Shows
Best of the SpectatorChinese Whispers: why China loves Taylor Swift‘Swifties’, as Taylor Swift’s fans are known across the world, are extremely dedicated to the cause, and often estimated to drive up local economies wherever they flock, and Chinese fans are no different. Swift didn’t perform in China on the latest global tour, but that didn’t stop more wealthy fans flying to Singapore to see her; or the less wealthy, going to cinemas in China to watch the Taylor Swift Eras Tour documentary – which has broken box office records in China.
So how popular is American, and western, pop music in China in general? Is it considere...2024-07-2246 min
Chinese WhispersWhy China loves Taylor Swift‘Swifties’, as Taylor Swift’s fans are known across the world, are extremely dedicated to the cause, and often estimated to drive up local economies wherever they flock, and Chinese fans are no different. Swift didn’t perform in China on the latest global tour, but that didn’t stop more wealthy fans flying to Singapore to see her; or the less wealthy, going to cinemas in China to watch the Taylor Swift Eras Tour documentary – which has broken box office records in China.All this got me thinking – how popular is American, and western, pop music in China in gener...2024-07-2246 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohBonus | Interview with Freshmusic Awards' YN Chen: On Building & Sustaining CommunityWe had the pleasure of attending the Freshmusic awards LIVE for the first time ever last month, and I came away with so much more than I bargained for. Attending the ceremony and many discussions I've had recently around the topic of community inspired me to invite Yuneng, the founder of Freshmusic Awards to join us for this very special conversation where we talked about some of the understated values of community building, and the origins of grassroots platforms like Freshmusic Awards who have been around for 16 years.Yuneng, Freshmusic’s founder was one of my fi...2023-08-1341 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohBonus | Interview with Keenan Te: Tiktok, Community Building & Strategy in Social Media On this bonus episode, we invited Asian-Australian singer-songwriter and Tiktok creator Keenan Te onto the Level Up Podcast to answer all our burning questions about Tiktok, social media, and most importantly - how to navigate social media as a musician. Amassing over 4 million followers currently across Tiktok, Spotify and various social media platforms, Te broke through the clutter during Covid while stuck at home during Melbourne's lengthy lockdowns with his soulful covers and heart-wrenching deliveries. But what was even more interesting for us was how he navigated the transition successfully from cover artist to original singer-songwriter, and maintained and...2023-04-1220 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohPR | Writing The Perfect Press EmailOn this episode of the Level Up podcast, we're going to talk about how to craft that perfect email to media platforms. In such a way that you'll be maximising your time spent, getting a higher rate of reply, and potentially getting your foot in the door with the right people. As a self-professed email nerd, and someone who runs a media platform and receives such emails from artists everyday, I'm going to share my best tips for writing effective emails and how to ask nicely but effectively for support. Shall we begin?Links and Resources:2023-04-0311 min
Export the SoundJocelle Koh, on Rina Sawayama and Asian diaspora musiciansIn today’s episode, journalist, label leader, and all-around Asian Pop expert Jocelle Koh joins me to discuss British-Japanese superstar Rina Sawayama and strategies for Asian diaspora musicians in the West.
Songs:
Cyber Stockholm Syndrome by Rina Sawayama
STFU! by Rina Sawayama
多遠都要在一起 (LONG DISTANCE) by G.E.M.
Chosen Family by Rina Sawayama
2023-03-3137 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohPR | Tips for Sourcing Effective Media LeadsThis week, we're talking about sourcing for media platforms to reach out to to collaborate with, and what's the best way to really be effective in your approach. I know that there's a lot of independent artists out there who feel like this is very daunting for them. They feel like they need a publicist to help them, like they need someone to help them to negotiate those deals or get those features. But when push comes to shove, sometimes you just don't have the resources at that point in time to get yourself there. It c...2023-03-0611 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohPR | EPK (Electronic Press Kit) 101 ft. Make Your MarkSo today, we're going to be talking about best practices for EPKs, otherwise known as Electronic Press Kits for artists. And as someone who works in journalism and distribution, I think this is something that's very important for any independent artist. EPKs are a very important in helping to further your conversation with a third party, no matter if it's with a distribution partner, the DSPS, a media platform, or any other kind of partner. It's be a stepping stone for you to further the conversation with key potential partners. So it's really important to get it right. 2023-02-0618 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohMental Health | 3 Tips for Boundary Setting as ArtistsBoundaries are a tricky thing for artists. They're subjective, contested, and directly responsible for many an independent artists' mental health. Yet as tricky as they may be, it's a conversation that HAS to be had in order to create a sustainable career as an artist. In this bite-sized episode, we share three tips for how you can create your own roadmap to establishing boundaries with audiences and stakeholders within the industry. Remember always that you too are human-so boundaries apply too-even if you're a public figure. Links and Resources: Subscribe to our Patreon ‘Level Up’ Tier for f...2022-03-0209 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohMental Health | Real Talk on the Indie Artist Experience & Mental Health ft. Marcus LeeOn the first episode of our Level Up podcast in 2022, we've invited Marcus Lee, a promising Singaporean artist, songwriter, and mental health advocate, to join us as we dive deeper into the topic of artists' mental health. We've been a fan of his work ethic and how he's managed to keep the ball rolling as an independent musician for a while now, but we especially wanted to pick his brain on the importance of mental health for artists at every stage of the game. On the outside, Marcus seems to be the perfect poster boy f...2022-01-191h 09
Level Up by Jocelle KohMental Health | Let's Talk about Mental Health for Artists ft. Shapes and Sounds' AsamiMental Health has increasingly become an important topic to me, especially in recent years as I grow more aware of what’s happening in the industry. Due to multiple factors such as the diversity of people you meet in the music industry and the blurred lines between artists as professionals and the art they create, I believe that building a good approach to mental health is one of the most important things independent artists can do for themselves to ensure they make good decisions and build sustainable businesses in the long run. But this is certainly a to...2021-12-0853 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohSeason 1 Finale | A Love Letter to Independent ArtistryIn lieu of the season finale for the first ever season of the Level Up podcast, I wanted to talk about a topic that’s relevant to myself and to artists everywhere – Independence. As someone who has built their career on taking the unconventional route, it’s safe to say I’m a big fan of independence in general. I believe that anything can be achieved through a good work ethic and a whole lot of passion, and I wouldn’t change anything about my journey for the world. I know just as well as any independent artist out...2021-08-0418 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohDigital Distribution | Island-hopping Through Southeast Asia's Streaming Market ft. Believe SEA's Tim TsenOn the latest episode of the Level Up Podcast, we’re wrapping up our digital distribution topic with a deep dive into a lesser explored music industry, but one brimming with potential. The Southeast Asia music scene is one of the most vibrant and diverse in the world, and while streaming is still relatively new here, it’s so exciting to understand the differences between each of the markets, and how one could potentially fit their offerings into these markets. We invited Believe SEA distribution’s head of Editorial and Marketing Partnerships Tim Tsen onto our podcast to sha...2021-07-0642 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohDigital Distribution | Exploring the Greater China Streaming Market ft. Believe Taiwan's Jim TsengDigital Distribution | Exploring the Greater China Streaming Market ft. Believe Taiwan's Jim Tseng This week, we’re honoured to have Believe Distribution’s head of Taiwan and my good friend Jim Tseng on the Level Up podcast to school us all on how the Greater China music streaming industry works, and the landscape of today. Both Taiwan and Mainland Chinese streaming markets grew despite the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and Jim shares about the unique benefits of both markets, some obvious and others not so much. And for listeners interested in the Mainland Chinese mark...2021-06-0153 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohDigital Distribution | All Your Distro Questions Answered feat. SINGPOP's Hubert Ng & Terrence HuangDigital Distribution | All Your Distro Questions Answered Feat. SINGPOP’s Hubert Ng & Terrence Huang *This episode is an audio replay of a SINGPOP webinar titled ‘Let Your Music Be Heard’. Watch the full webinar here on Facebook* I was honoured to be invited by SINGPOP to share about my experience working as a label manager with Believe Digital, and also about my understanding of the streaming market in Asia as well. Over the last few years, I’ve serviced and come in touch with hundreds of artists who come in all different shapes and sizes. I believ...2021-05-041h 11
Level Up by Jocelle KohSocial Media | Interview with Jaguar Jonze - Finding Artistry & Independence via Social MediaSocial Media | Interview with Jaguar Jonze - Finding Artistry & Independence via Social Media When I came back to Perth for the Summer, I did not in my wildest dreams expect to meet Taiwanese-Australian artist extraordinaire Jaguar Jonze here. But yet here she was, seated in front of me in all her signature leopard print glory. I had met Jaguar aka Deena Lynch the day before at a music mentorship program for West Australian musicians, and given that the previous episode of our Level Up podcast was very much inspired by her amazing social media strategy, the serendipity...2021-03-3037 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohSocial Media | Artist Case Studies - Jaguar Jonze, Karencici, Joy CrookesSocial Media | Artist Case Studies - Jaguar Jonze, Karencici, Joy Crookes We can talk all we want about social media, but what better way to put it in context than with some case studies deep diving into some artists we love? With Instagram as our medium of choice, we’ve chosen three artists who we believe embody all the foundations for a healthy and creative social media persona as per talked about in our last episode: Taiwanese-Australian singer-songwriter Jaguar Jonze, Asian-American singer-songwriter Karencici, and British artist Joy Crookes (of Irish/Indian heritage). We bel...2021-03-0219 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohSocial Media | The Social Media MindsetHere's the thing about social media. It's an ESSENTIAL part to your role as an artist. Even your lack thereof of social media use (when done correctly) can establish your branding and your positioning as an artist. I see a lot of artists and work with a lot of artists who feel constrained by the regimented and time-consuming routine by which they feel they have to use social media, to engage and interact to keep those likes and follows coming in. Here's the thing: you don't HAVE to do anything. But if...2021-02-0412 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohArtist Branding & Positioning | Implementing Your PositioningArtist Branding & Positioning | Implementing Your Positioning On one of the previous podcasts we talked about defining yourself, your branding and positioning as an artist. But after all that work's been put into planning, you might be thinking, what now? How do I implement this new positioning and start branding myself in a more consistent and authentic way? Before we get into the implementation part, some of you may be thinking that consistency is a lot of work, it's not particularly creative, what if I just want to express myself freely as an artist etc. But consistency in...2020-11-2811 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohArtist Branding & Positioning | When Good Positioning Goes The Mile ft. Evangeline王艷薇After our first full episode that went in depth about artist positioning and helping you to decipher what kind of artist you want to be, I figured that this topic might still be a little abstract for some. So we’re calling a friend today to help us put things into perspective for you! Malaysian singer-songwriter Evangeline Wong joins us on today’s show to share about her journey through the world of artist positioning. I first met Evangeline in 2017 or 2018 when she had just signed with Taiwanese indie record label SKR Presents as their very first arti...2020-10-3026 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohArtist Branding & Positioning | What Kind Of Artist Do You Want To Be?Artist Branding & Positioning | What Kind Of Artist Do You Want To Be? Okay, so you wrote a song. Now what? Today we'll be navigating the Asian music industry together and discussing our very first topic: artist branding and positioning. Or in other words, 'what kind of artist do you want to be'? Before you hit submit and deliver your new track out into the world, it always helps to think, even in very informal terms about how you would like your music to define you. Sure, sometimes it works to go with the flow. But a clear...2020-09-1210 min
Level Up by Jocelle KohIntro | Welcome To The Level Up PodcastIntro | Welcome To The Level Up Podcast Welcome to the Level Up podcast! I'm Jocelle Koh, the founder of Asian Pop Weekly, and all-round music creative, and I'm here to help artists everywhere to navigate the Asian music industry. This episode is an intro spiel about me and what I hope to achieve with this podcast. All the time, artists at every stage of their career are still asking me, 'where do I go from here?' And it's not a judgement, but a fact, that a lot of us who love music and work...2020-09-1205 min