Liszt Quotes: 15 Issues He Stated About Music, Life, and Genius

Liszt Quotes: 15 Issues He Stated About Music, Life, and Genius

by | Aug 24, 2026 | Classic, Musical Industry


Franz Liszt was many issues: essentially the most celebrated piano virtuoso of the nineteenth century, a prolific composer, a conductor, a instructor, and a Catholic abbé.

He was additionally a prodigious letter-writer, and his correspondence reveals a thoughts that was stressed, opinionated, and surprisingly self-aware.

Franz Liszt

The quotes beneath are drawn from his letters and journals throughout six a long time – from a frenetic younger man pushing himself to the sting, to an previous man who had outlived two of his youngsters and most of his contemporaries.

Liszt on Different Composers

Liszt on Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven, 1804 (Joseph Willibrord Mähler)

Beethoven wasn’t simply an affect on Liszt and his contemporaries; he was a compass.

In 1852, Liszt reached for some of the hanging metaphors in his total correspondence to clarify what Beethoven’s music meant to him.

For us musicians, Beethoven’s work is just like the pillar of cloud and hearth which guided the Israelites via the desert – a pillar of cloud to information us by day, a pillar of fireside to information us by evening, “in order that we could progress each day and evening.” His obscurity and his mild hint for us equally the trail we’ve to observe; they’re every of them a perpetual commandment, an infallible revelation.

– Liszt writing to his pal Wilhelm von Lenz, 1852 (age 41)

Liszt’s transcription of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5

Liszt on Schumann

Robert Schumann

Liszt and Schumann each had nice respect for each other. The particular and enthusiastic reward Liszt provided Schumann within the late 1830s is noteworthy.

[Your] Carnaval and the Fantasiestücke have me excessively. I play them actually with delight, and God is aware of that I can’t say as a lot of many issues. To talk frankly and freely, it’s completely solely Chopin’s compositions and yours which have a strong curiosity for me. The remainder don’t deserve the honour of being talked about…

– Liszt to Robert Schumann, 1838 (age 27)

As to the Kinderscenen, I owe to them one of many biggest pleasures of my life. , otherwise you don’t know, that I’ve somewhat woman of three years previous, whom everyone agrees in contemplating angelic (did you ever hear such a commonplace?). Her identify is Blandine-Rachel… [She is] essentially the most silent youngster, essentially the most sweetly grave, essentially the most philosophically homosexual on the earth. I’ve each cause to hope additionally that she won’t be a musician, from which can Heaven protect her!

Nicely, my expensive Monsieur Schumann, two or 3 times per week (on tremendous and good days!) I play your Kinderscenen to her within the night; this enchants her, and me nonetheless extra, as it’s possible you’ll think about, so that usually I am going over the primary repeat twenty occasions with out going any additional.

– Liszt to Robert Schumann, 1839 (age 28)

Robert Schumann: Kinderscenen, Op. 15: VII. Träumerei (Dreaming) (Detlef Kraus, piano)

Liszt on Wagner

Richard Wagner

When Wagner arrived in Weimar in 1849 – a fugitive from the Dresden rebellion, broke and politically radioactive – Liszt was one of many few folks prepared to obtain him. Liszt’s evaluation of Wagner was characteristically direct.

Richard Wagner, a conductor from Dresden, has been right here since yesterday. That may be a man of fantastic genius, such a brain-splitting genius certainly as beseems this nation, – a brand new and good look in Artwork.

– Liszt writing to his pal Gaetano Belloni, 1849 (age 38)

Liszt’s piano transcription of Wagner’s Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde

Liszt on Berlioz

Gustave Courbet: Hector Berlioz, 1850 (Musée d’Orsay)

Liszt was one in all Berlioz‘s most dedicated champions, programming his work at Weimar when nearly nobody else would. However his admiration got here with clear-eyed circumstances, as this letter exhibits.

However it will likely be crucial so that you can have a number of rehearsals – and certainly separate rehearsals for the quartet, and separate rehearsals for the wind devices. The impact of Berlioz’s works can solely be uncommonly good when the efficiency of them is passable. They’re equally unsuited to the abnormal worthy theatre and live performance maker, as a result of they require the next creative standpoint from the musician’s facet.

– Liszt writing to his pal Gustav Schmidt, 1853 (age 42)

Liszt on Craft and Problem

Franz Liszt, 1843 (photograph by Herman Blow)

Liszt on What He Practised – and Learn

At twenty-one, Liszt was in the midst of a interval of ferocious self-reinvention – linking his research of literature and music, studying all the pieces, taking part in all the pieces, pushing his pianistic approach to the sting of what was thought of potential. This letter captures that frenetic youthful temper.

Here’s a complete fortnight that my thoughts and fingers have been working like two misplaced spirits, – Homer, the Bible, Plato, Locke, Byron, Hugo, Lamartine, Chateaubriand, Beethoven, Bach, Hummel, Mozart, Weber, are throughout me. I research them, meditate on them, devour them with fury; apart from this I practise 4 to 5 hours of workout routines (3rds, 6ths, 8ths, tremolos, repetition of notes, cadences, and so on., and so on.). Ah! offered I don’t go mad, you can find an artist in me!

– Liszt to his pal Pierre Wolff, Jr., 1832 (age 21)

Liszt on the Variations Between Publishing Music and Literature

Right here Liszt made a quiet however pointed statement concerning the distinction between how writers and composers deal with publishing their very own work.

In literature, the manufacturing of very a lot altered, elevated, and improved editions is not any unusual factor. In works each essential and trivial, alterations, additions, various divisions of intervals, and so on., are a typical expertise of an writer. Within the area of music such a factor is extra minute and tougher – and subsequently it’s seldom executed. Nonetheless, I do think about it very worthwhile to appropriate one’s errors so far as potential and to utilize the experiences one positive factors from the editions of the works themselves.

– Liszt to his pal Alfred Dörffel, 1855 (age 44)

Liszt on Standing on Creative Ideas

That is one in all Liszt’s most candid letters: a frank admission of a mistake he made throughout his live performance touring years, and the lesson he drew from it.

The frequent ill-success of my performances of Schumann’s compositions, each in non-public circles and in public, discouraged me from together with and retaining them within the programmes of my concert events which adopted so quickly on each other – programmes which, partly from need of time and partly from carelessness and satiety of the “Glanz-Periode” [Splendor Period] of my pianoforte-playing, I seldom, besides within the rarest circumstances, deliberate myself, however gave them now into this one’s palms, and now that one, to decide on what they appreciated. That was a mistake, as I found later and deeply regretted, once I had discovered to know that for the artist who needs to be worthy of the identify of artist the hazard of not pleasing the general public is a far much less one than that of permitting oneself to be determined by its humors – and to this hazard each govt artist is particularly uncovered, if he doesn’t take braveness resolutely and on precept to face earnestly and persistently by his conviction, and to provide these works which he is aware of to be one of the best, whether or not folks like them or not.

– Liszt to his pal J.W. von Wasielewski, 1857 (age 45)

Franz Liszt: Schumann — Liebeslied, S566/R253, “Widmung” (Louis Lortie, piano)

Liszt on How A lot Pianists Ought to Program Him

Liszt live performance cartoon

Primarily based on his exuberant, extroverted, virtuosic music, you may assume that Liszt had an enormous ego – however as this wry statement from his previous age signifies, he had a noticeable streak of humility…or not less than self-awareness.

An hour and a half of my pianoforte music, nevertheless admirably performed, is greater than ample.

– Liszt to his pal Jules de Zarembski, 1881 (age 70)

Liszt on Genius

Genius is the company via which the supernatural is revealed to man.

– Liszt, date unknown

Liszt on Individuals and Disappointment

Liszt on His Buddies and Enemies

By 1838 Liszt was well-known sufficient to have amassed a major quantity of people that wished one thing from him. He had taken their measure.

I do know that an awesome most of the individuals who strategy me with a smile on their lips, and protestations of friendship on their tongues, don’t have anything higher to do than to tug me to items as finest they will as quickly as they’re exterior my door. It’s, furthermore, the destiny of all of the world. I resign myself to it willingly, as I do to all of the absurd and odious requirements of this decrease world. There may be, apart from, simply this a lot good in these unhappy experiences of varied relations with males – which is, that one learns to relish and admire higher the devotion of the few buddies whom probability has thrown in your path.

– Liszt to his pal Simon Lowy, 1838 (age 27)

Liszt on Ineffective Individuals

Christian Louis Köhler

Liszt wrote this grievance to his pal Louis Kohler in 1853. By that point, he’d largely retired from the live performance stage in favour of composing and main the Weimar court docket orchestra, however he nonetheless had points budgeting his time and power.

Suppose I may solely get rid of my time higher! However it’s a wretched distress to must spend one’s time upon so many ineffective issues and other people, when one’s head is kind of stuffed with different issues! – Nicely, it have to be so.

– Liszt to his pal Louis Kohler, 1853 (age 42)

Liszt on Struggling

By the top of his life, Liszt had survived a number of private losses and tragedies. Late in life, he grew to become reflective about methods to grapple with them.

Struggling, ache, and sorrow are the lot of mankind… Since all of us should stay and die, tell us how to take action in noble simplicity.

– Liszt to his pal Olga Von Meyendorff, 1881 (age 70)

Liszt on Making the Most of Life

Two quotes, fifty-nine years aside. The primary comes from his journal at sixteen; the second recorded by his scholar Arthur Friedheim when Liszt was seventy-five. His need to stay life to its fullest by no means modified.

Losing time is without doubt one of the worst faults on the earth. Life is so brief, each second is so valuable; but we stay as if life won’t ever finish.

– Liszt in his journal, 1827 (age 16)

You’re inclined to return too late. Watch out for lacking probabilities; in any other case it might be altogether too late sometime.

– Liszt as quoted by scholar Arthur Friedheim, 1886 (age 75)

Liszt’s Bagatelle sans tonalité, 1885

Conclusion

What strikes you, studying Liszt’s letters throughout the span of his life, is how constant he was.

The twenty-one-year-old devouring Homer and Bach and pushing himself to insanity is recognisably the identical particular person because the seventy-five-year-old warning his scholar to not come too late.

His urge for food for artwork, music, and life by no means dimmed. Neither did his readability about what mattered – and what didn’t.

For extra of one of the best in classical music, for our E-Publication

The Economics of Okay-pop – half 12: Music Streaming Providers in South Korea – Music Enterprise Analysis

The Economics of Okay-pop – half 12: Music Streaming Providers in South Korea – Music Enterprise Analysis

by | Jul 20, 2026 | Entertainment Law, Music Business, Podcast News


The worldwide success of Okay-pop wouldn’t be potential with no robust home music market. Sooner than in different nations, highly effective home music streaming providers have been in a position to set up themselves in South Korea, working intently with Okay-pop corporations and even being financially managed by them. Nevertheless, as we noticed partly 2 of this collection, international streaming providers – led by YouTube Music and Spotify – have managed to determine themselves within the South Korean market in recent times. To conclude this weblog collection on the economics of Okay-pop, we due to this fact need to take a better take a look at the 5 most necessary music streaming providers in South Korea.

The Economics of Okay-pop – half 12: Music Streaming Providers in South Korea

MelOn

The longtime market chief within the South Korean music streaming market was MelOn, a reputation derived from Melody On. MelOn was launched on 16 November 2004 by the Korean cell community operator SK Telecom as an all-you-can-eat MP3 obtain portal for KRW 3,000 to five,000 per thirty days. MelOn was an immediate success and, only one month after its launch, was already attracting a mean of 10,000 customers per day.[1]

In 2005, SK Telecom acquired a 43.3 per cent stake in YBM Seoul Information for the equal of US $12.6 million.[2] Seoul Information was based in 1978 by Min Yeong-bin as a file label and artist administration company, working as a subsidiary of Sisa English, a producer of language studying cassettes, and was renamed YBM Seoul Information in 2000.[3] In 2008, YBM Seoul Information was renamed LOEN Leisure.[4] A 12 months later, the music distribution platform MelOn was additionally built-in into LOEN.[5]

This label and company conglomerate, which was additionally listed on the Seoul Inventory Alternate, caught the eye of one in every of Asia’s largest non-public fairness companies, Affinity Fairness Companions, which acquired a 52.56 per cent stake in LOEN in July 2013 by its Hong Kong subsidiary Star Make investments, thereby decreasing SK Telecom’s stake in LOEN to fifteen per cent.[6] In December of that very same 12 months, Star Make investments additionally acquired the 8.83 per cent stake that RealNetworks held in LOEN, thereby growing Star Make investments’s stake in LOEN to greater than 60 per cent.[7] With monetary backing from Star Make investments, LOEN was in a position to purchase a 70 per cent stake within the Okay-pop group Starship Leisure in December 2013.[8]

The massive coup, nevertheless, was the takeover of LOEN by Kakao Company in January 2016 for the equal of US $1.64 billion.[9] Consequently, LOEN grew to become a part of one in every of South Korea’s largest web and leisure teams. Kakao has its roots within the web messenger KakaoTalk, which was launched in 2006 by Kim Bum-soo.[10] This grew into a bunch that now contains, amongst others, an internet fee service (Kakao Pay), an web financial institution (Kakao Financial institution), a video games developer (Kakao Video games) and a taxi service (Kakao Mobility).[11]

One in all Kakao’s largest enterprise divisions was LOEN, which was renamed Kakao M in 2018, with “M” standing for MelOn, music and media[12] and thus referred to the three divisions of the corporate: (1) the MelOn music streaming service, (2) the Music Content material Firm, comprising the labels acquired by LOEN through the years, the ticketing platform MelOn Ticket and the Okay-pop company 1theK, and (3) the Video Content material Firm.[13] Nevertheless, in March 2021, the corporate construction was modified as soon as once more when Kakao M merged with the digital content material platform Kakao Web page, which permits customers to create their very own movies, audio recordsdata and fictional texts.[14] A part of the merger additionally concerned the combination of MelOn into the brand new firm, Kakao Leisure, which now combines music manufacturing and rights administration with MelOn’s music distribution. On the time of the merger, MelOn had 33 million lively customers and 5 million paying subscribers.[15] As we now have already seen, this made MelOn the biggest music streaming service in South Korea.

Nevertheless, this modified with elevated competitors from overseas. Shortly after Spotify’s market entry on 1 February 2021, the primary showdown befell. Spotify eliminated all Okay-pop tracks from Kakao Leisure’s (then nonetheless referred to as Kakao M) catalogue from its platform worldwide, as the 2 events have been unable to achieve an settlement on a licensing deal. The boycott was, nevertheless, short-lived, as Kakao and Spotify reached a licensing deal as early as March 2021, bringing the Okay-pop repertoire again to Spotify.[16]

One may dismiss the battle as a storm in a teacup have been it not for the truth that it highlights the weak place of Korean streaming providers in relation to the worldwide market leaders. MelOn and its rivals owe their success primarily to Okay-pop, however they have been unable to compete with the worldwide repertoire important for a profitable music streaming service for a very long time.

Genie Music

Genie Music, with 2.57 million lively customers per thirty days, is South Korea’s second-largest home music streaming service. Genie has its roots within the music division of Bluecord Know-how, a Korean tech agency based as early as 1991 that has additionally diversified into the leisure and media sectors.[17] Initially, Genie Music’s predecessor was concerned in music manufacturing and file distribution in South Korea. In 2000, it additionally acquired a serious music publishing firm by the takeover of Doremi Media Co. Within the mid-2000s, Muz.co.kr – the nation’s main music obtain platform – was launched,[18] which was to turn into the nucleus of the Genie Music streaming service.

In 2007, KT Freetel Co., one in every of South Korea’s largest telecommunications corporations, acquired a 35.28 per cent stake in Bluecord Know-how and spun off the music division as an impartial firm beneath the title KTF Music. In 2009, KT Company and KTF merged to type KT Music.[19]

In 2012, KT Music acquired KMP Holdings, Korea’s largest music distributor, which marketed the productions of Okay-pop giants SM Leisure, YG Leisure and JYP Leisure.[20] This led to the combination of digital music operations with bodily music gross sales, which triggered a pointy surge in development due to the booming Okay-pop business.

In March 2017, LG U+, South Korea’s third-largest telecommunications firm, acquired a 15 per cent stake in KT Music, which was subsequently renamed Genie Music.[21] By means of this strategic partnership, the Genie Music app has been bundled with additional cell and broadband providers. Moreover, Genie Music has been efficiently built-in into the infotainment methods of the South Korean automobile producers Kia and Hyundai,[22] which additional expanded the person base.

In October 2018, Genie Music merged with CJ Digital Music, a subsidiary of the South Korean leisure and media conglomerate CJ ENM, which thereby acquired a 15.35 per cent stake within the new firm.[23] In April 2025, following an inner restructuring, it was renamed KT Genie Music Company. KT Genie Music Company is a publicly listed music group that owns quite a few music catalogues, is lively in music manufacturing and distribution, and operates a serious music streaming service.[24] Nevertheless, regardless of partnerships with Tidal, Anghami, Tencent Music, Huawei Music and TikTok, Genie Music failed to realize a foothold internationally.[25] Additional, the Okay-pop enterprise remained Genie Music’s principal income, which restricted its development potential and resulted in a decline in market share in South Korea.

FLO

The music streaming service FLO, which is owned by the Seoul-based Dreamus Firm, is dealing with related issues. Dreamus Firm has its roots in ReignCom, which was based in 1999 by Yang Deok-joon and 6 different former Samsung engineers to fabricate a transportable CD participant able to storing MP3 music recordsdata.[26] The primary gadgets have been launched in November 2000 and proved such a success that the Korean tech start-up additionally attracted consideration from overseas. ReignCom due to this fact entered right into a partnership with SonicBlue, an organization primarily based in Santa Clara, California, which had beforehand launched the Rio MP3 participant on the US market beneath the title Diamond Multimedia. ReignCom then started manufacturing transportable CD gamers with built-in MP3 gamers for the American market as properly, which have been bought beneath the Rio model.[27]

Nevertheless, SonicBlue went into administration in 2002, leaving ReignCom with no distribution accomplice within the US as a result of the Finest Purchase chain refused to promote a South Korean no-name product with out the Rio model. In June 2002, following protracted negotiations, Finest Purchase lastly agreed to inventory ReignCom merchandise within the US, supplied the corporate might develop an MP3 participant geared up with a high-capacity flash reminiscence stick by September of that 12 months. Yang Deok-joon and his group rose to the problem and, in August 2002, offered Finest Purchase executives with a tool able to storing no less than 30 songs. This was a technical breakthrough, and ReignCom emerged as the primary challenger to Apple’s iPod, securing a 20 per cent market share within the US.[28] In South Korea, ReignCom was already the market chief in MP3 gamers and was in a position to checklist on the Seoul Inventory Alternate in 2003.[29]

Nevertheless, the optimism at ReignCom quickly evaporated. Losses had already been reported for the 2005 and 2006 monetary years, which had a detrimental affect on the share worth. On this already troublesome financial local weather, the information of Apple’s launch of the iPhone in the summertime of 2007 got here as a crushing blow. Actually in a single day, the marketplace for MP3 gamers had turn into out of date. The iPhone started to cannibalise the MP3 participant market. For 2009, ReignCom reported an working lack of KRW 23.9 billion (US$21 million). In response, ReignCom’s total administration group was changed and the corporate was restructured as iRiver Ltd. as a way to embark on a strategic recent begin.[30]

Nevertheless, this didn’t succeed. The brand new e-book readers and e-dictionaries bought poorly, and a smartphone and a pill – supposed as rivals to Apple’s equivalents – by no means made it to market.[31] Consequently, iRiver’s share worth plummeted by nearly 65 per cent between 2010 and 2012.[32] This stoop made traders nervous, and rumours of a takeover quickly started to accentuate. In June 2014, the second lastly arrived. SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest telecommunications group, bought a block of shares value KRW 29.5 billion from iRiver’s largest shareholder, Vogo-Rio Funding Holdings, and have become the principle shareholder with a stake of round 40 per cent.[33] Following its takeover by SK Telecom, iRiver underwent a elementary restructuring. The main target shifted from music {hardware} to music content material. Consequently, in January 2015, Music Mate – a music streaming service initially supposed as a radio streaming service for cell gadgets – was launched.[34] That modified in July 2017 when SM Leisure, one of many largest Okay-pop conglomerates, grew to become iRiver’s second-largest shareholder.[35] SM Leisure recognised the potential of the streaming platform, and so forth 31 January 2018, a deal was struck between SK Telecom on the one hand and the three Okay-pop corporations – SM Leisure, JYP Leisure and Large Hit Leisure – on the opposite, to create a B2B and B2C music service platform by which the three corporations might distribute their music content material.[36] To this finish, Music Mate was utterly revamped and launched on 11 December 2018 beneath the brand new model title FLO.[37]

Subsequently, iRiver was reorganised into Dreamus Firm, which now comprised two enterprise models: the music streaming service FLO and iRiver’s high-end audio participant division.[38] The following restructuring befell in 2021, after SK Telecom had transferred all its non-telecoms investments to SK Sq. Funding. This additionally affected Dreamus Firm, with its streaming service FLO, which now grew to become a part of SK Sq..[39] It was to turn into obvious that this was merely an interim step and that, following sustained losses within the audio participant division, Dreamus bought this division to Miwang Firm for KRW 5 billion in December 2024,[40] to place itself as a pure music service platform for Okay-pop. This marked the symbolic conclusion to an extended historical past during which a market chief in MP3 gamers, beneath the management of a telecommunications group, had advanced right into a music streaming service focusing totally on Okay-pop.

Bugs Music and Naver VIBE

Alongside MelOn, Genie Music and FLO, the music streaming providers Bugs Music and Naver VIBE additionally play a major position within the South Korean streaming market. Bugs Music is the nation’s oldest music streaming service and was based in Seoul in November 1999 by Park Sung-hoon beneath the title Tremendous Sound Bugs.[41] To avoid the copyright points related to a music obtain platform, Bugs was arrange as a music streaming platform, however with out coming into into any licensing agreements with the rights holders.[42]

With 16 million registered customers, Bugs rapidly grew to turn into the nation’s largest music platform and secured KRW 1.5 billion in enterprise capital to fund its enlargement.[43] Nevertheless, South Korean music labels prevented this enlargement from going forward. In February 2003, 32 labels filed a lawsuit in opposition to Bugs Music for copyright infringement.[44]

In August 2004, Bugs Music tried to calm the state of affairs by signing a licensing take care of the Korean IFPI (Recording Business Affiliation of Korea, RIAK), which allowed the streaming service to stream 58,000 songs by way of the platform. Nevertheless, this was solely a fraction of the 270,000 recordsdata that Bugs Music had made accessible for streaming, which additionally originated from smaller indie labels. The South Korean music majors – Warner Music Korea, Sony Music Korea, SM Leisure, Yedang Leisure and YBM Seoul Information – opposed the settlement and maintained their authorized motion in opposition to Bugs Music and its founder.[45]

In January 2005, the showdown befell at a district courtroom in Seoul. The main labels prevailed, and the courtroom discovered Bugs Music and its founder responsible of mass copyright infringement. Park Sung-hoon was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay damages of KRW 20 million (US$19,900).[46] In the long run, Park Sung-hoon bought off evenly, however in March 2005 he was pressured to step down as managing director of Bugs and promote his 60 per cent stake within the firm to a South Korean label consortium led by Yedang Information.[47]

In December 2008, Bugs Music was acquired by Neowiz Web Corp., a subsidiary of South Korea’s largest video games developer, Neowiz Company, with a view to merging it with the music obtain platform JukeOn – which had been in operation since April 2004 – and persevering with to function it beneath the Bugs model.[48] Underneath Neowiz’s management, Bugs Music rose to turn into South Korea’s second-largest music streaming supplier and attracted the curiosity of NHN Company, which had been based in 1999 as a video games developer beneath the title Hangame and merged in July 2000 with Naver, South Korea’s largest search engine – South Korea’s Google.[49] In August 2015, NHN Corp. acquired Neowiz Web, together with Bugs Music, with a view to persevering with the brand new division as NHN Bugs.[50]

With the backing of its new proprietor, Bugs was in a position to press forward with its enlargement. In August 2016, it acquired a 53.9 per cent stake within the South Korean music streaming service Groovers and, a month later, secured 70 per cent of the shares within the administration company HOW Leisure, which had Okay-pop star Hwang Chi-yeol beneath contract, amongst others.[51] Consequently, Bugs Music shifted its focus from the B2C to the B2B music enterprise and misplaced market share within the South Korean streaming market within the years that adopted.

Nevertheless, competitors additionally got here from throughout the group itself. Since 2009, Naver.com had been working the music service Naver Music, which had initially been launched as a obtain portal. In 2017, Naver Music entered right into a strategic partnership with YG Plus, a subsidiary of the Okay-pop group YG Leisure, to distribute Okay-pop songs.[52] Nevertheless, Naver Music was by no means in a position to meet up with the market chief, MelOn, and so in 2020 the mum or dad firm merged its music service with VIBE, an AI-based music streaming service.[53] That marked the top of Naver’s music obtain enterprise, and from then on the web group centered completely on music streaming.[54]

As we now have already seen, Naver.com is a part of NHN Holdings, that means that two music streaming providers now function beneath the NHN umbrella: Naver VIBE and Bugs Music. Nevertheless, each streaming platforms play solely a minor position within the South Korean music streaming market. This most likely additionally explains Naver.com’s announcement in November 2025 that it could be incorporating Spotify’s Premium service into the Naver Plus Membership programme, as a way to grant subscribers entry to Spotify’s huge music catalogue.[55] This marks the beginning of a partnership by which Spotify might additional strengthen its place within the Korean market, while on the identical time posing a problem to NHN/Naver’s music streaming providers.

An evaluation of South Korean music streaming providers reveals, on the one hand, their shut hyperlinks to the telecommunications and web sectors and, on the opposite, their interdependence with Okay-pop conglomerates. The rise of MelOn, Genie Music and FLO to turn into the nation’s main music streaming providers is due, firstly, to the bundling of those providers with cell phone contracts supplied by main telecoms equivalent to SK Telecom and KT Freetel Firm, and secondly, to their collaboration with Okay-pop corporations. MelOn even owns a Okay-pop company itself – Starship Leisure – and is a subsidiary of Kakao Company, which in flip is firmly rooted within the Okay-pop enterprise. Genie Music has shut ties to the so-called ‘Large Three’ of the Okay-pop business: SM, YP and JYP Leisure. SM Leisure additionally holds a stake within the music streaming service FLO. Lastly, it’s value mentioning the streaming service Naver VIBE, which was launched in cooperation with a subsidiary of the Okay-pop firm YP Leisure.

This shut hyperlink to the Okay-pop business is each a blessing and a burden for South Korean music streaming providers. They’ve been in a position to develop quickly due to the worldwide Okay-pop growth, however are additionally depending on the success of this music style. South Korean streaming platforms have failed to realize a sustainable foothold internationally and now face stiff competitors from international rivals equivalent to YouTube and Spotify, which have managed to seize market share in South Korea in a really brief house of time. YouTube has even risen to turn into the nation’s main music streaming service. As makes an attempt to fend off this competitors have thus far failed, South Korean music streaming platforms are actually in search of to collaborate with their international rivals, though this carries the danger of being dominated by them.

Endnotes

[1] Yang, Hyung-wook. 2004. SK’s MP3 music portal exhibits indicators of being a smash hit. Monetary Information, 14 December. https://n.information.naver.com/article/014/0000153995. Translated with DeepL. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[2] Billboard. 2005. Korean Telco Takes Management Of Seoul Information. 27 Might. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/korean-telco-takes-control-of-seoul-records-1411719/. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[3] YBM. 2013. 1978: Founding of Seoul Information. YMB Homepage, 28 December. http://www.ybm.co.kr/sisa/photograph.aspx?seq=14&Web page=1. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[4] Naver. 2018. Kakao M Co., Ltd. Naver Organisation Dictionary, 22 October 2018. https://net.archive.org/net/20210520050332/https://phrases.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=651823&cell=&cid=43167&categoryId=43167. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[5] Ibid.

[6] Han, Woo-ram. 2026. Affinity Fairness Companions hit the jackpot with Kakao-Loen deal. Mail Financial Day by day, 13 January. https://n.information.naver.com/article/009/0003663386?sid=004. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[7] Lee, Jae-young. 2013. Affinity acquires a stake in Loen Leisure owned by Actual Networks. The Bell, 17  November. https://www.thebell.co.kr/free/content material/ArticleView.asp?key=201311070100009740000585&svccode=00&web page=1&kind=thebell_check_time. Translated with DeepL. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[8] Lee, Solar-min. 2013. Loen acquires massive stake in Starship. Korea JoonAng Day by day, 19 December. https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/information/article/article.aspx?assist=2982315. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[9] Lee, Se-young. 2016. Kakao to purchase South Korea’s prime music streaming operator for $1.6 billion. Reuters, 11 January. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kakao-m-a-loen-ent-idUSKCN0UP01620160112/. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[10] Kim, Nam Kyu. 2010. iWylab launches ‘KakaoTalk’, a messenger app for iPhone. Financial system At this time, 18 March. http://www.eto.co.kr/information/outview.asp?Code=20100318145504490&ts=233011. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[11] Kakao. n.d. About. https://www.kakaocorp.com/web page/about/subsidiaryCompany. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[12] Power Financial system. 2017. Loen will change its title to KakaoM. 26 December. https://www.ekn.kr/net/view.php?key=332761. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[13] Han, Susan. 2018. Kakao M, previously Loen Leisure, reveals new company id + appoints new CEO. Allkpop, 23 March. https://www.allkpop.com/article/2018/03/kakao-m-formerly-loen-entertainment-reveals-new-corporate-identity-appoints-new-ceo. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[14] Joara, Hankyung. 2021. Kakao Enterprises formally launched with ‘One trillion in gross sales’. The Korea Financial Day by day, 4 March. https://www.hankyung.com/article/202103048042g. Translated with DeepL. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[15] Kakao Leisure. 2021. Kakao Leisure merges with Korea’s No. 1 music streaming platform Melon because it eyes international development. Press launch, 1 September. https://newsroom.kakaoent.com/information/kakao-entertainment-merges-with-koreas-no-1-music-streaming-platform-melon-as-it-eyes-global-growth/. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[16] Stassen, Murray. 2021. Spotify reinstates Okay-Pop tracks from Kakao Leisure as corporations attain international licensing deal. Music Enterprise Worldwide, 11 March. https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotify-reinstates-k-pop-tracks-from-kakao-entertainment-as-companies-reach-global-licensing-deal/. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[17] Grokipedia. n.d. Genie Music. https://grokipedia.com/web page/Genie_Music. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Ibid.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Ibid.

[25] Ibid.

[26] Grokipedia. n.d. iRiver. https://grokipedia.com/web page/IRiver. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[27] Moon Ihlwan. 2004. Korea’s ReignCom: Shifting Up The MP3 Charts. Businessweek, 26 January. https://net.archive.org/net/20071015174000/http://businessweek.com/journal/content material/04_04/b3867071.htm. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[28] Ibid.

[29] Korea JoonAng Day by day. 2003. 3 companies set for IPOs this week. 8 December. https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2003/12/08/business/3-firms-set-for-IPOs-this-week/2069035.html. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[30] Search engine optimisation, Ji-eun. 2012. After the smartphone, MP3 makers wrestle to outlive. Korea JoonAng Day by day, 29 March. https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2012/03/29/business/After-the-smartphone-MP3-makers-struggle-to-survive/2950714.html. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[31] Bäumer, Simon. 2011. Iriver plant zwei neue Androidgeräte: Ein Pill und ein Smartphone. PCMasters, 14 July. https://www.pcmasters.de/information/13373968-iriver-plant-zwei-neue-androidgeraete-ein-tablet-und-ein-smartphone.html#:~:textual content=Daspercent20geleaktepercent20Bildpercent20zeigtpercent20daspercent20geplantepercent20Androidsmartphonepercent2C,undpercent20aufpercent20einempercent203percent2C5percent20Zollpercent20Touchscreenpercent20basieren. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[32] Search engine optimisation, Ji-eun. 2012. After the smartphone

[33] Kang, Yoon-seung. 2014. SK Telecom to amass Iriver for 29.5 bln gained. Yonhap Information, 25 June. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20140625005100320. Translated with DeepL. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[34] NamuWiki. o.D. FLO. https://en.namu.wiki/w/FLO. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[35] Kwon, Yong-min. 2017. SM Enters iRiver as 2nd Largest Shareholder in “World Content material Market”. Seoul Financial Day by day, 17 July. https://www.sedaily.com/NewsView/1OIIDB8KM5/GD0501. Translated with DeepL. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[36] Kim, D. 2018. SM, JYP, And Large Hit To Launch Joint Music Enterprise. Soompi, 31 January. https://www.soompi.com/article/1117157wpp/sm-jyp-big-hit-launch-joint-music-enterprise. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[37] Hankyung.com. 2021. ‘Previous iRiver’ deficit exonerated by SKT. The Korea Financial Day by day, 18 Might. https://www.hankyung.com/article/2021051866611. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[38] Choi, Hyun-seok. 2019. iRiver modified its title to ‘Dreamers Firm’. Naver Information, 28 March. https://n.information.naver.com/article/001/0010726293. Translated with DeepL. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[39] The Korea Herald. 2021. SK Telecom names new CEO following non-telecom spinoff. 1 November. https://www.koreaherald.com/article/2716859. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[40] Lee, Jinhwi. 2024. DreamUsCompany, sells ‘iriver’ enterprise for five billion gained. High Day by day, 30 December. https://en.topdaily.kr/articles/4090. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[41] Park, Hyun-jung. 2003. Park Sung-hoon, President of Bucks Music, “leaps to turn into the most effective portal in Korea in 2-3 years”. Naver Information, 24 April. https://n.information.naver.com/mnews/article/029/0000025349?sid=105. Translated with DeepL. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[42] Ibid.

[43] Ibid.

[44] Billboard. 2005. Korean Labels Win Bugs Battle. 15 March. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/korean-labels-win-bugs-battle-1415784/. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[45] Lee Kyong-hee. 2004. Music income swirling down digital drain. Korea JoonAng Day by day, 1 October. https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2004/10/01/options/Music-profits-swirling-down-digital-drain/2475425.html. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[46] Billboard. Korean Labels Win Bugs Battle.

[47] Ibid.

[48] Neowiz. n.d. Historical past. https://www.nwhcorp.com/holdings/en. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[49] NHN Corp. n.d. We’re NHN, a World IT Firm Pioneering into The World Taking part in Discipline. https://www.nhn.com/en-US/firm?tab=about. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[50] Ibid.

[51] Yoon Sung-won. 2016. Bugs increasing to leisure company biz. The Korea Instances, 31 August. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/enterprise/tech-science/20160831/bugs-expanding-to-entertainment-agency-biz. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[52] YG Plus. 2017. YG PLUS-NAVER collectively implements music enterprise venture. Press launch, 18 October. https://yg-life.com/archives/94413?lang=en. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[53] Sportsseoul.com. 2020. Consuming Naver music sources, from buy to subscription… Finish of Naver Music. 3 October. https://www.sportsseoul.com/information/learn/963447. Translated with DeepL. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[54] Since December 2014, Naver.com has been working the music streaming service Line Music by its Japanese subsidiary, Line Company. See: Russell, Jon. 2015. Messaging App Agency Line Is Testing A $2 Per Month Music Streaming Service. TechCrunch, 21 Might. https://techcrunch.com/2015/05/21/line-music/. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

[55] Korea YoonAng Day by day. 2025. Naver launches new music streaming program in partnership with Spotify. 28 November. https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/information/2025-11-28/enterprise/business/Naver-launches-new-music-streaming-program-in-partnership-with-Spotify/2465879. Accessed 26 Jun 2026

The Finest Classical Music for Working From Residence (Matched to Your Activity)

The Finest Classical Music for Working From Residence (Matched to Your Activity)

by | Jul 13, 2026 | Classic, Musical Industry


Once you’re working from house and on deadline, not all classical music is created equal.

At this time, we’re one of the best classical music to take heed to whereas working from house, organised by the type of work you’re attempting to do.

For Deep Focus: Evaluation, Writing, and Advanced Downside-Fixing

When work calls for your full cognitive consideration – whether or not you’re untangling a posh coding downside, drafting a sophisticated doc, or analysing spreadsheets – you want music that’s difficult to masks distractions, however structured sufficient to not shock you.

These three items are particularly dependable for jumpstarting sustained focus.

Bach’s Goldberg Variations

Bach wrote the Goldberg Variations for a harpsichordist employed by an insomniac rely who needed one thing to occupy his sleepless nights.

The thirty variations share an underlying harmonic construction however by no means get repetitive, providing simply sufficient selection to maintain the thoughts gently engaged with out ever demanding its full consideration.

Bach’s The Properly-Tempered Clavier

Bach’s Properly-Tempered Clavier consists of two volumes of preludes and fugues for solo keyboard, every in a special key.

That is Bach that’s each systematic and meditative. The voices enter, reply, and interweave in patterns that really feel inevitable – your mind tracks them simply sufficient to remain calm, however not sufficient to be pulled away out of your work.

Haydn’s String Quartets

Between 1755 and 1799, Classical-era composer Joseph Haydn wrote practically 70 string quartets. In reality, he got here to be often known as the “father of the string quartet.”

By and enormous, they lack the drama or cutting-edge dissonance of Beethoven’s, and are typically extra genial: two traits that make these items particularly intriguing for these working at house.

Any of the quartets will work, however attempt the Op. 76 set of six, which incorporates two nicknamed “Emperor” and “Dawn.”

For Repetitive Duties: E-mail, Information Entry, Administrative Work

Fortunately, not all work-from-home calls for the total weight of your focus.

For the type of duties which can be needed however not significantly demanding – issues like working in your inbox, updating a spreadsheet, filling in a kind, and so on. – you need music that is a bit more energising: one thing with momentum and a transparent pulse that carries you ahead with out interrupting your practice of thought.

Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons

These days, that is essentially the most well-known Baroque-era work ever written, and for good motive: its rhythmic power, mixed with its evocative melodies, is infectious.

Every of the 4 concertos has its personal character, however they share a ahead movement and a brightness that makes them glorious companions for ploughing by the much less glamorous elements of the working day.

When you get uninterested in the 4 Seasons, you’ll be able to all the time check out Vivaldi’s different concertos. He wrote over 5 hundred!

Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos

Bach’s Brandenburg concertos include six concertos, every scored in another way, all sharing the identical irresistible buoyancy.

The third concerto particularly – scored for strings and continuo – has a relentless, joyful power.

The Brandenburg concertos are additionally a handy size: at round ninety minutes for the whole set, they are often scheduled for any mid-afternoon droop.

Mozart’s Divertimenti

Mozart’s divertimenti have been written for leisure: gentle, cheerful, undemanding music for social events.

That makes them ideally suited for the workday: they’re all nice firm that by no means overstay their welcome or require your whole consideration to take pleasure in.

The Divertimento in D main, Ok. 136, is a perennial favorite of musicians and music-lovers – for good motive, given its cheer and bustle.

For Inventive Work: Writing, Design, or Something Requiring Inspiration

Inventive work is in a wierd center floor on the subject of creating work playlists: you want sufficient psychological quiet to let concepts floor and your inside monologue to run, however silence by itself can really feel oppressive.

Music that’s barely impressionistic – that implies moods and atmospheres, moderately than the Baroque period drive and construction – tends to work greatest for this function.

Satie’s Gymnopédies

Erik Satie’s most well-known works are so spacious and unhurried that they appear to exist exterior of time itself.

The Gymnopédies – three quick piano items written when Satie was a twentysomething composer in 1888 – are virtually weightless, hovering in a type of mild ambiguity.

For inventive work the place you want your individual ideas to floor, this music is good.

Debussy’s Préludes

Debussy’s piano music is extremely evocative with its impressions of water, mist, moonlight, and even submerged cathedrals.

The 2 books of Préludes are significantly good background music – each bit is brief and assorted, so the gathering presents mild change with out jarring interruption.

Chopin’s Nocturnes

Chopin’s nocturnes occupy a really explicit emotional territory: pensive, lyrical, often melancholy, however by no means overwrought.

The later nocturnes – Op. 55, No. 1 in F minor and Op. 62, No. 1 in B main – have an particularly ruminative high quality that’s nice background music for sustained inventive effort.

Remaining Ideas

Listed here are a number of recommendations as you set collectively your work-from-home classical music playlist.

Keep away from music with vocals in a language you perceive. Your mind’s language facilities will course of the phrases whether or not you need them to or not, and that may affect your capability to jot down or learn. We wrote about that right here: https://interlude.hk/8-surprising-ways-classical-music-can-help-you-focus-and-study/.

Be careful for dramatic dynamic contrasts – sudden fortes after a quiet passage are the enemy of focus. Baroque music and minimalism are typically the most secure selections for that reason.

Familiarity helps! Classical music that you just already know properly is much less more likely to demand your consideration than one thing you’re listening to for the primary time. The primary time you hear the Goldberg Variations, you’ll in all probability be listening to each observe. The fifteenth time? You’ll go the entire morning with out being distracted by it – and simply comforted as a substitute.

Take pleasure in these works, and blissful working!

For extra of one of the best in classical music, for our E-E-newsletter

The Economics of Ok-pop-Half 11: The Darkish Facet of Ok-pop – Music Enterprise Analysis

The Economics of Ok-pop-Half 11: The Darkish Facet of Ok-pop – Music Enterprise Analysis

by | Jun 29, 2026 | Entertainment Law, Music Business, Podcast News


In my final weblog publish on the built-in advertising and marketing of Ok-pop, I took a primary have a look at the darkish aspect of Ok-pop by means of the “saesang” phenomenon. On this half, I’m going to take a more in-depth look not solely on the obsessive and dysfunctional fan tradition, but additionally on the inflexible and generally even brutal coaching and manufacturing system of Ok-Pop firms, which may contribute to the traumatisation of artists and will even result in suicide.

The Economics of Ok-pop-Half 11: The Darkish Facet of Ok-pop

The companies encourage the obsessive fan behaviour known as “saesang”. They produce residence tales and supply intensive backstage protection to create a very shut bond with followers. An idol’s picture is fastidiously deliberate and maintained. In doing so, Ok-pop companies train large management over their stars, overlaying each facet of their lives, together with their personal lives. There are strict dietary rules, accompanied by weekly weight checks. In some circumstances, artists have even been ordered to drop a few pounds.[1]

The artists’ total vary of communication, together with their private communications, can also be monitored. The social media presence of Ok-pop stars is strictly regulated and monitored to forestall harm to their picture. To this finish, trainees and Ok-pop stars alike usually have their smartphones taken away.[2] Relationships and socialising exterior the Ok-pop bubble are additionally unwelcome and are discouraged. The ‘no-dating guidelines’ made headlines; these have been imposed by nearly all Ok-pop companies on their trainees in addition to on artists who’ve made their breakthrough and are additionally laid down of their contracts. It emerged that, from 2015 onwards, JYP Leisure had imposed a three-year relationship ban within the contracts of all 9 members of the lady group Twice.[3]

The Case of Kiera Grace Madder alias KG

The abuses inside the Ok-pop trade often solely come to gentle when these affected start to combat again and take authorized motion. This was the case with Kiera Grace Madder, who, on the age of 15, was solid by JYP USA underneath the stage identify KG for the lady group VCHA. On the finish of 2024, the then-minor terminated her contract with JYP and made severe allegations towards the Ok-pop firm. The lawsuit was a damning one. In 16 counts, JYP was accused, amongst different issues, of exploiting little one labour, little one neglect and abuse, in addition to breach of contract and fraud.[4] Kiera Madder‘s courtroom affidavit painted a grim image of the Ok-pop trade:[5] the working situations have been inhumane. {The teenager} needed to practice arduous for greater than 60 hours per week, usually late into the evening. On the directions of a coach, she was made to repeat dance strikes lots of of instances and not using a break and was not allowed to drink. When she sustained an harm severe sufficient to require hospital remedy, she was nonetheless made to proceed coaching, regardless that she had been instructed to relaxation.[6] She and the opposite group members have been additionally pressured to observe a salad-only weight loss program to make sure they didn’t lose their “excellent weight”. They have been solely allowed to eat on the corporate’s premises underneath fixed supervision, and their physique weight was meticulously measured each month. Dancing exterior of classes was forbidden, and so they have been solely allowed to hearken to the label’s personal music. Though she lived within the US, she was required to at all times communicate Korean with the workers.[7]

She lived with the opposite group members within the so-called VCHA Home, a company-owned property in West Hollywood. The day was strictly scheduled across the clock, and from 9.00 pm there was a curfew, which was monitored by CCTV cameras. Nevertheless, cameras have been additionally put in within the kitchen, the residing space and even the bedrooms, recording all the things with out the residents’ data. Kiera Madden stated she felt as if she have been in jail. She needed to submit a request to be allowed to go to her mom, which was not at all times authorized.[8]

The tough coaching, the fixed stress to carry out and, above all, the poisonous residing situations underneath fixed controlling supervision have been traumatic for Kiera Madden, and because of this she developed psychological well being points. She was now not in a position to attend college and, like the opposite group members, suffered from consuming problems, which have been, nonetheless, dismissed by the workers as “regular”. She additionally witnessed acts of self-harm amongst her housemates and even a suicide try.[9]

On high of the psychological pressure got here a very insidious type of monetary blackmail. JYP knowledgeable Kiera Madden that she owed the corporate US $378,680 as of January 2024. By April 2024, the debt had allegedly risen to US $504,543. Nevertheless, it was utterly unclear how these figures had been calculated. When she lastly selected 19 Might 2024 to depart VCHA and JYP, the 16-year-old was dropped off at 3 am in the course of the evening at a lodge in West Hollywood, left with out safety or help. From JYP’s perspective, this had brought about the corporate large harm, for which it now threatened to take authorized motion.[10]

Nevertheless, the case didn’t go to courtroom as a result of the plaintiff reached an out-of-court settlement with JYP USA Inc. and VCHA. A second member additionally left the lady group, whose 4 remaining members continued their work with JYP underneath the brand new band identify GIRLSET.[11]

Longterm Contracts and Poor Remuneration

The case of KG, alias Kiera Madden, is much from an exception. Ever since SM Leisure established its trainee system, there have been repeated allegations of poor working situations and a pervasive tradition of bullying and sexual harassment.[12] There have additionally been repeated complaints about excessively lengthy contract phrases, poor remuneration and the duty to repay coaching prices. For example, three members of the boy band TVXQ sued their company, SM Leisure, looking for the early termination of their contracts. Of their lawsuit, they criticised the disproportionately lengthy contract time period of 13 years and an unfair profit-sharing association.[13] Though the boy band was probably the most profitable Ok-pop acts of the 2000s, every of the 5 band members obtained a income share equal to US $152,000 per 12 months.[14] For a median earner, that may look like some huge cash, however it’s modest for Ok-pop superstars. Regardless of a preliminary injunction issued by the Seoul Central District Court docket in favour of the three plaintiffs, the 2 remaining group members sided with SM Leisure in an open letter. A mudslinging battle of mutual accusations ensued.[15] Following a three-year authorized dispute, the events agreed to a mutual termination of their contractual relationship, which led to the break-up of the boy band in its authentic line-up.[16]

Anybody who thought that SM Leisure would have deserted excessively lengthy contract phrases following this authorized dispute was mistaken. When the boy band EXO was shaped in 2012, the group members have been as soon as once more given contracts with 13-year phrases. Nevertheless, this solely got here to gentle after three members of EXO introduced, by way of their attorneys, their intention to terminate their contracts early on 1 June 2023. The printed letter not solely criticised the lengthy period of the unique contracts, but additionally the truth that, upon contract renewal, the artists have been pressured into signing unique contracts with phrases of at the least 17 to 18 years or longer. The attorneys’ letter refers back to the TVXQ case, through which the courtroom and the Honest Commerce Fee dominated that contracts could also be for a most of seven years.[17] SM Leisure took a unique view and issued an in depth assertion of its personal, through which it deemed the lengthy contract time period to be in accordance with the legislation and suspected that the entire manoeuvre by the three EXO members was a part of a conspiracy by a rival Ok-pop company looking for to steal the artists away.[18] This case was not settled in courtroom both, as SM and the three EXO members ultimately agreed to increase their contracts.[19]

The circumstances described listed here are simply the tip of the iceberg and spotlight a structural drawback inside the Ok-pop manufacturing system. Ok-pop firms search to train full management over the worth chain, and this contains the inventive labour. Consequently, extraordinarily lengthy contracts are concluded and dealing situations are created through which the artists are topic to finish management. Defenders of this method usually argue that it’s culturally decided and corresponds to the Confucian work ethic. John Lie explicitly counters this and states: “[T]he ethos behind the celebrities’ impeccable public habits is much less Confucian than authorarian. Ok-pop stardom is hardly a charmed life. Its fragility might be gauged by the plethora of suicides amongst profitable performers.”[20]

Cyberbullying and Suicides

Certainly, the listing of Ok-pop stars who’ve taken their very own lives as a result of they have been damaged by this inflexible manufacturing system and the related cyberbullying is an extended one. For example, Jonghyun, a member of the boy band SHINee, died on the night of 18 December 2017 – his 28th birthday – in a Seoul hospital following a suicide try, having struggled with melancholy for years.[21] Additionally affected by melancholy, which was partly attributed to cyberbullying, the 24-year-old singer Sulli of the lady group f(x) hanged herself throughout the evening of 13–14 October 2019 at her residence in southern Seoul.[22] It has emerged that she had repeatedly requested her company, SM Leisure, to take motion towards the cyberbullying; nonetheless, in line with an unnamed consultant of the South Korean leisure trade, these measures weren’t stringent sufficient.[23] Shocked by the loss of life of her shut pal Sulli, 28-year-old singer Goo Hara of the lady group Kara additionally took her personal life on 24 November 2019. One contributing issue was undoubtedly her break-up together with her abusive associate, who had tried to blackmail her, however the hateful feedback on social media accusing her of immoral behaviour definitely performed an element as properly.[24]

Conclusion

The success of Ok-pop comes at a excessive worth. Though the Ok-pop manufacturing system encompasses A&R, songwriting, music manufacturing, advertising and marketing and distribution, and is carefully linked to the stay music trade, artists usually endure harsh working and residing situations that bear little resemblance to the glamorous lives of superstars. The contracts, that are usually signed when the artists are youngsters, are prolonged and troublesome to terminate. The trainee course of is extraordinarily aggressive and selective and it lasts for a few years. Even after they’ve made their breakthrough, artists are topic to fixed surveillance, which extends to their personal lives. Additionally they discover themselves on a treadmill of album releases and live performance performances. Penalties can embrace escapism, as evidenced by the Burning Solar scandal involving YG Leisure, or psychological well being points that may result in suicide. On this context, the Ok-pop enterprise just isn’t an instance of greatest follow for an rising music market. Nevertheless, there’s nonetheless a lot to be learnt from this case examine, offered one manages to keep away from the unfavourable elements of Ok-pop.

Endnotes

[1] Jeong, Lucy. 2020. Ok-pop trainee guidelines: no relationship, no telephones, weekly weight checks – Blackpink, Twice and BTS members reveal what Korea’s leisure companies actually demand of their idols. South China Morning Put up, 18 November. https://www.scmp.com/magazines/type/celeb/article/3110355/k-pop-trainee-rules-no-dating-no-phones-weekly-weight. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ko, Dong-hwan. 2018. Breaking: TWICE relationship ban lifted. The Korea Instances, 21 October. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/leisure/k-pop/20181021/breaking-twice-dating-ban-lifted. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[4] Ok.M., a minor, by and thru her guardian, a litem, Tracy Madder v. JYP USA Inc. Verified Criticism and Damages and Equitable Aid. Superior Court docket of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles. Case No. 24ST CV32165. 6 December 2024. https://trellis.legislation/doc/232416305/complaint-filed-by-k-m-plaintiff-as-to-jyp-usa-inc-defendant. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[5] JYP USA Inc. v. Kiera Grace Madder, a minor. Declaration of respondent Kiera Grace Madder in help of her request for an order to put aside. Case No. 23ST FL05599. https://de.scribd.com/doc/860840799/KG-Declaration. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Kim, Jae-heun. 2025. JYP Leisure ends contract with KG, rebrands VCHA as Girlset. The Korea Herald, 8. August. https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10550039. Zugriff 16. Mär. 2026

[12] Atkin. Ok-Pop. pp 94-96.

[13] Lee, Hyo-won. 2009. TVXQ Feuds With SM Leisure. The Korea Instances, 2 August. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/leisure/k-pop/20090802/tvxq-feuds-with-sm-entertainment. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[14] Turner, Jasmine. 2023. Right here’s How Badly TVXQ Was Paid Throughout Their Peak With SM Leisure. Koreaboo, 1. Juni. https://www.koreaboo.com/tales/tvxq-legal-dispute-sm-entertainment-recap-payment-unfair/. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[15] Kim, Hyung-woo. 2009. TVXQ’s Yunho and Changmin’s representatives: “Claims of an unfair contract are preposterous; we discover these false allegations regrettable”. Newsen, 2 November. https://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=200911021558411002. Übersetzt mit DeepL. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[16] Turner, Jasmine. Right here’s How Badly TVXQ Was Paid

[17] Soompi. 2023. Breaking: EXO’s Baekhyun, Xiumin, And Chen Notify SM Leisure Of Contract Termination. Assertion of the EXO attorneys, 1 June. https://www.soompi.com/article/1591081wpp/breaking-exos-baekhyun-xiumin-and-chen-notify-sm-entertainment-of-contract-termination. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[18] SM Leisure’s full assertion might be discovered at Turner, Jasmine. Right here’s How Badly TVXQ Was Paid

[19] Shim, Solar-ah. 2023. 3 EXO members to stick with SM Leisure, resolving contract dispute. Yonhap Information, 19 June. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230619004200315. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[20] Lie. Ok-Pop. p 126

[21] The Korea Herald. 2017. SHINee’s Jonghyun dies in hospital. 18 December. https://net.archive.org/net/20171218122146/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20171218001047. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[22] Im, Eun-byel. 2019. Singer and actor Sulli discovered useless. The Korea Herald, 14 October. https://www.koreaherald.com/article/2125408. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[23] Busan Ilbo. 2019. “Sulli had repeatedly requested SM to deal with malicious feedback”. 15 October. https://www.busan.com/view/busan/view.php?code=2019101516142959202. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

[24] Wealthy, Motoko und John Yoon. 2024. A Ok-Pop Star’s Lonely Downward Spiral. The New York Instances, 28 February. https://net.archive.org/net/20240614033858/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/28/world/asia/k-pop-suicide-goo-hara.html. Accessed 12 Jun 2026

New Music: ‘Goodbye Child’ Carried out By Mary Steenburgen and Written By Composer David Schwartz From ‘A Man On The Inside, Season 2’

New Music: ‘Goodbye Child’ Carried out By Mary Steenburgen and Written By Composer David Schwartz From ‘A Man On The Inside, Season 2’

by | Jun 22, 2026 | Film Music, Music Technology


June 11, 2026

Soundtracks, Scores and Extra Employees

From the second season of A Man On The Inside, Lakeshore Data releases “Goodbye Child,” carried out by Mary Steenburgen with music by the sequence’ composer David Schwartz. Take heed to the brand new tune featured in episode 207 of the sequence, under!  The supporting band contains Lucy Schwartz on backup vocals, Troy Verges on guitar, David Schwartz on bass and background vocals, George Doering on sitar and guitar, Zac Rae on piano and B3 organ, and Jake Reed on drums.

The place to search out the tune within the present: The second facilities on Mona Margadoff (Steenburgen), the music professor. On this episode, she performs “Goodbye Child” on-screen — introduced as her outdated hit from her fictional band Lavender Freeway.

Notes Steenburgen: “We had enjoyable channeling Seventies bands as we created this tune which was purported to be my hit as a younger singer in a band referred to as Lavender Freeway. Now sung ‘50 years later’ by me ( Mona Margadoff).”

Provides David Schwartz: “The tune got here collectively actually naturally. We have been all within the room writing collectively, and there was a simple artistic move from the beginning. Everybody introduced one thing completely different to the method, and it made the entire expertise really feel collaborative and real.”

Created by Michael Schur and starring Ted Danson, Steenburgen, Mary Elizabeth Elllis, Lilah Richcreek Estrada and David Straithern, the sequence produced by Common Tv is streaming now on Netflix.


Stream the Track: [Choose Your Service]

ABOUT MARY STEENBURGEN
Along with being an Academy Award and Golden Globe successful actress, Mary Steenburgen can be a passionate and acclaimed songwriter for Common Music Publishing Group.

In 2018, Steenbergen was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Finest Unique Track for “Glasgow (No Place Like Residence)”, featured within the movie “Wild Rose” and carried out by Jessie Buckley. The tune was co-written alongside Mary’s longtime collaborators, Troy Verges and Caitlyn Smith. It additionally obtained the Critics’ Selection Award and the Hollywood Critics Affiliation Award that 12 months for Finest Unique Track.

Most just lately, Steenburgen’s music could be heard in season 2 of Netflix comedy sequence “A Man on the Inside” wherein she additionally stars. Steenburgen co-wrote the tune “Goodbye Child,” a tune she additionally carried out as her character “Mona” throughout the sequence.

Moreover, Steenburgen co-wrote the unique tune “See Me” together with Verges and Smith for the 2024 animated movie “10 Lives,” carried out as a duet by famend vocalists Zayn Malik and Simone Ashley. With Verges and Smith, Steenbergen additionally wrote the 2023 tune “Wherever With You,” featured in the long run credit of the movie “E book Membership: The Subsequent Chapter,” wherein Steenburgen additionally stars. She and her three co-stars, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Diane Keaton, recorded the vocals.

Steenburgen’s different co-writing credit embrace “This Is Christmas” for HBO’s “Vacation Concord” and “Northstar” for Roku’s authentic movie “Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas”.

ABOUT DAVID SCHWARTZ
David Schwartz is an Emmy-winning composer whose work contains acclaimed sequence similar to Arrested Growth, Deadwood (Emmy-nominated for its fundamental title), The Good Place, and Veep. Recognized for his versatile, narrative-driven scores, he has helped form the tone of a few of tv’s most celebrated comedies and dramas.

After finding out on the Faculty of Visible Arts in New York and the Berklee Faculty of Music, he constructed a broad musical basis performing throughout genres earlier than transferring into movie and tv in 1990. His breakthrough got here with Northern Publicity, incomes a Grammy nomination for its iconic theme and scoring all seven seasons.

His latest work contains the Emmy-winning documentary Lucy and Desi and Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose. Most just lately, he scored Season 2 of A Man on the Inside and is ready to return for its upcoming third season, whereas additionally engaged on a forthcoming documentary about Crosby, Stills & Nash.

 

Watch the trailer for A Man on the Inside: Season 2:

 

A retired professor with a knack for snooping will get a brand new lease on life when a personal investigator recruits him to go undercover and crack a case.

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