Update #10: Facial Recognition, Reality TV, and Indian Music
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Tencent’s New Facial Recognition for Gaming 🎮
Tencent Games has announced new facial recognition features in the purchasing process for all of their mobile games. If a user’s account is spending more than 400 RMB ($56 USD) a month or is suspected of being a minor, facial recognition will be required to make any additional purchase. And if someone fails the facial recognition test, their time spent playing the game will be restricted.
This new feature is in response to challenges many gaming companies are facing — gaming addiction, underage users, and kids unknowingly spending huge amounts of their parents money on in-app purchases. As the world’s biggest gaming company by revenue, Tencent is under a lot of pressure to address these challenges. Earlier this year, Tencent began introducing new requirements around real-name registration in similar attempts to curb unhealthy gaming behaviours.
China’s Newest Hit Show Focused on Female Empowerment 🎤
A recent TV show called Sisters Who Make Waves has taken China by storm. It’s a reality singing contest, but every single contestant is female and between the ages of 30 to 52. Thirty contestants are competing for a role in a 5-person all-female singing group. The first episode aired on June 12 and had 370 Million views within three days.
What makes this so appealing? In Chinese society, there’s a term called ‘leftover women’ to describe women over the age of 27 who do not fit into the stereotypical mould of getting married young and raising a family. This show is seen as a progressive step towards more female empowerment. Each contestant is already a famous entertainer and the show focuses on showcasing them as older female role models.
The idea of a famous pop band or musician getting their start on reality TV has many case studies over the last few decades—One Direction, Fifth Harmony, Kelly Clarkson, the list goes on. The interesting twist on Sisters Who Make Waves is the focus on older contestants, which has most of China completely engaged and thinking more deeply about societal norms for women.
Tales from India’s Growing Music Streaming Market 🎧
A lot has been happening in Indian music streaming and this KrAsia article highlights some of the recent news. Last month, Spotify signed a licensing deal with Saregama, one of India’s oldest and biggest record labels, bringing 100,000 songs to the platform. This came after a similar deal with another Indian label Shemaroo. Spotify has only been in India since February 2019, but it’s one of the biggest growth markets globally.
India currently has 200 Million music streamers but is expected to reach 600 Million in three years. There are several local music platforms: Gaana is the market leader, with 150 Million active users and financial backing from Tencent; JioSaavn is a local platform owned by Reliance; and Wynk is another platform owned by Bharti Airtel. YouTube Music has also made a recent push into India, getting a reported 800,000 paying users. Despite the market size, less than 1% of Indian consumers actually pay for a music subscription service.
