by Music startup Space Audit signed a business agreement (MOU) for cooperation with KAIST. Both parties plan to research the K-pop industry and fandom in earnest.
This research is being conducted jointly by KAIST d.lab and Professor Cho Dae-gon. KAIST d.lab analyzes various data and researches using cutting-edge statistical methods and machine learning techniques. As Professor Cho Dae-gon of KAIST is a leading researcher in digital media content and business analytics, he also attracts the attention of various industry officials about new research processes and results related to K-pop.
Space Oddity provides services such as K-Pop Radar and Blip. K-Pop Radar is currently helping to understand the size and change in the fandom of K-Pop artists at a glance through real-time music video views, YouTube subscribers, and Twitter and Instagram followers of about 800 teams in Korea. The ‘K-Pop World Map’ is released every year and attracts attention.
‘Blip’ operates the Blip app, an ‘idol fan essential schedule app’ that provides services to help K-pop fans conveniently engage in fan activities, as well as the Blip Market and YouTube channel sells various fan items and albums to make fan activities convenient.
KAIST plans to begin full-scale research on the K-pop industry and fandom using Space Oddity’s K-pop radar and Blip data, so a powerful synergy effect is expected between both sides.
First, about the K-pop industry, we plan to develop a fair indicator for ‘Next Initial’ that can determine the specific performance of artists and the extent of their influence in the K-pop market. We analyze numbers such as views, followers, and fans’ reactions, such as comments. Among these, K-Pop Radar is working with KAIST to launch a ‘K-Pop Data Product’ for industry professionals early next year.
Next, regarding fandom, unpaid creator activities, that is, curiosity related to ‘why fandom produces various contents without compensation,’ as well as what kind of content fandom produces in particular, what content fandom responds to and moves, and why, etc. We plan to analyze the curious K-pop fandom using data.
Regarding this business agreement, Professor Cho Dae-gon of KAIST said, “Through industry-academia cooperation with Space Audit, we will be able to contribute to the sustainable and healthy growth of K-pop by systematically analyzing the K-pop industry based on data and providing meaningful insights to industry officials and academia.” “I expect that,” he said.
Kim Hong-gi, CEO of Space Audit, said, “It is an honor to conduct meaningful research on the K-pop industry with data from K-pop radar and Blip together with the KAIST research team. Through this, we will lay the foundation for advanced growth for K-pop, rather than just following the same example.” “I will do my best to make this an important opportunity,”
