Kakao Entertainment Partners with Tencent Music of China and Line Music of Japan to Launch a Unified K-pop Chart for Korea, China, and Japan in the First Half of 2026

Kakao Entertainment is establishing a new benchmark to comprehensively measure K-pop’s influence across Asia’s music industry. On December 24, the company announced that it has reached an agreement with Tencent Music Entertainment Group of China and Line Music of Japan to release a unified K-pop chart for the three countries in the first half of 2026. The new “K-pop Artist Chart” (tentative name) will aggregate K-pop streaming data collected from South Korea, China, and Japan—East Asia’s largest music markets—and present it as a single ranking. It is set to be available on Kakao Entertainment’s music streaming platform, Melon. This chart will be calculated by combining Melon’s streaming data with K-pop streaming data from Tencent Music’s key platforms, including QQ Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music, and WeSing, as well as data from Line Music in Japan. The rankings will be determined based on user activity and music consumption patterns measured across each platform. Kakao Entertainment expects this chart to not only assist fans in tracking regional K-pop trends but also provide data-driven insights that artists and labels can use to formulate marketing and new release strategies. Melon, with over 20 years of history, has already released widely recognized charts such as the Top 100 and Hot 100. Since June 2023, Melon’s data has also been included in Billboard’s global rankings, demonstrating the growing influence of Melon in international music metrics. Tencent Music operates several leading platforms across China and Southeast Asia, while Line Music is tightly integrated with Japan’s Line messaging app, giving it a user base of approximately 99 million people nationwide. Yoon Jung-jang, CEO of Kakao Entertainment, said, “The collaboration among these three companies leading Asia’s music industry holds special significance. We hope to create new value for the industry, artists, and fans by introducing a reliable K-pop chart that meets global standards.” Jun Masuda, CEO of Line Music, added, “We are pleased to partner with major music streaming services in Asia to launch the ‘K-pop Artist Chart.’” This partnership is expected to enhance South Korea’s status in the Asian music market and contribute to the growth of the K-pop ecosystem as well as its increased global influence.