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“

It is hard for virtual idols to reach

diverse groups of people because it is

essentially a kind of subculture

”

So I thought virtual singer was a good “But there is still a long way to go
choice,” he says. for virtual idols to replace real idols.
Tan bought three virtual sing- It is hard for virtual idols to reach di-
ers’ vocal databases, each at a price verse groups of people because it is
of around RMB ¥500 (US $79). He essentially a kind of subculture,” Fung
composed 36 songs and released five adds.
albums. All songs were sung by virtual
singers. Edited by Eve Lee
“I think virtual singers can over- Sub-edited by Lynne Rao
come the limitations of real singers.
Virtual singers never get tired, and
they can reach a very high pitch,” Tan
says.
“A virtual singer can sing thou-
sands of songs in a month because its
vocal database is accessible to anyone
who pays. But it may take months for
a real singer to release one song,” he
adds.

Still a Long Way to Go
Anthony Fung Ying-him, profes-
sor of the School of Journalism and
Communication at the Chinese Uni-
versity of Hong Kong, thinks virtual
idols in China have a bright future.
“The Qinglang Campaign influ-
ences real stars by measures such as
shutting down accounts and crack-
ing down on fan activities, but it will
not affect virtual idols and their fans.
This helps the virtual idol industry to
grow,” he says.
Fung points out that the core at-
traction of virtual idols is the interac-
tion between fans and idols. “Virtual
idol fans can chat, play games with,
and produce content for their idols. It
is almost impossible for real idol fans
to approach their idols,” he says.