the time, I start by just sitting down in a chair. The artists that influences me the most, changes all the time and recently, I’ve been most inspired by films directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.
NH: It has been two years since you released your first self-produced album, ‘Panorama’ and ‘Fairy’ still remains as your most streamed song from that album and since then, it has been a journey of so many amazing songs. Which is your favorite work so far?
Dvwn: My favorite work changes all the time. I always find myself liking the most recently written song the most and I believe that many artists would relate to that. Of all the released songs, I like ‘Free flight’ the most. It must be because I prefer calmer music nowadays.
NH: You mentioned in a previous interview about how The Black Skirts is one of your favorite musician, have you ever thought of a possible collaboration and how do you think it will turn out?
Dvwn: I do like The Black Skirts very much but a collaboration is a very difficult process. I feel that it would be better to keep my favorite artist as the favorite artist and nothing more but if I were to collaborate with him, I think the song will turn out to be a very rocking one.
NH: You have never been bounded by a single genre and in the past, you had mentioned that you would like to try ‘Gospel’ music, is that still the same or is there any particular genre that you want to try?
Dvwn: Yes, I still want to try Gospel music someday, as the majestic feel of the genre can’t be replaced by any other. Other than Gospel music, I would love to try to write psychedelic or alternative rock music.
NH: ‘Dawn Defibrillation’ has continued as a series and you have also expressed that it will be finalized as an EP or LP. So can we expect it in the near future?
Dvwn: I have currently pushed the project to a later time, and am focusing on the upcoming album. As it is a series, I feel that I would need more time to think about it. It will happen when the time is right.
NH: You had shared a snippet in your Instagram Story which seemed like a demo of ‘Free Flight’ but in English. If it is the English version, we were wondering if your fans would get a chance to listen to it.
Dvwn: It’s actually not an English version, but a demo with rough melody guides. I normally sing in gibberish English when I’m writing the melodies, and it must have sounded like an English version. I would love to release an English version if the meaning of ‘Free Flight’ can be translated into English without losing its meaning.
NH: You have recently sung the OST, ‘No Problem’ for the K-Drama ‘The Uncanny Encounter’ and it has been wonderfully received. How was the experience? If we are not wrong, isn’t this your first OST? In addition, is there an OST of any Drama or Movie in particular that you like a lot?
Dvwn: Yes, it was my first time, and it was a very unique experience. I have never had anyone direct me in the recording process and so, it was awkward at first but I enjoyed the experience. I love the OST of Reply 1988, “A Little Girl” sung by Oh Hyuk.
NH: We heard that your new EP ‘It’s not your fault’ will be released soon. As it’s the first record after signing with KOZ Entertainment, we are wondering what kind of story it contains. Could you give us a spoiler before it’s released?
Dvwn: I think the listeners would find the album quite heavy overall. It contains many feelings and stories and its difficult to explain in a short sentence, but I would say the main keywords are sadness and loneliness. You will know what I mean when you listen to it. To spoil it a little, the album consists of songs with many different genres. Please don’t miss out on ‘It’s not your fault’.
NH: Lastly, any message for your Indian fans and what to expect from you?
Dvwn: Thank you so much for listening to my music. I have been working hard to present good music to you. My new EP ‘It’s not your fault’ will release soon, so please look forward to it! Thank you so much again for all the love!
Dvwn has an intense passion for music and sheds light on the importance of fans being able to resonate with his music. We are very happy to have interviewed such a versatile artist who produces fervent music and we are grateful to Dvwn and KOZ Entertainment for the opportunity. We look forward to all the new music and we hope to see him perform in India, someday.
Dvwn’s new EP, ‘It’s Not Your Fault’ is releasing on April 14 featuring various artists like lIlBOI, CHE, jane, and Kwon Jin Ah. KOZ Entertainment Announces Dvwn’s Comeback
1 day ago
2 weeks ago
March 3rd, 2021
Big Naughty (Seo Dong Hyun) from H1gher Music is a 2003 born soloist with a soothing voice perfect for the sensible rap that he is known for. His vocals does not limit him to rapping as he sings well too and recently he released his latest contemporary R & B Genre, EP “Bucket List”. In his EP, he has shown a different side of his music taste from that he is usually known for. Read on to read our review.
We want the songs back on Spotify,they were some of our favorite songs n artists n we want them to support by showing our streaming sector