In 2018, pop star Jessie J was competing in China’s version of “The X Factor” (“China Singer”).
When she ended up winning the competition, Andrew Spalter — a music management exec working with Jessie J — realized there was a massive business opportunity…
… to help Western celebrities blow up in China’s fast-growing entertainment market.
To make it happen, Spalter launched East Goes Global
And, in 2 short years, he’s already put together an impressive roster of celebrities, including Britney Spears, Shawn Mendes, and Will Smith.
“A lot of Western artists don’t realize how big the China opportunity is,” Spalter told The Hustle in a recent conversation.
Spalter helps artists and celebs manage marketing and branding across leading Chinese social networks (Weibo, Douyin, NetEase, QQ, KuGou).
China’s music streaming business is growing rapidly
“A few years ago, China wasn’t even a top 20 music market,” says Spalter. “Today, it’s probably a top 5 market, and artists can get $2-3k per million streams vs. only $100-300 per million streams 2 to 3 years ago.”
Universal Music Group recognized the opportunity and formed a partnership with East Goes Global.
With a staff of 10, Spalter is growing the business quickly: It’s gone from $80k in Year 1 and is expected to hit 7 figures next year.
“There’s a digital influencer in China known as the lipstick king,” per Spalter. “He sold $145m+ on [China’s major shopping event] Single’s Day…and it wasn’t just lipstick. That’s the opportunity for digital influencers.”
