Trial Provisions on the Management of Karaoke Content in Song and Dance Venues

Promulgation Date: 2021-7-26
Title: 文化和旅游部关于印发《歌舞娱乐场所卡拉OK音乐内容管理暂行规定》的通知
Document Number:文旅市场发〔2021〕79号
Promulgating Entities: Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Source of text: http://zwgk.mct.gov.cn/zfxxgkml/scgl/202108/t20210810_927058.html

Chapter I: General Provisions

Article 1: These Provisions are formulated on the basis of the "National Security Law", the "Regulations on the Management of Entertainment Venues", and other laws and regulations, so as to strengthen the management of karaoke content in singing and dancing venues, to carry forward the Core Socialist Values, and to preserve cultural and ideological security.

Article 2: "Karaoke content in singing and dancing venues" as used in these Provisions refers to the songs and screen images played by venues' song request systems.

Article 3: Businesses providing song request system content are encouraged to provide song and dance venues with healthy and uplifting karaoke music. Establishing special areas in song and dance venues' song request systems for exceptional songs is encouraged, carrying forward the main themes and spreading positive energy.

Article 4: The administrative departments for culture and tourism are responsible for oversight and management of song and dance venues' Karaoke content. The national and local associations for the culture and entertainment industry are responsible for drafting self-discipline norms for song and dance venues' karaoke content, and for overseeing their implementation. Businesses providing song request system content are encouraged to provide song and dance venues with healthy and uplifting karaoke music.

Article 5: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is responsible for establishing an experts group for reviewing karaoke content, and establishing a national list system for songs that violate rules for karaoke.

Chapter II: Content Self-review

Article 6: The karaoke music played by Song and dance venues must not include content prohibited by article 13 of the "Regulations on the Management of Entertainment Venues":

(1) that which violates the basic principles determined by the Constitution;

(2) that which harms national unity, sovereignty, or territorial integrity;

(3) that which endangers national security or harms national honor or interests;

(4) that which incites ethnic hatred or ethnic discrimination, hurts ethic feelings, encroaches on ethnic customs and habits, or undermines ethnic unity;

(5) that which violates the state's religious policies or promotes cults and superstitions;

(6) that which advocates illegal or criminal activity such as obscenity, gambling, and drugs, or that instigates crimes;

(7) That which is contrary to public morality or the ethnicity's exceptional cultural traditions;

(8) that which insults or defames others, infringing on the lawful rights and interests of others;

(9) Other content prohibited by laws and administrative regulations.

Article 7: Song and dance venues shall use karaoke content from lawful sources and must not use karaoke music with content that is prohibited by laws and regulations.

Article 8: Businesses providing song request system content must not provide song and dance venues with karaoke music including content that is prohibited by laws and regulations.

Businesses providing song request system content are to be supported in establishing mechanisms for their own review of karaoke content, reasonably appointing designated personnel to conduct their reviews of karaoke songs, screen images, and other content, to ensure that the sources and content of karaoke music are lawful.

Article 9: The national association for the culture and entertainment industry is responsible for drafting specifications for self-review of karaoke content, and providing expert consultation, training, and other services for the industry's efforts in carrying out their own content review.

Chapter III: List Management

Article 10: Where local administrative departments for culture and tourism discover that the karaoke music played by song and dance venues contains content prohibited by article 13 of the "Regulations on the Management of Entertainment Venues", they shall make a detailed report of the circumstances to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Article 11: Where in the course of their own reviews, businesses providing song request system content discover that karaoke music contains content suspected of being prohibited by laws and regulations, they shall make a detailed report to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism through the national association for the culture and entertainment industry.

Article 12: Where review by the national karaoke content experts group confirms that karaoke music reported by the local administrative departments for culture and tourism and the national association for the culture and entertainment industry contains content prohibited by laws and regulations, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is to enter it in the list of songs violating rules for karaoke.

Article 13: Where it is difficult to determine whether there is content prohibited by laws and regulations in karaoke music, local administrative departments for culture and tourism may request a review by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Article 14: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism may organize the national expert groups for review of karaoke content to make a determination, and pay necessary labor expenses.

Article 15: Businesses providing song request system content must not provide music products that are entered onto the list of songs violating rules for karaoke. Song and dance venues must not use music products that are entered onto the list of songs violating rules for karaoke.

Article 16: The national association for the culture and entertainment industry shall guide the industry in strengthening self-discipline for content, reminding businesses providing song request system content and song and dance venues to delete music products that contain content prohibited by laws and regulations, and assisting the departments in charge of the industry in making dispositions in accordance with laws and regulations.

Article 17: The comprehensive law enforcement team for the cultural market is to refer to the list of songs violating rules for karaoke to strengthen inspections and spot checks of song and dance venues, and where content prohibited by laws and regulations is discovered, shall handle it in accordance with law.

Article 18: Where administrative departments for culture and tourism discover that businesses providing song request system content have provided karaoke content to song and dance venues that contains content prohibited by laws and regulations, they may give warnings and stop it through methods of administrative guidance such as making an appointment to speak with them; and where they discover that karaoke music already entered on the list of songs violating rules for karaoke have been provided to song and dance venues, they may publicly announce and circulate information such as the name of that business providing song request system content and the violating songs.

Chapter IV: Supplementary Provisions

Article 19: The management of karaoke content for mini karaoke booths is to refer to the management of song and dance venues.

Article 20: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is responsible for interpreting these Provisions, which are to take effect on October 1, 2021.