Modern Sky

Modern Sky (Modern Sky) is an independent music record label founded in 1997 in Beijing, China, by musician Shen Lihui. After more than two decades of development, it has evolved from a single record production company into the largest comprehensive independent music and live entertainment group in mainland China, with the greatest influence on youth culture.

In its early days, Modern Sky was dedicated to discovering alternative musicians with unique artistic sensibilities. Its early “Modern Sky Compilation” series, as well as the studio albums it produced for local rock bands such as Qingxing, New Pants, Supermarket, broke the monopoly of traditional pop love songs and variety show tunes that dominated the mainland music market at the time, thanks to their avant-garde arrangements and experimental nature that were deeply reflective of the era. In the 2000s, record label further expanded its reach by establishing sub-labels such as Badhead, incorporating folk (e.g., Song Dongye, Ma Di) , post-rock, electronic music, and hip-hop (such as Edison Chen and Manshuke) into its vast catalog.

Beyond the production and distribution of studio recordings, Modern Sky’s most disruptive contribution to China’s modern music industry lies in its commercialization of live performances. In 2009, record label founded the “Strawberry Music Festival,” which successfully propelled independent music into a broader urban consumer market through highly professional stage production, cross-industry brand sponsorships, and youth lifestyle initiatives. In the era of digital streaming, Modern Sky not only continues to provide high-fidelity audio distribution but has also built an exceptionally comprehensive copyright management network for independent artists, serving as the definitive benchmark for the maturation of mainland China’s youth subculture into a commercial industry.