K-Content News

Beyond Billboard: Melon Launches Pan-Asia K-Pop Chart with Tencent and LINE

This article signals a critical shift toward Asia-centric, platform-verified K-pop performance metrics—

offering global buyers and labels a new, data-driven benchmark beyond Western charts like Billboard.

♦  A New Pan-Asia K-Pop Metric Takes Shape

      • Kakao Entertainment signed business agreements with Tencent Music and LINE Music to launch

          a K-Pop Artist Chart integrating Korea, China, and Japan data

      • Targeting first half 2026 launch, the chart will aggregate K-pop consumption across Melon,

          Tencent Music platforms, and LINE Music

♦  Strategic Alliance with Asia’s Top Music Platforms

      • Rankings will be calculated by objectively and reflecting user activity and listening behavior across

          participating platforms

      • Tencent Music dominates China and Southeast Asia with multiple platforms, while LINE Music

          integrates with Japan's LINE app used by 99 million people

♦  From Fan Insight to Industry Strategy

      • Users will track real-time K-pop trends via Melon, while artists and labels can use the chart as strategic

          reference data for activity planning

      • Melon has contributed data to Billboard charts since June 2023, strengthening its role as industry data hub

♦  Toward an Asia-Led Global Standard

      • Kakao Entertainment CEO called it meaningful that three companies leading Asia’s music industry

          present a global standard chart for K-pop

      • The initiative aims to provide high-credibility standards for the K-pop market, creating new value for

          the industry, artists, and fans

Source

Yonhap News Agency (2025.12.23)

https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20251223056300005