★ FEATUREIN-DEPTH STORIES // CULTURAL SPOTLIGHTS★ MUSICUNDERGROUND // RAP // CLUB // PLUGG★ PRODUCTIONDAW WARS // PLUGIN CULTURE★ PROFILEARTIST PORTRAITS // MAKER SPOTLIGHTS★ FASHIONLOOKBOOKS // STYLE NOTES // STREETWEAR★ FESTIVALSTOUR DIARIES // LIVE REPORTS★ TECHGEAR REVIEWS // INDUSTRY MOVES★ FEATUREIN-DEPTH STORIES // CULTURAL SPOTLIGHTS★ MUSICUNDERGROUND // RAP // CLUB // PLUGG★ PRODUCTIONDAW WARS // PLUGIN CULTURE★ PROFILEARTIST PORTRAITS // MAKER SPOTLIGHTS★ FASHIONLOOKBOOKS // STYLE NOTES // STREETWEAR★ FESTIVALSTOUR DIARIES // LIVE REPORTS★ TECHGEAR REVIEWS // INDUSTRY MOVES

SAMPLEDEST. 2026 · MUSIC × FASHION × TECH × CULTURE

#indie labels

1 story

Music

Korea's $2.2M indie K-pop fund and the 'fortify the backbone' moment

The Korean government is directly subsidizing independent K-pop labels as the Big 4 hollow out the middle tier. It is industrial policy for pop music — and the US and UK do not have anything close.