Soribada
Soribada is a South Korean online music streaming and download platform serving individual Korean consumers through subscription passes, mobile apps, and web-based services with Korean and international music catalogs. The company operates exclusively in Korea and is listed on KOSDAQ.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Soribada does
Soribada is a South Korean online music streaming and download service that has operated continuously since the mid-2000s, serving individual Korean music consumers through a combination of P2P-based music sharing (historically via Soribada5 and Soribada6 desktop clients), web-based streaming, and native mobile applications for iOS and Android. The platform provides access to a catalog of Korean and international music through partnerships with major labels including LOEN Entertainment (over 16,000 tracks featuring artists such as Wonder Girls, Rain, and V.O.S) and Universal Music Korea, alongside features such as personalized recommendations (ForYou), social music sharing (Music Friends), genre-based browsing across 130+ sub-genres, artist rankings, music video streaming, and cloud-based personal music storage ("My Cloud").
The company's product surface centers on a subscription-based music pass (자유이용권) priced at approximately 3,000 KRW per month, which grants unlimited MP3 downloads and premium features, with auto-payment options for recurring billing. Complementary revenue streams include single-track purchases via MP3#, the Bada Cash virtual currency used for theme albums and digital goods, phone customization services, and points-based rewards. Payments are processed through Korean mobile carriers (SKT, KT, LG U+), credit card gateways (KG Inicis, KG Mobilience, KCP, PAYCO), and gift certificate services (Cultureland, Happy Money, OK Cashbag). Distribution is exclusively domestic — the service is accessible only in Korea — through self-serve digital channels including the website, P2P clients, native mobile apps, and mobile web.
Soribada underwent significant corporate restructuring in October 2006 when it was absorbed by BioMedia Inc. through an absorption merger, with BioMedia surviving as the continuing entity. The company divested its FileBada file-sharing business to MediaTube in August 2009 and has since discontinued several ancillary services including VOD movie theater, audiobooks, and the Hello Rookie artist discovery program. The company is listed on KOSDAQ under ticker 53110 and operates from its headquarters in the Daecom Building in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, with 101-250 employees. Recent operational notices through 2024 confirm ongoing service operations, though the company has shown limited new product launches since the 2015 service reorganization and Youth Protection Authentication System.
Soribada firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Soribada
- Legal name
- Soribada Inc. (소리바다 주식회사)
- Website
- https://soribada.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Soribada is a South Korean online music streaming and download platform serving individual Korean consumers through subscription passes, mobile apps, and web-based services with Korean and international music catalogs. The company operates exclusively in Korea and is listed on KOSDAQ.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Soribada industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Streaming
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- akta.pro primary industry
- On-Demand Music Streaming Platforms (MPAIADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ad-Supported Music Streaming (Freemium Tiers) (MPAIACAO), Music Video Streaming within DSPs (MPAIACAG), Social/UGC Music Platforms (Short-Form, Social Listening) (MPAIACAE)
Keywords
Where Soribada is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Soribada business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Music Subscription (자유이용권): Monthly/quarterly/semi-annual subscription passes granting unlimited MP3 downloads and premium features. Auto-payment option available with monthly billing at approximately 3,000 KRW.
- Single Track Purchase (MP3#,单曲구매): Individual track purchases for users who don't want subscriptions. Pay per song model.
- Virtual Currency (바다캐쉬): Platform virtual currency used for purchases including theme albums, phone customization, and other digital goods.
- Mobile Carrier Billing (휴대폰 소액결제): Payment through major Korean carriers including SKT, KT, and LG U+ for music purchases and subscriptions.
- Credit Card Payments: Direct credit card payments processed through payment gateways like KG Inicis and KCP.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Music Pass (월정액 자유이용권) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Quarterly/Semi-annual Passes |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Single Track Purchase (MP3#) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | 바다캐쉬 (Bada Cash Virtual Currency) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Soribada product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Soribada operates a Korean online music streaming and download service that allows users to access and listen to music via the web, mobile apps, and a P2P client. The platform offers free ad-supported streaming, paid subscriptions via Music Ticket (이용권), single-track purchases via MP3#, and a virtual currency (BadaCash) for flexible micropayments.
Product overview
Soribada is a Korean music streaming and download platform operated by Soribada Inc. The service offers a comprehensive portfolio of music-related products including the core Soribada streaming platform accessible via web and native iOS/Android mobile applications, the P2P-based Soribada6 client for desktop downloads, and the cloud-based music storage service. Additional offerings include music subscription tickets (이용권) with various payment tiers, virtual currency (바다캐시), personalized ForYou recommendations, artist rankings, genre-based browsing, and music video streaming. The platform historically offered complementary services such as FileBada (file sharing), Orgue (music library), VOD movie theater, audiobook service, and the Hello Rookie new artist discovery project. The product architecture spans subscription-based premium access, single-track purchases (MP3#), and social features enabling music sharing and following among users.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Soribada6 Proprietary P2P music client application for Windows that enables users to download and share MP3 music files through Soribada's peer-to-peer network.
- Music Ticket (이용권) Subscription-based music access product allowing users to stream and download from Soribada's catalog of tracks for a recurring fee.
- BadaCash (바다캐시) Virtual currency used within Soribada's platform to purchase individual MP3 tracks, albums, and other premium features.
- MP3# Per-track digital music purchase service that lets users buy and download individual MP3 songs on demand.
- Soribada iPhone Application Mobile music streaming and download app for iOS devices.
- Soribada Android Application Mobile music streaming and download app for Android devices.
Companies that use Soribada
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Soribada technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature3 records
Soribada partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.
- EBS Space Sympathy (EBS 스페이스 공감)majorJoint talent discovery program 'Hello Rookie' (헬로루키) for emerging Korean artists. Included monthly auditions and public showcases at Hongdae venue.
- MediaTube (미디어튜브)majorFilebada (webhard) business transfer to MediaTube. All operations, assets, and user data for Filebada service transferred. Soribada users' Bada Cash remained usable on Soribada.
- FacebookminorOfficial Soribada brand page on Facebook for international marketing and community engagement.
- Universal Music KoreacorePartnership to provide international pop music including Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Amy Winehouse, Nirvana, and other Universal artists. Enabled unlimited pop music access without filtering.
- LOEN Entertainment (로엔 엔터테인먼트)coreMajor content partnership bringing over 16,000 tracks including Wonder Girls, Rain, V.O.S, K-Classiq, Sung Si-kyung, Baek Ji-young, and other major Korean artists. This partnership filled a significant gap in Soribada's catalog.
- Sisters of the Rain (사랑의 달팽이)minorCharitable partnership for leukemia children's welfare. Part of 'Love Song' campaign with artist theme albums where sales proceeds donated to the organization.
- Danal (다날)minorMobile payment processing for KT, SKT, and LG U+ carrier billing through Danal payment gateway.
- KG Inicis (KG 이니시스)minorCredit card payment gateway for mobile credit card transactions.
- KCPminorPC credit card payment processing through KCP payment gateway.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Soribada competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Melon: Korea's largest music streaming service, originally backed by LOEN Entertainment (later Kakao M / Kakao Entertainment). Operates an MP3 download + streaming + subscription model very similar to Soribada's, and is the primary direct competitor for Korean consumers' paid music passes.
- Genie Music: Major Korean music streaming service owned by KT. Competes head-to-head with Soribada on unlimited streaming, MP3 downloads, and subscription passes, often bundled with KT telecom subscriptions.
- Bugs!: Long-standing Korean music streaming and download platform operated by NHN. Overlaps directly with Soribada on MP3 purchase, subscription, and music video streaming for Korean consumers.
- VIBE (Naver): Naver-owned music streaming service that competes directly with Soribada on subscription, music video streaming, and artist charts, leveraging Naver's search and portal traffic.
- FLO: Korean music streaming service operated by Dreamus (formerly Hyundai HCN). Competes with Soribada on subscription streaming, music video, and personalized recommendation features, often marketed through challenger brand positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Spotify: Global music streaming leader that has expanded into Korea. While Soribada is a domestic-only specialist, Spotify competes for the same Korean listeners and exerts pricing pressure on subscription tiers.
- Apple Music: Global music streaming service from Apple with a Korean catalog and presence. Competes with Soribada for premium users, particularly those embedded in the iOS ecosystem which Soribada also targets via its iPhone app.
- YouTube Music: Google's music streaming service with strong music video and K-pop content. Competes for Korean users' listening time and music video consumption, an area where Soribada also offers MV streaming.
- Deezer: Global music streaming service with presence in Korea. Comparable to Soribada in offering subscription music streaming and catalog-based listening, but with broader geo reach and independent positioning.
Others
- Kakao Entertainment: Korean media conglomerate that owns Melon and integrates music into KakaoTalk, KakaoPage, and KakaoPay. While not a direct streaming competitor to Soribada alone, it is the parent ecosystem that bundles multiple entertainment verticals and shapes Soribada's competitive context.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Soribada social profiles
Digital presenceSoribada financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Soribada leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Soribada funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Soribada M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Soribada
What does Soribada do?
Soribada operates a Korean online music streaming and download service that allows users to access and listen to music via the web, mobile apps, and a P2P client. The platform offers free ad-supported streaming, paid subscriptions via Music Ticket (이용권), single-track purchases via MP3#, and a virtual currency (BadaCash) for flexible micropayments.
Is Soribada a public or private company?
Soribada is a private company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Soribada founded?
Soribada was founded in 2004. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Soribada based?
Soribada is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Soribada make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Music Subscription (자유이용권) is the primary driver. The others are single Track Purchase (MP3#,单曲구매), virtual Currency (바다캐쉬), mobile Carrier Billing (휴대폰 소액결제) and credit Card Payments.
Who are Soribada's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Melon, Genie Music, Bugs!, VIBE (Naver) and FLO. Broad incumbents are Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and Deezer. Kakao Entertainment is listed as an others.
Does Soribada have an API?
No public API is recorded for Soribada.
What industry is Soribada in?
Soribada's product category is Music Streaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIADAA, On-Demand Music Streaming Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAIACAO, Ad-Supported Music Streaming (Freemium Tiers). Its NAICS code is 516210.