Announcement of 'Visual Music Platform' Vision Tailored to the 5G Era
Securing No. 1 Domestic Sound Source Distribution Market Share through CJ ENM Content
Aiming for the Top Spot with 5 Million Paid Subscribers by 2022

On the 22nd, Genie Music held a press briefing at K-live, Nuridream Square in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and announced its vision for a "next-generation visual music platform" based on cutting-edge ICT. At this event, attended by major executives from shareholder companies including CEO Kim Hoon-bae, CJ ENM Music Content UNIT IP Operations Managing Director Jung Hyung-jin, and KT Future Business Development Head Ko Yun-jeon, Genie Music declared its goal to become Korea's No. 1 music platform operator with 5 million paid subscribers by 2022.


Preparing Media Content Utilizing Innovative 5G Technology
Genie Music CEO Kim Hoon-bae stated, "Last year, we saw many people longing for the 'legend of the music industry' as a tribute album was released marking the 30th anniversary of the late Yoo Jae-ha's passing. I am delighted that by combining Genie Music's content planning capabilities with KT's hologram technology, we can provide fans with the opportunity to meet the late Yoo Jae-ha once again before their eyes. We are preparing a 'next-generation music platform' to be integrated with KT's world-first 5G service," adding, "Through experiential services such as the hologram collaboration performances we have already showcased, Genie Music will provide customers with music services they have never experienced before."

The Yoo Jae-ha hologram performance, unveiled for the first time at today's briefing, is a collaboration live performance where PD Song Hong-seop, a close friend of Yoo Jae-ha, reorchestrated the upbeat rhythm piece , and Sweet Sorrow participated as a chorus, embodying the philosophy of the next-generation music service that Genie Music will showcase.

Kim Jong-jin, Song Hong-seop, and Jung Won-young, who previously collaborated with Yoo Jae-ha as members of 'Great Birth', reunited to perform guitar, bass, and keyboard respectively. Rubin, who won a silver award at the 'Yoo Jae-ha Music Competition', appeared as a hologram stand-in for Yoo Jae-ha, recreating his appearance during his lifetime, and Lee Jun played drums. Additionally, Genie Music utilized KT Future Business Development's hologram technology to recreate Yoo Jae-ha's appearance from 30 years ago.

KT first showcased a hologram performance in Korea in 2014 and has since developed its technological capabilities by producing hologram content across various genres. Completed through collaboration between Genie Music and KT Future Business Development as part of the Genie Holo 1.0 strategy, this hologram employs 'Floating Hologram' technology, which projects video from a high-resolution projector onto the floor and displays it on a large screen installed at a 45-degree angle. By 2022, Genie Music plans to continue unveiling next-generation media content for the 5G era, including next-generation 360-degree holography, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), utilizing KT's advanced ICT technology.


Completing Next-Generation 5G-Based Music Service by 2022
Additionally, Genie Music announced its plan to complete a "next-generation 5G network-based future music service" by 2022. Specifically, by the end of this year, it will launch ▲'Intelligence Curation' service based on big data and artificial intelligence from all subscribers, ▲next-generation in-vehicle infotainment service 'IVI Genie Service', and in the first quarter of next year, ▲it will completely overhaul the Genie application centered on CJ ENM's latest music-related video content. Additionally, it plans to sequentially release innovative services that expand the music industry's scope, including ▲launching 'Genie Open-Type SDK (Software Development Kit)' that allows anyone to easily create music services.

'Intelligence Curation' is a service that analyzes user preferences based on big data and AI to recommend music. While existing curation services were based on usage situations such as user location and weather, Intelligence Curation is preference-based. It works by segmenting the preferences of individual subscribers, classifying similar users into groups, and recommending appropriate content. It can be accessed through KT's AI speaker 'Gigagenie', as well as 'Clova' (Naver) and 'Bixby' (Samsung Electronics).

Genie Music will launch an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) service in collaboration with domestic and international automakers. The 'IVI Genie Service' is an empathetic AI service that comprehensively analyzes road conditions, driving information, and the preferences of passengers through the vehicle's Communication Control Unit (CCU) to provide music. For example, when a driver feels fatigued due to traffic congestion or prolonged driving, the service curates upbeat songs from the driver's favorite music and plays songs like BLACKPINK's 'DDU-DU DDU-DU' and 'Whistle'.

The Genie app will be completely redesigned to focus on video content. From among CJ ENM's approximately 50,000 video pieces, popular content will be loaded onto the Genie app to launch a new 'Channel Genie (tentative name)' section. Specifically, users will be able to enjoy artist live video in four dimensions with VR technology applied, and by integrating AR technology, users will be able to check customized information such as artist images and videos simply by filming with a smartphone—introducing a next-generation service. Genie Music is considering providing dedicated data to KT subscribers to reduce their data charges from viewing 'Channel Genie'.

This month, Genie Music became the first in the industry to apply open-type SDK to OneNavi, KT and LGU+'s integrated navigation. Going forward, Genie Music plans to adopt an SDK strategy to disclose curation and sound source player technology, creating an ecosystem where third-party and B2B operators can easily develop music services.


Domestic No. 1 Sound Source Distribution Power, Pursuing Collaboration with CJ ENM
Genie Music expects its influence in the music market to significantly increase this year as it takes over the distribution of music content produced and sourced by CJ ENM. It will be responsible for distributing not only music released by popular CJ ENM artists but also drama OSTs and broadcast music content produced by CJ ENM.

Genie Music distributes sound sources from major domestic entertainment companies including YG Entertainment. Through the merger of CJ Digital Music (Mnet.com), a subsidiary of CJ ENM, it has secured a 35% market share of the domestic sound source market, establishing itself as the industry's No. 1 distribution power.

Additionally, Genie Music plans to jointly proceed with CJ ENM on multiple fronts including concerts, showcases, and busking initiatives. The two companies have also agreed to collaborate on new artist album launch marketing and jointly pursue projects that can maximize marketing synergy. Long-term, Genie Music is also reviewing services that combine broadcast content such as conducting CJ ENM survival show voting linked with the 'Genie Platform' and music broadcast airtime.


Four Companies Unite Capabilities to Leap to No. 1 Music Platform Operator
On July 25th, Genie Music held a board of directors meeting and decided to merge CJ Digital Music, the operator of sound source service 'Mnet.com'. The merger will be conducted through the issuance of new shares, transferring Genie Music stock to CJ ENM, which is the 100% shareholder of CJ Digital Music. The merger date is October 10th, and once the merger process is completed, CJ ENM will become Genie Music's second-largest shareholder.

From left: CJ ENM Managing Director Jung Hyung-jin, Genie Music CEO Kim Hoon-bae, KT Head Ko Yun-jeon, LG U+ Assistant Manager Lee Jung-woo

Through this merger, Genie Music has brought together KT, LGU+, and CJ ENM. Based on a "complete value chain in the music market" connecting content, platform, and network, it plans to provide users with music services they have never experienced before. Through this, Genie Music aims to secure the No. 1 market share in Korea's sound source distribution market in 2019 and acquire 5 million paid subscribers by 2022, establishing itself as an unrivaled No. 1 operator in Korea's sound source service market.

CJ ENM Music Content UNIT IP Operations Managing Director Jung Hyung-jin stated, "Due to new technology and changes in device environments, the paradigm is shifting from 'listening to music' to 'viewing music', and again from 'viewing music' to 'experiencing music'. By fusing artist IP and video content held by the CJ ENM Music Content Unit with ICT technology, we will provide new musical experiences," outlining the plans.

Genie Music CEO Kim Hoon-bae stated, "By combining KT Group's ICT capabilities with recently secured content competitiveness, we will provide customers with sound source services they have never experienced before. Based on 5G-based next-generation music services, we will secure more than 5 million paid subscribers and establish 'Genie' as Korea's representative music platform."