Small agencies can open new paths for K-pop stars — Korea Herald
In South Korea, small music agencies can give performers more room for experimentation and unconventional ways of finding an audience, despite the significant advantage large companies have in budgets and production capabilities. This was reported by The Korea Herald, citing the examples of Rescene, Ateez, BTS and GFriend.
The success of Rescene and Ateez
The girl group Rescene debuted in March 2024 under The Muze Entertainment. This year, the group broke into K-pop’s top tier thanks to viral YouTube content and renewed interest in the song Love Attack, released in 2024.
A remake of Kara’s song Pretty Girl, released on July 8, brought Rescene its first music show award. The song subsequently won several more times on MBC Show! Music Core.
The boy band Ateez of KQ Entertainment debuted in October 2018. In less than five months, the group held a tour with five sold-out concerts in the United States, followed by 10 sold-out concerts in Europe. Demand for these performances was generated through the concert platform MyMusicTaste.
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This summer, Bad, the lead track from the 14th mini-album Golden Hour: Part.5, released on June 26, went viral after a choreography clip featuring member San spread on TikTok, X, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
Differences in spending
The Korea Herald also mentions BTS, which debuted in June 2013, when Big Hit Entertainment was a small company. The group used social media to publish behind-the-scenes videos and communicate directly with fans. GFriend’s early style, in turn, was built around melodic pop music, largely created by the production duo Iggy and Youngbae.
At the same time, the resource gap between large and small companies is substantial. According to government industry data, major Korean music companies spent an average of 43.11 billion won per year on music production in 2023, while small companies spent 1.49 billion won. This year, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture launched a program to support small and medium-sized agencies entering overseas markets, selecting 10 performers, including Rescene and KQ Entertainment’s Xikers.
