Social Networking through Music: A Study of Netease Cloud Music Users’ Media Practices

Social networking through music has developed into a mediated practical activity for individuals in a variety of contexts, including going out, playing games, sports, and working. This is due to the mobile mediatization of daily life. A social ecosystem centered around music has developed as a result of mobile music applications, such as NetEase Cloud Music, which have progressively exposed the social aspects of music. From the standpoint of media practices, this study investigates the relationship between people’s social practices and music as a medium, highlighting the social role and relevance of music as well as the various ways in which users use it for social interactions. Users employ music as a medium to engage in social interactions, establishing meaningful connections. Social networking through music socialization is generated in personal sharing and multidimensional interaction. The NetEase Cloud Music platform recognizes the importance of music as a social communication tool, creating a novel kind of social music engagement and fully valuing music. A thorough examination of music socialization in the context of media practice is important because it gives us a practical perspective on how music, media, and society interact in day-to-day living.