Business Personalities at the Billboard Philippines Launch

Billboard makes its way to local shores—launching its debut copy of Billboard Philippines in a star-studded event featuring the country’s music icons, influencers, and key business leaders.

Filipinos are known for their deep-rooted interest in music, as reflected by how Filipino internet users listen to an average of two hours and six minutes worth of music every day. What’s more, the local music streaming segment in the digital media market is forecast to continuously increase by a total of 1.5 million users from 2023 to 2027.

Given the high demand for music streaming and an abundance of talented artists, it becomes no surprise that one of the world’s leading music and entertainment magazines—Billboard Magazine—has found its way to the country. To be published under Modern Media Group, Inc., Billboard Philippines will serve as a platform for Filipinos to appreciate and learn more about local music—from having print issues and a website to having social media platforms, media channels, and even on-ground events.

With its official launch set on October 15, 2023, in Whitespace, Makati, the event was graced with the presence of Billboard President Mike Van and Associate Vice President for International Markets of Penske Media Corporation Gurjeet Chima, as well as key business figures, leaders, and artists.

But beyond a gathering of the country’s biggest music industry leaders and business personalities, the Billboard Philippines launch served as a celebration of the OPM (Original Pilipino Music) scene as the country makes its mark on the global music scale.

The debut issue was launched on October 15, 2023, in Whitespace, Makati with Billboard President Mike Van and Associate Vice President for International Markets of Penske Media Corporation Gurjeet Chima. Photo credits: KLIQ, Inc.

What Happened at the Billboard Philippines Launch

Billboard Philippines unveiled its debut issue—the first of six volumes with each one dedicated to a different genre of music. The maiden issue includes a Pop issue, which highlights two cover personalities: Asia’s Songbird and the Country’s Queen of Pop Regine Velasquez, and P-pop trailblazers SB19.

More so, the night was even made more special with an opening performance from KZ Tandingan.

The event also introduced the different sections of the magazine that highlight different facets of the local music industry, while promoting inclusivity and diversity. Aside from those, Billboard PH Executives also elaborated on the different assets to be spread out across its different social media platforms.

Studios: a YouTube series featuring the most sought-after hitmakers performing reimagined versions of their hits in an intimate live setting.
Soundwave: a series exclusive to Billboard Philippines’ TikTok channel featuring performances by trending and chart-topping acts.
Volumes: a Spotify podcast series that allows listeners to get up close with esteemed guests as they discuss themes like creativity, individuality, ever-changing trends, and topics relevant to the music industry.
Handpicked: a show featuring selected artists answering several light-hearted questions.

All of these segments were explained during the launch and guests were also shown a preview of the debut episodes of each program—set to premier in the following weeks. The company executives also stated their commitment to sharing important music business developments, as well as the latest news on popular and up-and-coming artists.

Of course, Billboard will also launch the much-awaited Billboard Philippines Music Charts to provide a ranking of the most definitive ranking of today’s OPM tracks.

“Billboard is the world’s most influential music media brand with an unmatched authority among artists, fans, and the industry,” says Anne Bernisca, Chief Operating Officer of Modern Media Group, Inc. “Billboard Philippines will create innovative multimedia content that transcends media value and uphold media excellence.”