Hong Kong Rock singer Paul Wong (L) and Gao Xiaosong

Gao Xiaosong, the lead panel judge at the 13th Top Chinese Music Chart Awards, recently said that the Chinese music industry will soon enter into a copyright protected era. Gao says that with increased protection of artists' works, talented musicians can finally make music for a living.

In 2012, 92-year-old music store HMV filed for bankruptcy protection, as traditional music consumption was replaced by the Internet and newer marketing models.

A recent International Federation of Phonographic Alliance industrial report showed that in 2012, the global music industry's revenue was $16.5 billion, a 0.3 percent year-on-year increase. Digital music revenue accounted for nearly one-third of this figure, an increase of 9 percent over the previous year.

In China, the recent annual revenue of the music industry through mobile platforms exceeds 30 billion yuan, but only 6 percent of this 30 billion is generated by copyrighted imports. Signs indicate that Chinese music consumers' enthusiasm is on the rise, and the rapid development of mobile phone and Internet media has created a new platform for music.

However, without strong copyright protection and transparent enforcement, little money can find its way back to the producers and artists.

In the long term, music will slowly return to a basic business principle of pay-for-consumption, with new media platforms diversifying and maximizing profits.

The author is a music producer.

The post was published in Chinese and translated by An Wei.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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