Sony, Vietnam's YeaH1 team to take 'V-pop' global

Vietnamese music industry looks to follow in K-pop's footsteps

HO CHI MINH CITY/TOKYO -- Vietnam's music industry is bringing the country's pop bands beyond its borders, as leading player YeaH1 Group partners with U.S.-based Sony Music Entertainment to pursue a global audience.

The tie-up's first project centers on Uprize, a boy band formed through reality show "Tan Binh Toan Nang," or "Show It All," run by YeaH1. The group's debut event Tuesday in Ho Chi Minh City was attended by representatives from companies including Spotify.

"This partnership is a historic moment for Vietnam's entertainment industry," YeaH1 Chairwoman Thao Le Phuong said.

"V-pop" melds traditional Vietnamese elements with South Korean and Western culture. Though the term began to gain traction in the 2010s amid the ascent of K-pop, the genre itself remains little known worldwide.

"Sony Music is dedicated to honoring the unique cultural heritage of the markets we enter," said Kenny Ong, managing director for special projects in Southeast Asia at Sony Music, adding that the company aims to build a model where "Vietnamese cultural identity is honored and built upon."

YeaH1 produces music programs, earning money from concerts by artists who gained followings through those programs as well as from ads on streaming services. Group revenue more than doubled in 2024 to 1 trillion dong ($38 million), while net profit nearly quintupled to 125.7 billion dong.

As part of the partnership, Sony Music is taking a 49% stake in 1Label, a YeaH1 group company that handles music production and artist management, which has changed its name to SYE Holdings.

SYE will hold preferential contract negotiation rights with artists who emerge from YeaH1 programs. The tie-up aims to leverage the Sony unit's expertise in music production and artist development to bring Vietnamese stars to a worldwide audience.

The push to take V-pop global follows the success of K-pop, an industry that has produced a succession of global stars from a country of around 50 million people.

"Thanks to the K-pop boom, the groundwork has been laid for boy bands to be accepted around the world," Thao said.

This effort is expected to receive support from Vietnam's government, which is focusing on the entertainment industry as it seeks to foster a national brand. South Korea's policies helped turn entertainment into an export industry and provide a potential model to follow.

The global music market reached nearly $30 billion in 2024, almost doubling over the preceding decade, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry reports. Advanced economies such as the U.S., Japan and the U.K. are among the top markets.

Though accurate data is unavailable for Vietnam, the country is thought to account for less than 1% of the total. With limited domestic room for growth, V-pop is looking abroad. A major local record label has partnered with Universal Music Group, and popular artists in the country are producing songs in English.

Delving into Southeast Asia is key to Sony Music's growth as well. Pop music has taken off in countries such as Thailand and the Philippines in recent years, and services like Spotify have become a major revenue source for music companies. More than half of revenue globally for recorded music comes from subscription streaming services.

With markets such as the U.S. and Japan maturing, Sony Music looks to expand in emerging economies in South America, Africa and Asia. Teaming with YeaH1 to discover artists in Vietnam and build their fan bases domestically and abroad should boost Sony's streaming revenue.

The company has had success stories in Southeast Asia such as SB19, a five-member boy band from the Philippines with global hit songs such as "DAM." 

For the broader Sony Group, music represents an intellectual property much like hit franchises such as Demon Slayer. Creating international stars and hit songs opens the door to crossover opportunities with other business areas, such as making music for PlayStation games and having artists wear Sony headphones.