Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and the Philippines, has recently received a lot of attention from the global music industry. In a discussion at Music Matters 2022, Sulinna Ong, Global Editorial Head at Spotify, referred to these two countries as "trigger markets," highlighting their role in shaping the music landscape on the streaming platform, as quoted by Billboard Philippines. This is in line with a Chartmetric report by A&R, which also identified these countries as "trigger cities" or highly influential music markets.
A trigger market is a critical early indicator of a song's global potential. The early engagement of listeners in these markets is often a strong predictor of a song's international longevity. In addition to being early consumers of new genres and artists, these countries play a key role in catalyzing the success of non-English music on the global stage.
Meanwhile, a trigger city is an influential music market where digital activity, such as social media sharing or playlist placements, can ignite an artist's international popularity. The unique characteristics of these cities - such as large populations, high digital adoption, and strong music-sharing cultures - make them powerful catalysts for the global spread of music.
Read also: Which Southeast Asian Country Spends the Most Time on Social Media? An Overview
Southeast Asia's growing influence on music trends
Ong from Spotify highlights the significant role of the Philippines and Indonesia in shaping music trends on the platform. These two countries often serve as the starting point for a song's popularity before it gains global recognition, consistently setting music trends that go on to dominate other regions.
The high adoption of new music, from K-pop to Latin, makes the momentum in Southeast Asian countries crucial for artists seeking international recognition.
This trend also influences Spotify's curation strategy, which now tailors content to local tastes and highlights music from around the world.
With this region acting as a catalyst for new trends, it's increasingly likely that the next global stars will emerge from Manila or Jakarta, replacing the dominance of traditional music markets such as the US or UK. This signals that the future of music is becoming more global, with more sources of inspiration coming from all corners of the world.
Underrated but influential markets
Chartmetric's findings show that Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and the Philippines, is a strong region for trigger cities. With a tech-savvy, young population and a strong appetite for Western music, the region plays a key role in global music trends.
Listeners in Latin America and Asia also strongly support the development of new artists, providing an important base for international expansion, even though these markets are often difficult to penetrate and underestimated.
To identify Trigger Cities, Chartmetric analyzes new artists who have achieved global superstar status. Criteria include having a debut release within the last four years, ranking among Chartmetric's top 5,000 artists, and having a diverse YouTube audience that is not dominated by one country. This approach underscores the importance of these markets in influencing and supporting the success of global music.
