As T-pop continues to reach listeners beyond Thailand, the genre’s biggest growth driver may not be the casual listener pressing play once. It is the superfan: the supporter who buys tickets, collects merchandise, follows artists across borders, backs artist-led brand campaigns, and keeps the conversation going long after a song goes viral.
According to SCB EIC, combined revenue among T-pop labels is expected to reach Bt11 billion in 2026, before rising to Bt13 billion by 2029. The report also noted that Thailand’s music industry returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, helped by the return of concerts and live events.
T-pop is travelling beyond Thailand
The momentum is already moving across borders. T-pop has been gaining listeners across ASEAN, China, and Latin America, while fans are increasingly flying in for shows and fan events.
BUS because of you i shine, for instance, has kicked off its first Asian fan-con tour, signalling how Thai idol culture is growing from a domestic scene into a regional entertainment business.
This rise has been fuelled by streaming, social media virality, stronger production standards, and the continued global interest in Thai BL and GL series. These shows have helped turn soundtrack performers into stars, while Thai artists have also found new openings on international stages such as Coachella and Summer Sonic.
Gen Z is leading the wave
Younger listeners are helping push the movement forward. SCB EIC cited data showing that Thai songs’ share of domestic music streaming climbed from 35% in 2021 to 50% in 2024.
Its survey also found that 71% of respondents were listening to more T-pop, rising to 81% among Gen Z listeners.
Why streams are only part of the story
Still, the business of T-pop is not just about streams. SCB EIC noted that average revenue per stream remains low, at around 0.01 to 0.36 baht per play.
That has pushed labels and artists to build deeper fan ecosystems around concerts, albums, photo books, merchandise, fan meetings, and special activities.
The fan economy is getting bigger
That is where superfans come in. MIDiA Research data cited in the analysis found that superfans may make up only 1.9% of an artist’s listener base, yet can generate up to 42% of artist revenue through fan funding, merchandise, and special activities.
SCB EIC’s own survey also found that 86% of fans who support artists spend repeatedly across multiple categories.
The impact stretches far beyond labels. Concert organisers, venues, ticketing platforms, production teams, advertisers, fandom-marketing agencies, hotels, restaurants, airlines, retailers, and public transport operators all stand to benefit when fan communities gather around artists.
Brands are following the fandoms
Brands are also paying attention. SCB EIC said 84% of fans buy products or services endorsed by artists they follow, turning artist-led campaigns into powerful sales engines through photo cards, limited collections, fan-meeting privileges, and lucky-fan activities.
For Thailand, the opportunity is bigger than producing hit songs. T-pop has the potential to become a cultural export that brings together music, live experiences, fashion, tourism, intellectual property, and brand partnerships.
Partnerships are opening new doors
There are already signs of that future taking shape. MILLI has been cited as an example of a Thai artist gaining wider international recognition after joining South Korea’s Show Me The Money, while Thai labels are increasingly looking at co-production, foreign distribution, and overseas partnerships.
One major move came through GMM Music’s strategic partnership with Tencent Music Entertainment Group and Tencent, which valued the Thai music company at US$700 million.
GMM Music said the partnership would help expand Thai music into larger markets, including China, while creating more opportunities around the fandom economy.
What T-pop needs next
But turning T-pop into a lasting global export will take more than viral hits. SCB EIC warned that Thai music still faces heavy competition from K-pop, international artists entering Thailand, new domestic labels, independent acts, and influencers crossing into music.
Thailand’s strengths, however, are clear: approachable artists, music that blends Thai identity with global pop production, and a crossover audience built through BL and GL culture.
To scale further, SCB EIC said the industry will need stronger music-business talent, better copyright and IP management, more access to capital, and a clearer strategy for international growth.
From viral wave to cultural export
The fan power is already there. The next challenge is building the system around it — one that can turn T-pop from a fast-rising wave into one of Thailand’s most exciting cultural exports.
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