Sichuan builds an original music ecology co-creation platform to link with the world

The Sichuan Original Music Ecology Co-creation Conference was held in Beijing on Jan. 17 under the theme "Linking the World with Original Music." The event explored industry development pathways and how to inject stronger momentum into building an open, collaborative, and sustainable new digital ecology for original music from Sichuan.

Partners launch a music ecosystem co-creation plan at the Sichuan Original Music Ecology Co-creation Conference in Beijing, Jan. 17, 2026. [Photo courtesy of Music Business]

Co-organized by Sichuan Media Group (SCMG) and its flagship new media brand Sichuan Guancha, the conference was supported by Music Business and joined by partners including Bilibili and Sony Music Entertainment. It served as a high-level industry event integrating policy discussions and specialized networking exchanges.

"Good music requires fertile soil and, even more, a well-developed ecosystem," said Yue Xueyuan, chairman of Sichuan Guancha, in his keynote speech. He outlined the strategy of "one competition, one integrated communication system, and one AI stage" as the practical path forward.

Central to this ecosystem is the Sichuan Original Songs Competition. The 2024 edition produced the phenomenon "Jade Plate," which journeyed from Sichuan to the national Spring Festival Gala. It has amassed more than 500 million plays and 27 billion topic views online. The 2025 competition built a "universal participation, ubiquitous listening" model, collecting 20,157 valid entries nationwide — an eightfold increase — with activities reaching over 200 million people online.

The 2025 competition refined its approach with a "users as jurors" public voting model that attracted over 200,000 votes. It implemented a rigorous three-tier judging system and introduced a Sichuan-related category to promote regional culture. With a total prize money pool exceeding 2.5 million yuan, the top award of one million yuan went to "Mother's River" by ethnic Yi singer Jihu, highlighting cultural heritage.

Sichuan Guancha leverages its massive digital reach of 170 million followers across its platforms to promote music through a professional system. This includes identifying a song's "golden 15-second" highlight, creating diverse usage scenarios, and long-term "audio IP" operations to transform viral hits into enduring classics. This also serves as a way of addressing the industry's challenge of being heavy on creation but light on commercialization.

The event's release of ecological co-creation outcomes in the past showcased the diverse breakthroughs of Sichuan's original music in fields such as virtual technology, esports, cultural export and rural revitalization. 

AI virtual artist "Una" is unveiled at the Sichuan Original Music Ecology Co-creation Conference in Beijing, Jan. 17, 2026. [Photo courtesy of Music Business]

For the future, a key announcement was the launch of the AI virtual artist "Una" and its pioneering online concert, utilizing AIGC to open a new digital path. The event also appointed top vocaloid Luo Tianyi as "Sichuan Guancha Virtual Music Promotion Ambassador." The song "Qian Deng Hui" ("Illuminated by a Thousand Lanterns"), featuring Luo Tianyi, was authorized as the theme for the 32nd Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival.

Further expanding the music scene, Sichuan Guancha designated the song "Over the Top" as the promotional track for the Honor of Kings National Championship 2026, tapping into the vast esports audience. It also announced a cultural promotion platform co-developed with Macau Live Streaming Association to take Sichuan's original music global, and licensed the song "The Returning Wind" to the China Foundation for Rural Development for its "Livable Homes" project.

A subsequent roundtable discussion focused on "how to build a fully connected ecosystem for original music from creation to industry." Participants agreed that sustainability requires a complete "creation-distribution-transformation" chain, maximizing value through policy, technology and cross-sector integration.

Lucy Dong, founder of Music Business, released the "Sichuan Province Music Industry White Paper" at the event. She mentioned the conference, along with the Music Business Industry Awards held in Beijing on Jan. 17, gathered local music forces in Sichuan, whilst connected them with national industry resources. This injected new momentum into the development of Sichuan's original music.

Music executives and experts join a roundtable discussion during the Sichuan Original Music Ecology Co-creation Conference in Beijing, Jan. 17, 2026. [Photo courtesy of Music Business]

Concluding the conference, Sichuan Guancha's Yue stated that Sichuan will deepen "music+" crossover integration and improve services to welcome global professionals. He highlighted the province's cultural heritage, industrial support and open platforms as key advantages. "This vibrant land of Sichuan is poised to become a fertile ground where music talents pursue their dreams and create masterpieces, allowing more moving melodies to travel from Sichuan to the nation and resonate across the world," he said.