China’s Music Scene Is Booming, But Labels Risk Getting Left Behind
Musicians are striking agreements with tech giants like NetEase, rather than traditional record companies
Kris Wu performs at an album release party in New York.
Photographer: Cassidy Sparrow/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Don Diablo doesn’t want record labels messing up his business in China.
The world’s No. 7 DJ considers the market one of his three biggest, alongside the U.S. and Europe. He tours there six or seven times a year, and in 2018 scored his first major Chinese endorsement deal with Budweiser.