Weverse (also stylized as WeVerse; Korean: 위버스) is a South Korean mobile app and web platform created by South Korean entertainment company HYBE Corporation. The app specializes in hosting multimedia content, the sale of artist-related merchandise, content subscription, and artist-to-fan communications for artists.
Weverse hosts a variety of free and paid content including educational and entertainment videos, Instagram Story-style updates, and artist-to-fan interactions and communities for users to connect with each other.[1] The app is also used to publish official statements by HYBE on behalf of artists signed with its labels.[2]
The software was developed by HYBE's technology subsidiary Weverse Company (formerly beNX). As of 2023, Weverse has over 10 million monthly users.[3]
Development
The app was developed by Weverse Company (formerly beNX), a subsidiary technology company of HYBE Corporation (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) specializing in digital platforms and customer service.[4] According to Weverse Company then president, Seo Wooseok, the app was developed to offer a platform for K-pop artists to interact with fans "on a deeper level" than that offered by YouTube or Twitter, which emphasize content delivery over communication. Hybe then co-CEO Lenzo Yoon characterized the app as a "one-stop service within the music industry".[5]
According to Jenny Zha, CEO of the digital media consultancy firm Infinitize, K-pop "market leaders like BTS", who have amassed significant fan followings, no longer need to focus on being discovered but rather on monetization and ownership of their content. Zha, in an interview with Billboard, explained that "labels want to [...] create an asset they can own and mobilize for other artists and ventures because they know that fans will follow to where the content is. It creates more security for the label for the long term".[6]
HYBE launched the e-commerce platform Weply in June 2019. It later became the app Weverse Shop. On January 27, 2021, Naver Corporation announced the transfer of their V-Live service to Weverse Company and its integration with the Weverse platform.[7] On January 1, 2023, V-Live service was officially terminated.[8]
BTS contents
BTS joined Weverse on July 1, 2019. The group announced during the finale of its Love Yourself: Speak Yourself stadium tour in Seoul that the fourth season of its annual reality show, Bon Voyage, would be leaving the Korean video streaming service V Live, which hosted its first three seasons, for the new platform Weverse. The fourth season of Bon Voyage is available by direct purchase on the Weverse Shop app or with the purchase of an annual membership for BTS's global fan club.
In August 2019, BTS launched a six-episode mini-documentary series for purchase on Weverse entitle Bring the Soul: Docu-Series, which expands on BTS's 2019 documentary film Bring the Soul: The Movie. The first episode aired on Weverse on August 27 and concluded on October 1. Each episode centered on a theme related to the group's Love Yourself album series and showcased content from the 2018 Love Yourself world tour.[9]
On March 22, 2020, HYBE Corporation announced the release of a video series entitled "Learn! Korean With BTS" on the social media app Weverse. The project was first mentioned in February during a live-streamed press release by Big Hit Entertainment on YouTube, in which Bang Si-Hyuk explained that the project intended to "make it easy and fun for global fans who have difficulty enjoying BTS's music and contents due to the language barrier".[10] The series consists of thirty three-minute lessons on Korean expressions and grammar using footage from existing BTS content on YouTube and V Live, such as Run BTS! and "Bangtan Bomb".[11] The videos were developed in collaboration with experts at the Korean Language Content Institute and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. The first three episodes were released on March 24, with subsequent videos posted weekly on Mondays, which later led to the creation of HYBE's educational division, HYBE EDU.[12]
Artists
List of artists on Weverse.
| Artist | Wevers | Opened at | Company | Restricted[notes 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TXT | 6,370,374 | 2019.06.10 | HYBE / Big Hit Music | — |
| BTS | 16,627,633 | 2019.07.01 | HYBE / Big Hit Music | — |
| GFRIEND | 1,200,373 | 2019.08.12 | HYBE / Source Music | 2021.07.01 |
| SEVENTEEN | 3,441,127 | 2020.03.17 | HYBE / PLEDIS Entertainment | — |
| ENHYPEN | 5,761,245 | 2020.06.05 (as I-LAND) 2020.09.19 (as ENHYPEN) |
HYBE / Belift Lab | — |
| NU'EST | 481,834 | 2020.09.08 | HYBE / PLEDIS Entertainment | 2022.03.31 |
| CL | 559,358 | 2020.09.28 | KONNECT Entertainment | — |
| P1Harmony | 622,319 | 2020.10.05 | FNC Entertainment | — |
| Weeekly | 356,136 | 2020.10.12 | IST Entertainment | — |
| SUNMI | 503,669 | 2020.10.19 | ABYSS Company | — |
| HENRY | 273,260 | 2020.10.26 | — | — |
| Dreamcatcher | 360,409 | 2020.11.09 | Dreamcatcher Company | — |
| Gracie Abrams | 173,736 | 2020.11.25 | Interscope Records | — |
| Cherry Bullet | 150,833 | 2021.01.03 | FNC W | — |
| New Hope Club | 153,891 | 2021.02.01 | Hollywood Records | — |
| Alexander 23 | 43,126 | 2021.02.15 | Interscope Records | — |
| MIRAE | 242,356 | 2021.03.15 | DSP Media | — |
| TREASURE | 1,492,977 | 2021.03.29 | YG Entertainment | — |
| LETTEAMOR | N/A | 2021.04.05 | Potluck | 2022.01.19 |
| Jeremy Zucker | 62,561 | 2021.04.19 | Republic Records | — |
| PRETTYMUCH | 55,164 | 2021.05.03 | Sire Records | — |
| woo!ah! | 102,662 | 2021.05.17 | NV Entertainment | — |
| MAX | 112,990 | 2021.05.31 | Colour Vision | — |
| FTISLAND | 65,017 | 2021.06.07 | FNC Entertainment | — |
| EVERGLOW | 317,602 | 2021.06.14 | Yue Hua Entertainment | — |
| iKON | 538,793 | 2021.06.21 | YG Entertainment | — |
| JUST B | 259,636 | 2021.07.28 | Bluedot Entertainment | — |
| Mad Monster | 71,808 | 2021.07.05 | — | Restricted[notes 2] |
| BLACKPINK | 3,639,024 | 2021.08.02 | YG Entertainment | — |
| STAYC | 425,326 | 2021.08.09 | High Up Entertainment | — |
| LILHUDDY | 178,357 | 2021.08.23 | — | — |
| PURPLE K!SS | 109,510 | 2021.08.30 | RBW | — |
| fromis_9 | 262,852 | 2021.09.06 | HYBE / PLEDIS Entertainment | — |
| PRIKIL | 72,415 | 2021.10.05 (as Who is Princess?) 2022.03.08 (as PRIKIL) |
FNC Japan | — |
| WINNER | 228,749 | 2021.10.18 | YG Entertainment | — |
| ONEUS | 168,861 | 2021.10.25 | RBW | — |
| RAVI | 43,583 | 2022.01.17 | — | — |
| KIM JUNSU | 46,610 | 2022.01.24 | — | — |
| LE SSERAFIM | 572,767 | 2022.05.28 | HYBE / Source Music | — |
| OH MY GIRL | 37,469 | 2022.08.04 | WM | — |
| UP10TION | 37,376 | 2022.02.14 | TOP Media | — |
| ZICO | 61,241 | 2022.07.20 | KOZ | — |
| CNBLUE | 24,919 | 2022.08.08 | FNC Entertainment | — |
| VICTON | 67,795 | 2022.05.26 | IST Entertainment | — |
| KINGDOM | 48,688 | 2022.04.20 | GF | — |
| SECRET NUMBER | 74,387 | 2022.06.02 | VINE | — |
| ONLYONEOF | 41,554 | 2022.06.27 | 8D | — |
| ROCKET PUNCH | 19,766 | 2022.06.16 | WOOLLIM Entertainment | — |
| ATBO | 49,602 | 2022.06.23 | IST Entertainment | — |
| T1419 | 36,748 | 2022.08.01 | MLD | — |
| HYOLYN | 19,901 | 2022.06.20 | BRIDGE | — |
| YOON JISUNG | N/A | 2022.04.25 | DG ENT | — |
| BILLIE | 32,005 | 2022.08.22 | MYSTIC STORY | — |
| TRI.BE | 22,786 | 2022.06.13 | TR Entertainment | — |
| Apink | 38,961 | 2022.05.23 | IST Entertainment | — |
| BLITZERS | 34,835 | 2022.04.06 | Wuzo Entertainment | — |
| Golden Child | 41,522 | 2022.06.30 | WOOLLIM Entertainment | — |
| TNX | 103,718 | 2022.05.30 | P NATION | — |
| VERYVERY | 63,826 | 2022.02.07 | JELLYFISH | — |
| XG | 103,087 | 2022.03.14 | XGALX | — |
| LEE JIN HYUK | 37,246 | 2022.02.21 | TOP Media | — |
| BAEKHO (KANG DONG HO) | N/A | 2022.05.04 | HYBE / PLEDIS Entertainment | — |
| HWANG MIN HYUN | 105,559 | 2022.05.04 | HYBE / PLEDIS Entertainment | — |
| &TEAM | 457,855 | 2022.06.08 (as &AUDITION)
2022.09.05 (as &TEAM) |
HYBE Labels Japan | — |
Concerts
List of concerts and live performances organized/produced solely by or in conjunction with Weverse.
| Date | Title | Venue | Organizer(s) | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2020 | 2021 NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE presented by Weverse | Weverse (online) | Weverse, HYBE Labels | — | [13] |
| December 31, 2021 | 2022 Weverse Con [New Era] | KINTEX Hall 4 (in-person)/Weverse, Venewlive (online) | [14] | ||
| October 15, 2022 | BTS <Yet To Come> in BUSAN | Busan Asiad Main Stadium (in-person) / Weverse (online) | Weverse, HYBE Labels, Big Hit Music | 50,000 (in-person) / 49.07 million (online) | [15] |
| June 10–11, 2023 | 2023 Weverse Con Festival | KSPO Dome (in-person) / Weverse (online) | Weverse, HYBE Labels | — | [16] |
| June 15–16, 2024 | 2024 Weverse Con Festival | Inspire Entertainment Resort (in-person) / Weverse (online) | 22,000 (in-person) / 18,000 (online) | [17] |
Notes
References
- ↑ Why Big Hit Entertainment is one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Company?
- ↑ "BTS and ARMY Donate to Coronavirus Relief After Big Hit Cancels Seoul Concerts"
- ↑ Big Hit Entertainment Announces Profit, Plans & New Acts
- ↑ "Millions of BTS fans use these 2 apps to connect and shop. No tech startups needed"
- ↑ "The 10 most innovative music companies of 2020"
- ↑ "K-Pop Content Creators Are Leaving YouTube for Startups"
- ↑ 빅히트 · 네이버 협업, 팬 커뮤니티 플랫폼 강화 [공식입장]
- ↑ "Notice"
- ↑ BTS to Release ‘Bring The Soul’ Docu-Series Through Weverse App
- ↑ BTS Is Launching "Learn Korean With BTS" Very Soon
- ↑ ‘Learn Korean With BTS’ Aims To Break Down Language Barrier & Further Connect Global Fans
- ↑ Naver Corp: English Learning App CAKE to Merge with HYBE EDU, Expands Global Language Education Business
- ↑ "How to Watch BTS, Halsey, Lauv & More on Big Hit Labels' 2021 New Year's Eve Live"
- ↑ "SEVENTEEN, TXT and Justin Bieber to perform at 2022 Weverse Con"
- ↑ "방탄소년단, 부산을 대통합의 장으로..전세계 229개 국가+지역서 함께"
- ↑ "K-pop fans connect at 2023 Weverse Con Festival"
- ↑ "2024 Weverse Con Festival line-up: BOYNEXTDOOR, fromis_9, TWS and more"
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