Core Insights - The emergence of Qishui Music as a significant player in the music streaming industry is reshaping the competitive landscape, prompting established giants like Tencent Music and NetEase Cloud Music to reassess their market positions [1][2][9] User Growth and Market Dynamics - Qishui Music has rapidly grown to 120 million active users by September 2025, positioning itself as the fourth largest player in the industry, following Tencent Music, QQ Music, and NetEase Cloud Music [1][4] - Tencent Music's stock fell by 11% following its Q3 2025 earnings report, despite reporting a total revenue of 8.46 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.6% [1][8] - The user overlap between Qishui Music and traditional platforms like QQ Music and NetEase Cloud Music is only 2%-3%, indicating that Qishui Music is attracting new users rather than merely redistributing existing ones [9][10] Business Model and Revenue Streams - Qishui Music employs a "free + subscription" model, significantly lowering the barriers to entry for users, which contrasts with the traditional subscription-based revenue model of Tencent Music and NetEase Cloud Music [11][13] - Tencent Music's subscription revenue accounted for 53.2% of its total revenue in Q3 2025, while Qishui Music's approach focuses on user engagement through low-cost membership options and promotional offers [11][13] Competitive Strategies - Qishui Music leverages its integration with Douyin (TikTok) to enhance user engagement and retention, with 38% of its users also active on Douyin [4][6] - The platform's algorithm-driven recommendations and short video experiences have proven effective in attracting users, leading to a 90.7% year-on-year increase in active users as of September [6][8] Industry Implications - The loosening of exclusive music copyright agreements has allowed Qishui Music to enter the market more effectively, capitalizing on the shift towards shared rights among platforms [2][3] - The competitive pressure from Qishui Music is forcing Tencent Music and NetEase Cloud Music to innovate and adapt their business models to retain users and market share [17]