Internet giant Tencent Holdings has struck the latest in a string of music distribution deals, this time with Sony Music Entertainment, as it teams up with labels to try to develop the mainland's paid-for music market and curb piracy.
The partnership, announced yesterday, will give Tencent the right to distribute Sony Corp's music catalogue online on the mainland, including artists like Daft Punk, Bob Dylan and Yo-Yo Ma.
Tencent, which operates the country's biggest messaging app, WeChat, did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.
Shenzhen-based Tencent will also promote Sony Music's performers on its online platforms, including social network QQ. The firm said QQ had more than 820 million monthly active users.
Last month, Tencent signed a similar music distribution partnership with Warner Music Group. Earlier this month, it also agreed to become the exclusive online distributor for South Korea's YG Entertainment, which manages a stable of K-pop artists including Gangnam Style rapper Psy.
With a market capitalisation of about US$135 billion, Tencent is quickly becoming an entertainment empire on the mainland. Its video games, the firm's main cash cow, are among the country's most popular and Tencent mobile games regularly top download charts.