The chairman Bang Si-hyuk and five executives from HYBE were selected as '2025 Billboard Global Power Players.'
The U.S. music publication Billboard announced the '2025 Billboard Global Power Players' on its website on the 19th (local time). The 'Billboard Global Power Players' is a list that selects leaders in the music business from global regions excluding the United States, which up to last year was known as 'Billboard International Power Players.'
This year, the HYBE executives selected include chairman Bang Si-hyuk, CEO Lee Jae-sang, CEO of HYBE Latin America Kwon Jong-hyun, APAC head of HYBE Music Group Shin Young-jae, and business representative Oh Yu-jin from HYBE 360. Chairman Bang has made the list for the fourth time following 2018, 2019, and 2021. CEO Shin is on the list for the fourth consecutive year, and business representative Oh is included for the second time following last year. CEO Lee and CEO Kwon were selected for the first time.
Billboard noted that HYBE boasts a spectacular roster of artists including BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and NewJeans, while also accelerating its global expansion through AI technology. It added that HYBE's acquisition of the AI audio firm Supertone in 2023 has led to the launch of a virtual pop group and the presentation of enhanced content for TOMORROW X TOGETHER's concert videos by applying Supertone's multilingual pronunciation technology.
CEO Lee, in an interview with Billboard, emphasized, "The entire music industry is still undervalued, noting that the hourly expense of streaming is significantly lower compared to other forms of entertainment or services. This means that all individuals working in the music industry, from creators to on-site staff, are not receiving compensation that matches their true value."
CEO Lee mentioned that AI could be beneficial for musicians, stating, "I believe the future of the music industry will depend on how carefully and appropriately technology is utilized and simultaneously regulated."
[Photo] Provided by HYBE.
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