Alibaba takes another strategic step in its venture into the country's cultural industry, as it announced its unveiling of a new music group led by renowned musician, Gao Xiaosong.
While Gao will serve as the chairman, Song Ke occupies the role of the CEO.
Gao is a popular singer-songwriter, film director, talk show host and Internet celebrity. On the other hand, Song is a long-time music executive.
"The two have a very high status in China's music and cultural worlds and are loved by many users. We hope the two will explore the Big Data and networks established by Alibaba and their own experiences in musical and cultural domains to bring more chemical reaction to the industry," the firm remarked.
"It was 20 years since I launched the Rye Music label with Song Ke. Alibaba Music Group will be the last stop for us as music executives," Gao shared on his official Sina Weibo account.
"Thanks to Alibaba's trust, the Alibaba Music Group will become a world-class music entity," the chairman added.
According to a statement released on Wednesday, the Alibaba Group turns its attention to more strategic developments in the future, which are centered on culture and entertainment. The firm is expected to offer more cultural as well as spiritual services and products to its customers.
In late 2014, the group established its film unit, Alibaba Pictures Group, to produce titles after it has acquired a majority stake in ChinaVision Media.
Alibaba, known as an e-commerce giant, has also bought major music-streaming sites, Xiami and TTPod.com, that stream over 10 million licensed songs.
The company revealed that the newly formed music group will integrate all other music-related endeavors of Alibaba to allow better service and product offering.