Warner Music China has struck a partnership with Dream Maker, a Chinese company that makes virtual singers, announced in June through a regional press release. Dream Maker says it has created more than 3,000 of them and that their videos have passed 10 billion views.
Its biggest act, KONG, is said to have led Douyin's virtual category for both livestream audience and revenue, and has appeared in content for Cetaphil. Each avatar is voiced and moved by a real performer using live motion capture, and Warner artists are expected to feature on the virtual acts' releases.
For Warner the deal is also a way into China's fast-growing but hard-to-crack market, where it has lost some share since signing local stars in 2023 and 2024. Virtual idols have fared worse elsewhere: Sony Music Japan closed its Prism Project agency in 2024.
Sources · 1