Rapper Li Daben (right) performs with Li Jian, leading vocalist and songwriter of rock band The Big Wave in Beijing on Nov 25. [Photo provided to China Daily]

From small beginnings, Beijing record company has established a global presence as it looks to branch out and promote various forms of music.

In 1997, when Shen Lihui, the former lead vocalist of rock band, Sober, founded a music company, he hoped to use it as a way to distribute the music of his friends and his own band.

More than two decades later, the company, Modern Sky, has blossomed into an international label with hundreds of staff members, and is home to over 300 artists and bands. It has offices in New York, London and Berlin, besides its headquarters in Beijing.

"It started real small, almost like a hobby," says Shen. "The priority of launching the music company was to enjoy what we did and have fun. It's never about making a business. It has never changed for the company during the past 23 years. I couldn't help wondering about what Modern Sky means to others."

Last year, when the company underwent its annual team building activity by traveling to Osaka, Japan, Shen, along with some core members, started to consider the question: what was the company's mission? The answer he received was varied and the result was put on hold.

Early this year, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which forced Modern Sky to cancel all of its performances in the first half of 2020, including 50 outdoor music festivals. Like many companies, Modern Sky launched online programs. From February to May, over 30 online shows were held, which gathered 270 musicians and bands and attracted over 42 million people. During the past three months, the company has held nine outdoor music festivals across the country, which had 160,000 people attended.