Accord Entertainment bets on music to grow K

“Virtual idols are ultimately entertainment. Technology that only creates characters won’t get you far. What matters is the entertainment muscle to make good music and grow artists.”

Choi Ji-i, CEO of Accord Entertainment, a startup that produces IP for K-pop virtual idols, sees the sector’s edge in content rather than technology.

Choi is an entertainment veteran who worked in the CJ ENM music institutional sector and later served as a company-wide PM at HYBE overseeing the BTS project. She managed BTS’s annual calendar, albums, concerts, music shows, commercials, and overseas activities, and helped build the in-house PM job framework and collaboration system. After serving as COO and CSO at STANWORLD, a K-pop fandom Metaverse company, where she experienced a new content market, Choi founded Accord Entertainment in June last year.

“Working in the K-pop market, I watched virtual idols take off quickly,” Choi said. “I <a href="https://comicvibe.com/logitech-gives-its-employees-a-day-off-for-grand-theft-auto-6-launch/” title=”Logitech Gives Its Employees a Day Off for Grand Theft Auto 6 Launch”>launched my own company because virtual idols, too, are ultimately artists who win love from fans through music and content.”

Accord Entertainment’s first IP is the virtual idol group Miracle. Miracle debuted in January this year and has been releasing a digital single every month, starting with its debut track “Ask the Stars,” to continue its music activities.

Miracle’s edge lies in its solid universe and music. The group’s backstory is that its members were once popular idols who died in an accident and were reborn as virtual idols. They set out on a second try, returning to the fans who once cheered for them—a coming-of-age arc.

“I don’t want Miracle to be just a team that shows pretty and cool characters. I want it to be a team that takes music seriously and does it well,” Choi said. “The members write 100% of the lyrics, and we plan to expand their role to composing.”

Choi also addressed misconceptions around virtual idols. “Virtual idols aren’t made by AI. Like real idols, they are born through human planning, creation, and production,” she said. She added, “The members’ way of speaking, personalities, and musical color are tied to real people’s individuality. Fans aren’t just into the characters’ looks—they care about the people and the content behind them.”

Accord Entertainment’s strength is its grasp of the entertainment industry. CJ KIM, who served as head of production at Warner Music Korea, joined as a co-founder, and the company has secured a composer pool and recording/production capabilities. To date, it has raised about 2 billion won from Smilegate, CNTTech, and SM Culture Partners.

“Our biggest edge is having entertainment management and music production capabilities that tech companies struggle to build,” Choi said. “Because we have experts, we can create content with relatively less cost and time, and connect everything—from member selection to characters, the universe, and music—into one coherent identity.”

Starting with Miracle, Accord Entertainment plans to expand its IP business. It now focuses on digital releases and aims to put out a physical album in the first half of next year. The company will first enter Japan, then broaden across Asia, with a long-term goal of reaching the U.S. market.

Choi said the goal is “to enter the U.S. market within three years and create a global success story for K-pop virtual idol IP.”

Accord Entertainment’s strategy is to take virtual idols beyond music and expand the IP into animation and games. It is also discussing collaborations with a Chinese game company to adapt the IP into games.

“We want to start with virtual idols and expand the IP into diverse content such as real idols, animation, and games,” Choi said. “Accord Entertainment aims to build a structure where one IP extends beyond music into multiple content formats and businesses.”

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