以SNH48爲代表的中國女子組合日益興起

China is known as the manufacturing capital of the world, pumping out products such as smartphones and solar panels for global consumption — can it manufacture entertainment too?

中國以世界製造業之都、生產出智能手機和太陽能電池板等大量產品供全球消費而聞名，中國也能生產娛樂產品嗎？

Shanghai's SNH48, one of China's rising girl bands, certainly thinks so. Last month, the group’s backers raised more than Rmb1bn ($150m) from investors, eager to tap into a popularity that saw them sell 2m albums in China last year to teenage girls enamoured with their songs about romance, princesses and beach vacations.

中國正在崛起的女子偶像團體之一、位於上海的SNH48當然這麼認爲。去年SNH48向中國的少女們售出了200萬張唱片，少女們對她們那些有關浪漫、公主和海灘度假的歌曲非常癡迷。上月，該團體的運營方向投資人融資逾10億元人民幣（合1.5億美元），希望能在知名度上繼續深耕。

Historically, Chinese teenagers have danced to imported music from Japan and South Korea. But last year’s ban on Korean music — triggered by Seoul’s decision to host a US missile shield as a defence against its hostile northern neighbour — opened up an opportunity for singers and savvy investors alike.

從歷史上看，中國的青少年是隨着進口的日韓音樂而起舞的。但是，去年限韓令——這是由於韓國決定引入一款美國導彈防禦系統來防範其敵對的北方鄰國而招致的——爲歌手和精明的投資人提供了一個機遇。

“In the past few years, the Chinese pop music scene has grown rapidly through China’s own rich human resources and bold investment,” says Nick Pyo, a South Korean producer.

“過去幾年裏，中國流行音樂行業藉助其本國豐富的人力資源和大膽投資，實現了快速發展，”韓國製作人Nick Pyo表示。

Unlike western pop, which trades on authenticity and the idea of performers singing from the heart, SNH48 is run more like a tech start-up than a musical group. Taking its inspiration from Japanese group AKB48, instead of a core group it runs on teams of interchangeable singers — a strategy managers hope will allow them to build generations of young female stars and longer-lasting revenue streams.

與以表演者發自內心歌唱爲創意原則的西方流行音樂團體不同，SNH48的管理更像是一個創業型企業，而不是一個樂隊。從日本團體AKB48那裏獲得靈感之後，SNH48不是依賴少數幾名團隊成員，而是使用多個彼此可以相互替換的歌手組合——經理希望這種策略將讓他們打造出一代又一代的年輕偶像，帶來更持久的現金流。

Fans vote for their favourite performers and teams, each with their own look and sound. A mobile app lets diehard supporters track their favourite performers, watch their daily live streams and send them personalised notes.

粉絲們投票支持最喜歡的表演者和組合，每個組合都有自己的外觀和聲音。一款手機app讓鐵桿支持者們追蹤他們最喜歡的表演者，觀看她們每日的流媒體直播，並向她們發送個性化的信件。

Anita Huang, a managing partner at Sinovation Ventures, one of the earliest investors in SNH48, says that in traditional celebrities-centred businesses that are dependent on individuals, “one, two, three persons are hot for a while but if they are not, then the business dies”.

創新工場(Sinovation Ventures)管理合夥人黃蕙雯(Anita Huang)表示，在依賴個人的傳統的、以名人爲核心的公司裏，“一到三個人會紅一段時間，如果她們不紅了，那麼公司也就完了”。創新工場是最早投資SNH48的機構之一。

New teams are carefully cultivated by SNH48’s managers and introduced each year. “The S team is older, and they are more upbeat and lively, whereas the H team is more strait-laced,” says Tao Ying, chief executive of Shanghai Siba Media and Culture Group, the company behind SNH48. “The N team has more of a cute vibe, which suits them because they are all on the shorter side.”

每年，SNH48的經理們都會小心地培養並推出新組合。“S組合年紀更大，她們更有生機和活力，而H組合就更拘謹一些，”SNH48的運營方上海絲芭文化傳媒有限公司(Shanghai Siba Media and Culture Group)的CEO陶鶯說，“N組合有着一種更萌的氛圍，這適合她們，因爲她們的個子都不太高。”

Still, rampant piracy makes China a tough music market. Despite its size, it is only the 19th biggest music market in the world, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Industry revenues were just $170m in 2015.

不過，盜版猖獗使中國音樂市場十分艱難。國際唱片業協會(International Federation of the Phonographic Industry)的數據顯示，儘管中國音樂市場規模巨大，但在全球僅僅排在第19位。2015年，中國音樂行業營收僅爲1.7億美元。

SNH48 does not let other apps or streaming platforms sell or play their music. Last year it made $12m from album sales. “We want to take things one step at a time in China first,” Ms Tao says, “but of course we are thinking of entering into different markets.”

SNH48不允許其他app或流媒體平臺出售或播放他們的音樂。去年，SNH48的唱片收入達到1200萬美元。“首先，我們在中國向一步一步地來，”陶鶯說，“但是，我們當然在考慮進入不同市場。”

While SNH48 is one of the biggest teen bands, it is competing in an increasingly crowded domestic space as Chinese companies flood the charts with girl and boy groups. Its competitors include Acrush, a boy band that is actually made up of androgynous women.

儘管SNH48是最大的青少年組合之一，但隨着中國公司推出大量的女孩、男孩團體，SNH48在國內市場的競爭環境越來越擁擠。它的對手包括Acrush組合，這是一個實際上由幾名長相“帥氣”的女子組成的男生組合。

SNH48 hosts live performances five nights a week in its 350-seat theatre on the fringe of urban Shanghai, and hosts handshake events across the country. At a live performance last month, fans waved pendants for their favoured performers and chanted adoring poems to them.

在上海近郊一處有350個座位的劇院，SNH48每週都安排5個晚上的演出，並在全國各地舉辦握手會。在上月的一場現場表演上，粉絲們朝着自己最喜歡的表演者揮舞着掛件，並對她們高唱讚美詩。

“I like just coming and hanging out in the theatre with the rest of the fans,” says Shi Jinhong, 21. “It is like a second home here.”

“我喜歡來到劇院跟其他粉絲閒逛，”21歲的Shi Jinhong說，“這就像是第二個家。”