Music 'refugees' from Tiktok tune into fans via RedNote

RedNote rising

There has been a significant surge in the popularity of RedNote, especially in markets outside China. The social media app gained nearly 3 million US users in one day in early January as a flood of "TikTok refugees" joined, according to a Reuters report. The Chinese-language app had about 3.4 million daily active users across both iOS and Android devices in the US as of Jan 13.

Acknowledging the surge, Red-Note, which was launched in 2013 by a group of Chinese entrepreneurs, has added a translation function catering to English-speaking users. Appealing to the increasing music-savvy base, the platform also held the Global Village Concert on Jan 26, featuring 20 groups of musicians from China and abroad. The concert ran for about seven hours and attracted over 1 million viewers.

There has been a noticeable trend of Western musicians and artists trying to expand their presence in China over the past decade. This is largely due to China's rapidly growing entertainment market and its vast, young population that is increasingly interested in international music.

Music critic Er Di said that platforms like RedNote offer fertile ground for musicians from abroad to connect with a highly engaged and diverse audience.

"I think the users of RedNote are more diversified compared with other social media platforms," he said. "This diversity shows in the comment sections, where positive feedback fuels the creativity of artists. These musicians are not just reaching audiences — they're building global communities."

He also pointed out that the platform is a rich environment for various music genres, from R&B and jazz to classical and country, he said. "It's truly a dazzling array, with something for everyone."