iPhone Chinese Entertainment Apps

[Jirachi]

I also can't play these songs via my iPhone. But it works well with PC.

Used a VPN?

 

[Jirachi]

how to unlock the geo-locked songs on QQmusic? Used to be Transocks able to work, now cannot liao.

You will need a VPN into Chinese servers.

 

[loveboon]

Bump! May I ask what chinese apps are you guys using in 2023?

 

[elvintay07]

I also can't play these songs via my iPhone. But it works well with PC.

If use VPN like transock can?

 

[我要买GTR]

If use VPN like transock can?

Hmm never tried VPN before, you can try. But till today still alot of songs I cannot play with my QQMusic APP, but can play on QQMusic PC software. But I use a mixture of QQMusic & YouTube Music. haha.. So not very big of an inconvenience

 

[elvintay07]

Hmm never tried VPN before, you can try. But till today still alot of songs I cannot play with my QQMusic APP, but can play on QQMusic PC software. But I use a mixture of QQMusic & YouTube Music. haha.. So not very big of an inconvenience

I thought QQ music a lot of Chinese music? YouTube I presume is more English

 

[我要买GTR]

I thought QQ music a lot of Chinese music? YouTube I presume is more English

QQ more of those 网红 songs. Actually YouTube also alot of Mando songs. I mainly listen to Mando/Jap tho haha..

 

[xiaofan]

QQ more of those 网红 songs. Actually YouTube also alot of Mando songs. I mainly listen to Mando/Jap tho haha..

QQ Music got lots of Chinese songes, including Cantonese and Hokkien.

But yes you may need special going-into-China VPNs like Transocks to have access to quite some songs.

But indeed Youtube also got lot of Chinese songs. The sound quality can not compare to QQ Music VIP though.

I am using Android and not iPhone though. My wife is using iPhone 14 but she does not use the apps mentioned here much.

And I just checked, there is no QQ Music app in the iPhone App Store, only Youku Video and Tencent Video.

 

[elvintay07]

QQ Music got lots of Chinese songes, including Cantonese and Hokkien.

But yes you may need special going-into-China VPNs like Transocks to have access to quite some songs.

But indeed Youtube also got lot of Chinese songs. The sound quality can not compare to QQ Music VIP though.

I am using Android and not iPhone though. My wife is using iPhone 14 but she does not use the apps mentioned here much.

And I just checked, there is no QQ Music app in the iPhone App Store, only Youku Video and Tencent Video.

Youku and Tencent video requires VPN? I don’t mind subscribing to view Chinese content but vpn is troublesome

 

[xiaofan]

Youku and Tencent video requires VPN? I don’t mind subscribing to view Chinese content but vpn is troublesome

Partially need VPN, which means you can access to many contents without using VPN, but some contents need VPN.

I still have subscriptions to QQ Music (often used), Youku Video and Tencent Video. I used to subscribe to AJS VPN (not as easy to subscribe as Transocks). But now I do not as I do not have enough time watching Youku Video and Tencent Videos.

I have Singtel TV Family Favourite pack (50% OFF with free basic Singtel TV Box rental) as well even though it is also under-used.

I think you can try Tencent Video subscription first (better than Youku Video). Then you can decide whether to subscribe to Transocks VPN or not later.

 

[xiaofan]

BTW, there are international apps which do not need going-into-China VPN. The subscription may be more expensive and the Chinese contents may be less. But it is easy to subscribe and no need VPN. You may want to take a look if you like them or not.

WeTV -- international version of Tencent Video
iQiYi -- internation version of iQiYi

Starhub/Singtel has offer for iQiYi
https://www.starhub.com/personal/tvplus/add-ons/iqiyi.html
https://www.singtel.com/personal/products-services/lifestyle-services/cast/iqiyi

Then there is TVB Anywehere+ if you like Cantonese Entainment, no contract, S$5.98 per month.
https://tvbanywhereplus.com/

You can get a bit of discount through telcos.
https://www.m1.com.sg/digital-services/music-and-entertainment/tvb-anywhere
https://www.singtel.com/personal/products-services/lifestyle-services/cast/tvb-anywhere
https://www.starhub.com/personal/tvplus/app/tvb-anywhere.html

 

[elvintay07]

BTW, there are international apps which do not need going-into-China VPN. The subscription may be more expensive and the Chinese contents may be less. But it is easy to subscribe and no need VPN. You may want to take a look if you like them or not.

WeTV -- international version of Tencent Video
iQiYi -- internation version of iQiYi

Starhub/Singtel has offer for iQiYi
https://www.starhub.com/personal/tvplus/add-ons/iqiyi.html
https://www.singtel.com/personal/products-services/lifestyle-services/cast/iqiyi

Then there is TVB Anywehere+ if you like Cantonese Entainment, no contract, S$5.98 per month.
https://tvbanywhereplus.com/

You can get a bit of discount through telcos.
https://www.m1.com.sg/digital-services/music-and-entertainment/tvb-anywhere
https://www.singtel.com/personal/products-services/lifestyle-services/cast/tvb-anywhere
https://www.starhub.com/personal/tvplus/app/tvb-anywhere.html

Why need to sign from SingTel and StarHub? Let them chop carrot us?

 

[xiaofan]

Why need to sign from SingTel and StarHub? Let them chop carrot us?

I mean you can save a bit if you are existing subscribers of Singtel and Starhub.

1) TVB Anywhere+:

Directly from TVB --> S$5.98 per month
Through telco --> S$5.02 or S$5.03 per month.

2) iQiyi

Directly from App Store --> S$6.98 per month, first month S$0.98 offer
From Singtel --> two months free
From Starhub --> one month free (not much saving)

 

[elvintay07]

I mean you can save a bit if you are existing subscribers of Singtel and Starhub.

1) TVB Anywhere+:

Directly from TVB --> S$5.98 per month
Through telco --> S$5.02 or S$5.03 per month.

2) iQiyi

Directly from App Store --> S$6.98 per month, first month S$0.98 offer
From Singtel --> two months free
From Starhub --> one month free (not much saving)

Login using SingTel? Not sure will cock up or not. Because if u buy from App Store, easy to cancel. Buy from SingTel, maybe need few steps to cancel

 

[memoriess]

If use VPN like transock can?

I am using transock, can play those geolocked songs but some of them you will need to be subscribed to QQmusic.

 

[elvintay07]

Any free China VPN? Transocks like very difficult to use

 

[xiaofan]

Any free China VPN? Transocks like very difficult to use

As far as I know, there are no good ones for free going-into-China VPNs.

Transocks free version is probably the best already and I agree it is not good. So in the end you have to pay.

It should be cheaper to pay using the website compared to using Apple App Store or Google Play Store -- RMB260 per year.
https://www.transocks.com/payment

Malus VPN is at RMB 288 per year for the standard tier.
https://getmalus.com/buy

SpeedCN is at RMB 288 per year for the gold membership.
https://speedcn.in/member

AJS VPN (single connection only) is at RMB 198 per year. It is not as easy to subscribe compared to others. And it will be expensive if you need two or three connections.
https://www.91ajs.com/purchase

 

[xiaofan]

I am using transock, can play those geolocked songs but some of them you will need to be subscribed to QQmusic.

Basically to fully enjoy QQ Music, you have to subscribe to QQ Music and also pay for going-into-China VPN.

SUbscription to QQ Music can be cheaper than paying for going-into-China VPN, if you really want to pay only one. And you can enjou high quality music version. Even for those you can not listen without using China VPN, there are potentaily other options within the QQ Music app as well like Music Video version.

My subsciptions: all using website to pay

QQ Music: RMB123 this year, promotional pricing, usual price RMB 180 per year. Last time I was paying RMB90 with one good promotion.

Tencent Video: RMB148 this year (6.18 promotion), usual price RMB 198 per year.

AJS VPN: RMB198 per year (but expired now and I will only renew when I got more time to utilize the subscriptions). I have not encountered promotional pricing lower than this in the recent years. Once upon a time it was free though.
https://www.91ajs.com/purchase

Even adding all three together, it is still cheaper than my Singtel TV Family Favority pack at S$12.07 per month (50% discount promotion).

 

[memoriess]

Any free China VPN? Transocks like very difficult to use

Yup, I am using Transocks to watch Tencent TV/Video App, QQ Music and recently downloaded Qi Shui (Music App by Douyin).

 

[xiaofan]

Yup, I am using Transocks to watch Tencent TV/Video App, QQ Music and recently downloaded Qi Shui (Music App by Douyin).

Are you using paid version of Transocks?

For Tencent TV and QQ Music, are you using the free version or paid version?