Night belongs to the young－and so does the sound

Dutch DJ Lvndscape was a headliner at the recent Corona SunSets Festival in Shanghai. [Photo provided to China Daily]

With the decline of the traditional record industry in recent years, music companies have shifted their attention to live music performances, especially the festival market.

In addition, the fast pace of city life makes listening to music outdoors an attractive way to slow down and relax. At the same time, the rise of young consumers, mostly the 1990s generation, has played a catalytic role in reshaping the music industry.

According to iResearch's China online music industry research report, this demographic group has become the main driver behind pay music in China, being more willing to cough up for music and allied forms of entertainment.

The strong potential of the festival market has also given birth to more music festival brands. A report by the Slightly Cultural Industry Research Center, a music data provider in Beijing, says that 10 years ago there were only 24 music festivals in China, but then in 2014 a total of 148 music festivals were held. Last year 202 were held, with ticket receipts totaling 483 million yuan ($73 million), 42.5 percent more than in 2015.

However, a successful music festival should not simply look to pulling power that simply relies on celebrities," He Jingtong says. "It should focus on core content, that is to provide the most core music and cultural experience, and to lead a new lifestyle."