NetEase Cloud Music surpassed 1M indie artists on its platform

China’s indie scene just flooded one platform as NetEase Cloud Music crossed one million direct artist signings and pumped up profits hard in 2025.

Indie army tops one million

• NetEase Cloud Music reported over 1 million indie artists.
• Those creators uploaded more than 5.6 million tracks.
• August 2025 showed 819,000 artists on the roster.
• As of the end of 2022 counted 611,000 independent acts.

Subscription and music revenue climb

• Subscription income rose 13.3% to RMB 5.1 billion.
• Online music services generated RMB 6.0 billion.
• Monthly ARPPU dipped due to subscriber mix changes.
• The company said retention and activity levels improved.

Profit jumps despite revenue dip

• Total revenue slipped 2.4% to RMB 7.8 billion.
• Social entertainment income fell to RMB 1.8 billion.
• Operating profit surged 38.5% to RMB 1,622.0 million.
• Net profit reached RMB 2,745.8 million.

Brand deals and artist support

• The platform offers end-to-end help on creation and promotion.
• The Original Sound Promoters program activated university ambassadors.
• Partnerships featured Audi and China Mobile.
• Fantasy Westward Journey received customized songs.

Licensing spree and global catalogs

• Universal Music Group signed a multi-year China deal.
• MThe usic Copyright Society of China added retroactive coverage.
• RBW and StarShip expanded K-Pop supply.
• Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift launches saw strong streams.

Catalog depth and genre focus

• SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment remain partners.
• Kadokawa collaboration boosted Japanese ACG offerings.
• Deco*27 helped deliver more J-Pop content.
• TVB contributions enriched the OST library.