Alibaba’s Damai International has introduced ORCA (Original Creative Artists), a dedicated content production and artist development label designed to incubate global music groups. The launch coincides with an unrestricted worldwide talent search intended to construct an international roster and pipe talent directly into Damai’s entertainment ecosystem. This initiative represents a strategic expansion of Damai’s existing infrastructure, moving beyond its ticketing and venue services core to capture upstream IP value. The structural shift is backed by formidable financial momentum, with Damai reporting a 33% year-over-year revenue surge to $561 million in the six months trailing September 2025.
By incubating cross-border talent through ORCA, Alibaba is pivoting from localized idol competition formats—which faced strict regulatory clampdowns in China in 2021—toward an export-oriented, multi-national model. As China’s recorded music market eclipses $1.9 billion in trade revenue, this vertical integration positions Damai to directly monetize the globalization of Chinese pop while hedging against domestic broadcast restrictions.
Curated by MusicResearch.com from Music Business Worldwide. Read the full article at: Alibaba entertainment arm Damai launches artist development label ORCA and a worldwide audition to build global music group
