Agencies cry foul over music numbers

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Agencies cry foul over music numbers


Four local entertainment agencies have submitted a complaint to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office requesting it investigate allegations that competing companies are faking play counts on online music Web sites.

Korea’s three major agencies, YG Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and SM Entertainment, along with Star Empire, said yesterday that other agencies are using technical tricks to ring up extra views on music Web sites, causing certain songs to be ranked higher on play charts.

“As those online rankings are also used to determine results on TV music shows, the pop culture market has experienced some confusion,” said YG Entertainment in a release.

In addition to tainting music rankings, the agencies argued that faking plays earns companies profits, as royalties from music Web sites are based on the number of plays and streams a song garners.

One loophole that is reportedly being used is playing time - although pop songs are typically four-minutes long, a song only needs to be played for one minute online to count as a full play.

“It has to be stopped immediately,” said a statement by YG Entertainment.


BY LEE SUN-MIN [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]

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