Universal Music eyes global push to mark Mandopop centennial

Universal Music Greater China (UMGC) is stepping up efforts to bring Chinese songs to global audiences ahead of next year's 100th anniversary of Chinese pop music, the company's top executive said at its first China Summit in Beijing on June 3.

Timothy Xu, chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Music Greater China, speaks during the first Universal Music China Summit in Beijing, June 3, 2026. [Photo courtesy of Universal Music Greater China]

"Starting from Shanghai, with the first Chinese pop song 'Drizzle' in 1927, Chinese pop music will celebrate its centennial next year," said Timothy Xu, chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Music Greater China. "Our Mandopop artists will pay tribute to the classic songs of the past 100 years, allowing the world to discover our very own 'Chinese Great Songbook.'"

He continued: "We are tracing the spiritual origins of Chinese pop music — that is both our 'root' and our 'wing.' Only when our roots are deeply grounded can our wings grow stronger, enabling us to fly higher and farther. For the next century of Chinese pop music, may the songs never end, may the voices never cease, and may China's voice be heard by the world."

The summit drew more than 400 leaders from China and abroad to explore new opportunities, with the company focused on building a more open, diverse and international music ecosystem, pledging to help expand Chinese artists' careers overseas.

During the summit, the company announced the signing of Chinese pop star Jason Zhang and the acquisition of the Carrier Creative catalog, gaining the recorded rights to more than 1,000 classic songs by artists from the 1980s and 1990s, including Little Tigers and Johnny Chiang.

In the "New Beats" segment, Def Jam China announced a partnership with rapper Wang Yitai, while emerging singers Emily Wu, Wang OK, Kaelyn and Zhang Youhao signed with Universal Music, which also revealed a surprise collaboration with A-Mei's label, Ya Sound. Many established artists, including Jacky Cheung, Jay Chou, Eason Chan, Stefanie Sun, David Tao and Lang Lang, sent video messages to mark the occasion.

"We have always been committed to advancing Universal Music's deep localization strategy," Xu said. "With three main parts — 'New Beats,' 'Go East' and 'Roots & Wings' — we have systematically showcased our efforts to discover the future voices of Chinese-language music, promote global music dialogue and preserve Chinese-language music heritage."

In the "Go East" segment, which focused on international artists in the Chinese market, Universal Music's global labels presented international acts including Jenevieve, Sunkis, aron! and Matthew Ifield. Universal Music China pledged to build a "one-stop" service for international artists coming to China. Recently, they arranged for Canadian singer-songwriter Lauren Spencer Smith to appear on Hunan TV's "Singer 2026," receiving a warm welcome from Chinese music fans.

"In 2025, more than 350 international artists came to China to perform," said Pan Yan, vice president of the China Association of Performing Arts. "China's live music market holds huge potential and many unmet demands. We look forward to joining hands with international partners such as Universal Music to invite more international artists to China and bring more wonderful music to Chinese audiences."

In the "Roots & Wings" segment, dedicated to preserving classic catalogs, Universal Music announced a planned compilation album marking what would have been the 70th birthday of Hong Kong singer and actor Leslie Cheung, produced in collaboration with his close friend and former manager, Florence Chan.

Since last year, UMGC has been working to organize artist contracts, sort through master tape archives and restore original recordings as part of a large-scale effort to revive its Chinese-language classic catalog, which spans half a century.

"As the first international music group to implement a multi-label operation strategy in China, Universal Music has long been committed to promoting the introduction and export of local music," said Ao Ran, secretary-general of the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association.

"We are pleased to see it leveraging its global resources and local expertise to continue playing a bridging role in China's music ecosystem, exploring replicable and sustainable cooperation models for the industry," Ao said.

During the summit, Universal Music also announced plans for Global Beatles Day and DG (Deutsche Grammophon) Music Week events in China, set for June 25 and November, respectively.

Universal Music also signed an agreement with Dingdu Group to bring its music content to Dingdu's Yanguan Ancient City-Chao Yue City complex in Haining, Zhejiang province, as part of a push into cultural tourism.