Since some time ago, the top of the music charts has been filled with unfamiliar names. They have made made music rank top which is hard for even famous singers to do. Who are those? Maybe, I am not the only one who feels uncomfortable with this. When we search their name on the internet portal site, there is “hoarding music” in the relative search word. Then, what is hoarding music?
Hoarding music is making a certain singer’s sound source reach to the top by paying money to illegal enterprises and then using thousands of smartphone and bogus IDs which play that music all day long. According to Music Industry Promotion Act, those who “unfairly purchase such sound source or make the involved person buy them for the purpose of raising sales of records” will face up to two years in prison or pay a fine of 20 million won or less. Actually, this kind of illegal act is not just recent one. Before the sound source market was booming, there even was hoarding record. However, as time goes by, as the music industry is reorganized based on sound source and importance of record is increasingly declining in the requirements for music awards, the problem is changing from hoarding record to hoarding music. This is an apparent illegal act, a denial of other artists’ efforts and a serious criminal act that causes damage.
Since the act is cyber-based, there is no evidence to prove the crime, which makes many people cannot say for sure although they all know it is wrong. Then, Park Kyung, a member of Block B, uploaded a post regarding this hoarding music on his Social Network Service (SNS), and it made a headline. He openly mentioned some artists who is suspected of hoarding music. The singers, whose real names were mentioned, sued Park Kyung for violating the Information and Communication Network Act, including defamation of false information. As such, they tried to cover up their hoarding, but suspicions were constantly raised and TV program “want to know that” was also aired on this topic. The staff met singers who had been offered suggestions by a music manipulating company. According to them, the way the company raises music ranking is by viral marketing via SNS. They said when they post a song on SNS, people become interested and search a lot. In this way, the music ranks higer.
Nevertheless, it is hard to understand that this result is simply from viral marketing. If the company’s logic is right, only those who do SNS would recognize. However, it is deeply questionable that Nilo ranked first by beating Kim Yon-ja’s Amor Fati in 50s’ chart. So far, not a single singer suspected of hoarding has yet admitted nor dropped the charge against Park Kyung, which made him apply for a delay in his enlistment. As one of the music lovers, I hope that the hoarding of music that negates other people’s efforts will be eradicated and that the truth will be revealed as soon as possible.