Universal Music Group (UMG) has formed a strategic partnership with Modern Sky, China's leading independent music label, to expand both companies' global reach and cultural influence.

Modern Sky, founded in 1997 in Beijing, boasts a roster of 150 artists including notable acts like Miserable Faith, Zuoxiao Zuzhou, New Pants, and Xie Tianxiao. The company organizes over 30 music festivals annually and hosts more than 1,000 performances across China.

This partnership will enable Modern Sky to utilize UMG's worldwide distribution network to reach global audiences. The company already maintains offices in New York, Liverpool, and Tokyo, with plans for further expansion.

The collaboration aims to achieve two primary goals:

• Introduce Chinese artists and culture to international audiences
• Create opportunities for UMG's international artists to connect with Chinese listeners

Modern Sky's founder and CEO Shen Lihui emphasizes the company's commitment to representing China's youth culture, while UMG's market-development EVP Adam Granite highlights the potential for cultural exchange through this "two-way connection."

This agreement follows UMG's recent expansions in China, including:

• Launch of "Universal Music China Greater Bay Area" in September
• Partnership with TF Entertainment
• Distribution deal with iQIYI's The Rap of China 2024 program

The partnership comes as China's recorded music market shows significant growth, with a 25.9% year-over-year increase in 2023 according to IFPI data.

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