Not Extending License, Interesting Facts about Kakao M that Make Hundreds of Korean Songs Disappear on Spotify

Kapanlagi.com - Are you one of the many music enthusiasts who were surprised after checking Spotify today? At the beginning of March, music enthusiasts were shocked by the disappearance of hundreds of Korean songs from the music streaming service Spotify. Hundreds of hit singles from Korean musicians such as Epik High, MAMAMOO, GFriend, IU, Zico, SEVENTEEN, BTOB, MONSTA X, CL and many more suddenly disappeared from this music service founded in Sweden.

The reason for the disappearance of hundreds of Korean songs from Spotify is the expiration of the license from the master rights distributor for those songs, namely Kakao M. Not familiar with Kakao M yet? Here are some interesting facts about it!

1. South Korea's Largest Co-Publisher Company

Kakao M is a company that acts as a record label, music production, and publisher. As the largest music distributor in South Korea, Kakao M contributes 37.5% of the songs that appear on the Top 400 Yearly Song Chart 2020 from Gaon Music Chart.

2. Established Since 1978

The origins of Kakao M have been around for over four decades. Starting in 1978, Min Yeon-Bin founded Seoul Records, which focused on producing language learning cassette tapes. In 2008, Seoul Records changed its name to Live On Entertainment Network (LOEN Entertainment), before finally changing its name to Kakao M at the end of last December.

3. One Umbrella Company with Melody Online (MelOn)

Kakao M's parent company also operates the music streaming service company Melody Online (MelOn), which is popular in South Korea. Launched in 2004, Melody Online (MelOn) has now become one of the largest music streaming platforms in South Korea. 

4. Kakao M Speaks Out About This Case

Reported by NME, Kakao M explained that the failure to reach a negotiation with Spotify was due to Spotify's own policy regarding domestic and global music agreements. There were several aspects that were not suitable for Kakao M and led them to terminate the licensing agreement for artists under Kakao M with Spotify.

5. Not All Korean Songs Disappeared from Spotify

Although there are hundreds of songs missing from Spotify, not all songs from K-POP musicians cannot be played. Musicians from SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, Big Hit Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment are still available on the Spotify music streaming service. This news can certainly relieve music enthusiasts around the world who can still listen to K-POP songs from their Spotify accounts.

(kpl/jef)