Is there a way to exercise without feeling exhausted yet still burn calories? For "post-95s" Cheng Jie, the answer lies in singing at KTV. Over the past year, she has made it a habit to spend every Sunday afternoon standing and singing for 2-3 hours straight—a fitness routine she happily maintains. She has even spent over 800 yuan on prepaid KTV sessions to support this hobby.
Cheng, a passionate singer since her school days, discovered the fitness benefits of KTV by accident. Last December, her smartwatch accidentally recorded her three-hour singing session, revealing she had burned over 700 calories. This revelation led her to embrace KTV as her go-to workout. Working in beauty product R&D, Cheng is particularly mindful of her physique, making this fun and effective routine ideal.
She’s not alone. Social media trends like #KTVWeightLoss and #SingingIsExercise are gaining traction among young people. Many, like Cheng, find traditional gyms too time-consuming post-graduation and are turning to KTV as an engaging alternative.
Wan Ning, a math major born after 2005, shares this enthusiasm. During summer break, he frequented KTVs in his hometown for 4-5-hour sessions, treating singing as cardio. By September, his lung capacity had surged from 3,000 to 4,000 milliliters, and his mile-run time improved by half a minute—despite no other exercise.
In Guangzhou, "post-95s" He Chang and friends turn KTV into a dance studio, grooving to K-pop hits for hours. Though not intentional exercise, the physical exhaustion afterward speaks volumes.
KTV chains are catching on. Shanghai’s "Pure K" partnered with Bilibili fitness influencers to create workout playlists, integrating dance tutorials and cardio routines into their systems. Similarly, "Star Party" introduced a "disco mode" and hosted TikTok challenges like "100 Ways to Play at KTV," where users tracked weight loss or staged mock concerts. These innovations drew over 60,000 customers.
The shift reflects broader industry struggles. Once numbering 120,000, China’s KTVs have dwindled to 72,000 amid competition from escape rooms and livehouses. Revenue fell to 63.4 billion yuan in 2024, far below pre-pandemic levels.
To survive, brands like Star Party and Meituan KTV are downsizing, adding AI voice-tuning, virtual MV production, and cross-city singing battles. Some even plan MCN agencies to nurture amateur singers.
For young people, KTV isn’t replacing gyms—it’s redefining leisure. As Star Party’s CMO Li Ying notes, success now hinges on what users create in these spaces, not just what’s provided.
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