Bypassing The Labels

Chinese pop idol Wang Leehom is attracting media attention for being the first Asian musician to offer a DRM-free music download on his website.

Though he’s charging US$1 for the song, “12 Zodiacs,” some commentators are comparing the stunt to Radiohead’s famous free offer of their own album some years ago, or to Louis CK’s sale of comedy shows through his personal website.

What these commentators seem to be saying is that Wang’s move is momentous given his popularity. He has 28.9 million followers on the Chinese-language Sina Weibo microblogging platform, putting him at No. 3.

Wang, who is Taiwanese-American, had his official website rebuilt so it could sell music directly, and he plans to set up a new site allowing other artists to do the same “in an economically viable way,” he said in an email to the TechCrunch blog.

The artist points out that his move is aggressive about grasping new opportunity and is not a defensive reaction to piracy. According to digital entrepreneur Harold Li, album sales in Asia are not as much of an issue as in the West, at least not for artists.

Wang, like almost all Asian pop artists, makes most of his money from concerts and brand endorsements. Digital releases are meant to spread his brand more widely, and “12 Zodiacs,” in particular, is a kind of experiment to see what such a strategy can accomplish, as it’s never been done before.

It’s a typical move for Wang, who is famous for his pointed lyrics and social activism. But what makes “12 Zodiacs” particularly controversial is the way it bypasses major record companies and talent agencies, which typically control the Asian pop market with an iron grip.

If the single really takes off, other major artists may follow Wang’s lead and try to become more independent.