Anime video platform Bilibili has recently launched an incentive program with the aim to grow the number of music content creators on the site, offering rewards such as cash prizes and exposure, media outlet 36kr reported.
Why it matters: Bilibili has been broadening its content beyond the anime, comic, and game (ACG) content it became known for to a more mainstream entertainment platform. Music is a major draw for short video giants Douyin and Kuaishou, and Bilibili aims with the new initiative to create a similarly hospitable environment for music artists and attract more talent.
- Douyin and Kuaishou have significantly lowered the barrier for entry into the music industry, enabling ordinary content creators to achieve fame overnight without the backing of major labels.
Details: The program, named “Music Star Project,” is open to amateur content creators and professional artists alike.
- Artists verified on music platforms such as NetEase Cloud Music and QQ Music, as well as content creators with more than 50,000 followers on major music, short video, or social platforms, can apply for verified accounts on Bilibili.
- Musicians with more than 5,000 followers can also apply for verified accounts if they have produced three original music videos in the past month with more than 10,000 views each.
- Bilibili promises verified artists more exposure, “millions of cash prizes,” operational support for their accounts, and cooperation opportunities with the platform.
- New content creators who upload original music videos with the hashtag #musicstarproject between Oct. 30 and Nov. 30 that meet certain upvote and subscriber thresholds are eligible to divide a cash prize worth up to RMB 700,000 (around $100,000).
Context: Bilibili has more than 500,000 music content creators who publish a total of 1,000 original music tracks monthly on its platform as of end-October, a company spokeswoman told TechNode.
- View count for music-related videos posted in the ten months ended Oct. 31 increased by 47% year on year, according to the spokeswoman.
- In September, a singer named “Baoshi Gem,” who became wildly popular on short video platform Douyin with a vaporwave track “Ye Lang Disco,” or “Wild Wolf Disco,” officially joined Bilibili as a verified artist.