86.6% of Chinese listen to music on the Net.

In February 2008, after a 53% growth rate in 2007, the Chinese Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC) finally declared the Chinese internet base to be the largest in the world with 221 million users (meanwhile gone up to 253 million). At 16% penetration, this still leaves huge room for growth

The internet has not only afforded a freedom of expression and identity previously unavailable to the Chinese, it has also almost totally usurped the roll of all offline music media: portals, webzines, bulletin boards (BBS), video sites, music blogs, music streaming. In fact, so important has it become as a medium that a full 86.6% of all netizens use the web to listen to music – the highest of any usage including search and email.

Article by Ed Peto, (read full article ) on outdustry.com