Core Viewpoint - Tencent Music is responding to competitive pressure from ByteDance's "Soda Music" by expanding its premium membership offerings and enhancing its offline concert business to create new growth engines [1][4]. Group 1: Strategic Response - Citi's report highlights that the market's sell-off of TME shares is an overreaction to competitive concerns, presenting a buying opportunity [3][4]. - TME's strategy focuses on a multi-tiered membership system designed to enhance user value and retention rather than engaging in a price war [4][5]. Group 2: Membership and Revenue Growth - The multi-tiered membership service, including SVIP memberships, is expected to drive growth in paying users and ARPPU (Average Revenue Per Paying User) through high-quality music content and exclusive concert privileges [5][6]. - TME aims to provide more exclusive benefits and products based on fan economy, which will help boost SVIP subscriptions [7]. Group 3: Offline Concert Strategy - TME is heavily investing in large-scale tours and proprietary IP events, which not only generate new revenue streams but also deepen collaborations with artists, creating an online-offline ecosystem [6][8]. - The concert business enhances user experience and fosters stronger relationships within the music ecosystem [7]. Group 4: Competitive Advantages - TME's management expresses confidence in its core advantages, including a rich music content library, extensive user asset management experience, and high penetration across multiple platforms [9]. - The synergy with Tencent's gaming and video IPs provides a unique competitive edge that is difficult for rivals to replicate [9]. Group 5: Financial Outlook - TME's projected financial performance shows a net profit increase from RMB 6,223 million in 2023 to RMB 12,490 million by 2027, with a diluted EPS growth from RMB 3.925 to an estimated RMB 7.999 [10]. - Despite potential short-term impacts on gross margins from the concert business, the long-term strategic investments in fan economy and ecosystem are expected to drive sustainable growth [10].

Core Viewpoint - Tencent Music is expanding its premium membership and enhancing offline concert business to build new growth engines in response to competition from ByteDance's "Soda Music" [1][4] Group 1: Strategic Response to Competition - Citi's report highlights that despite TME's Q3 performance exceeding expectations, market concerns over competition have pressured its stock price, leading investors to adopt a risk-averse stance [1][3] - The report argues that the sell-off is "unfounded" and presents a great buying opportunity for investors [3] Group 2: Dual-Driven Growth Strategy - TME's strategy is not merely a price war but involves a well-designed multi-tier membership system aimed at enhancing user value and stickiness, catering to different user groups from free to premium memberships [4] - The multi-tier membership service and SVIP membership are expected to drive growth in paying users and ARPPU (Average Revenue Per Paying User) through high-quality music content, exclusive concert privileges, and optimized audio quality [4] Group 3: Offline Concerts as a Strategic Focus - TME is heavily investing in large-scale tours and proprietary IP events, which not only create new revenue streams but also deepen collaborations with artists and provide exclusive benefits for paying members, forming an online-offline ecosystem [5] - The concert business helps establish experiences and fosters deeper relationships within the ecosystem, promoting SVIP subscription growth through fan economy-based products [5] Group 4: Core Competitive Advantages - TME's management expresses confidence in its core advantages, including a rich music content library, extensive user asset management experience, and high penetration across multiple platforms [6] - The synergy with Tencent's gaming and video IPs is a unique advantage that competitors find hard to replicate, creating a solid competitive moat [6] Group 5: Financial Projections - TME's projected net profit and diluted EPS show a growth trajectory, with net profit expected to rise from RMB 6.223 billion in 2023 to RMB 12.490 billion by 2027, and diluted EPS increasing from RMB 3.925 to RMB 7.999 over the same period [7] - Citi reaffirms a "buy" rating for TME, indicating that the company is transitioning towards a more robust social music ecosystem, with strategic investments in fan economy and ecosystem expected to drive sustainable growth in the long term [7]