--- title: "Chinese music is still present, but it is no longer important" type: "News" locale: "zh-CN" url: "https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/270859468.md" description: "The article discusses the marginalization of Chinese music in modern society. Although music creation and consumption still exist, music has lost its rightful place in the social structure. As music becomes readily available, it is no longer part of collective memory but has become private, fragmented, and ephemeral. The emergence of music AI further undermines the uniqueness of music, reducing it from a \"work\" to \"material.\"" datetime: "2025-12-26T14:46:28.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/270859468.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/270859468.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/270859468.md) --- > 支持的语言: [English](https://longbridge.com/en/news/270859468.md) | [繁體中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/270859468.md) # Chinese music is still present, but it is no longer important To determine whether an industry is in decline, you don't need an industry report; it doesn't have to be complicated at all. You just need to look at one thing: Is it still worth people's time? 1 If you are a person born in the 80s or 90s, you have probably experienced a moment like this: A song comes out, and you don't need an introduction; everyone knows it. Instead, they know where it came from, who it was sung for, and why it became popular. Now, try again. Can you name a song that has emerged in the last three years, not relying on variety shows or short video memes, but has truly been "remembered" by people? 2 This generation has actually been "raised" by music. Using tapes, MDs, CDs, MP3s, iPods. Back then, listening to music was something that required— cost, patience, and investment. You had to search, wait for downloads, and listen to one song at a time. Music was not ubiquitous, so it came with a sense of seriousness. Thus, it preserved intense emotions and individualized memories. Now, music is readily available, but there is no longer that feeling of "this song is mine." 3 Today, there is almost no "voice belonging to a generation." As a result, music slowly retreats to an awkward position: The decline of the Chinese music market is not due to a lack of songwriters or listeners. Rather, music has lost its rightful place in the entire social structure. In a highly utilitarian, perpetually anxious environment that demands quick feedback, something like music, which requires pauses, immersion, and serious attention, is destined to be marginalized. Even more absurdly: when music loses its weight, we begin to repeatedly consume "memories." Concerts happen one after another, and the setlists are always the same few songs; revived songs often have more vitality than new ones. Endless nostalgia, reheating old meals. Not because the past was superior, but because— that was our last time having a public memory in music. Today's music is private, fragmented, and instantaneous. It cannot form a common language for a generation. The apps and algorithms of major internet companies have created a true— "22nd Century Murder Network" (the Hong Kong translation of The Matrix) 4 After the emergence of powerful music AI like SUNO, music has been downgraded from "works" to "materials." Music creation is no longer so scarce and sacred. The chorus is responsible for dissemination, the prelude can be sacrificed, lyrics should preferably not be too complex, and emotions must hit immediately. If a song requires 30 seconds of buildup, it is highly likely that it won't survive to the next round of recommendations. When the Golden Horn King and the Black Bear Monster sing better than professional singers, the public can only laugh; it seems this kind of entertainment is still okay. 5 Musicians are well aware of this. A clear sign is that the most stable and safe music consumption today is the repeated singing of old songs. Not because past songs are superior, but because they were born in an era when music could still form public memories. Most new songs today can only form personal memories, and their shelf life is extremely short. You see it today, and it gets overshadowed tomorrow Music has been stripped of its original value, becoming a tool and means to gain attention. Six Many people attribute the reason to short videos. This statement sounds convenient, but it is not complete. Short videos are merely a result, not the starting point. The real change is that this society as a whole no longer encourages "long, aimless" mental activities. Playing music and listening to music precisely require these two elements. Seven In an environment that emphasizes efficiency, conversion, and returns, the existence of music, which is "not necessarily useful but may be very important," will naturally be marginalized. It will not be banned or eliminated. It will only be redefined as "something not that important." Eight Therefore, the problem with the Chinese music market does not lie in the absence of good songs or good musicians. The issue is that this era has made it very difficult to give music a sufficiently dignified role. It is allowed to exist but not allowed to occupy the center. In fact, whether music can thrive has never been just a matter of music. Any truly mature culture has one prerequisite: ordinary people must have money and leisure. Not the kind of "having" that barely survives, but the kind of "having" that does not require all energy to be spent on dealing with life. Culture is very much like the lawn in front of a large house. You must first level the ground, have someone trim it regularly, and allow it to exist without producing anything. If everyone is anxious every day about mortgage payments, KPI performance, comparisons, rankings, and traffic, the lawn will surely be trampled and ultimately can only be paved with concrete. Chinese music has not died. It has merely silently completed its downgrade. From lawn to concrete. \-End- ### 相关股票 - [Tencent Holdings Limited (TCTZF.US)](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/quote/TCTZF.US.md) - [Tencent (TCEHY.US)](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/quote/TCEHY.US.md) - [TENCENT (00700.HK)](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/quote/00700.HK.md) ## 相关资讯与研究 - [14:05 ETFolger Consort Announces 2026-27 Season of Early Music, Celebrating 50 Years of Musical Excellence](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281562132.md) - [WARNER MUSIC GROUP AGREES TO ACQUIRE REVELATOR, STATE-OF-THE-ART INDEPENDENT MUSIC PLATFORM | WMG Stock News](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281394043.md) - [Suno leans into customization with v5.5](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/280886002.md) - [All the latest in AI ‘music’](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/280936972.md) - [AO3 is finally out of beta after 17 years](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281581534.md)