MBW’s World Leaders is a regular series in which we turn the spotlight toward some of the most influential industry figures overseeing key international markets. In this feature, we speak to Katie Kang, CEO of Los Angeles-headquartered K-Pop company TITAN Content. World Leaders is supported by SoundExchange.
Katie Kang knows a thing or two about building K-Pop audiences.
Over 25 years in the Korean music industry, she’s been involved in the casting, training, and development of several superstar K-pop acts – from TVXQ! and Super Junior to Girls‘ Generation, SHINee, f(x), EXO, Red Velvet, and NCT.
Starting as a casting director at SM Entertainment in 2000, Kang worked her way up to oversee artist development processes.
In 2015, she moved to LOEN Entertainment (now Kakao Entertainment), where she built what she describes as a “first-of-its-kind rookie casting and training system” and helped establish production systems for K-pop boy groups, including THE BOYZ.
But in November 2023, Kang made a bold move, co-founding TITAN CONTENT, a US-headquartered K-pop company (with studios in Los Angeles and Seoul) designed to challenge the traditional Korean entertainment industry model.
According to Kang, TITAN CONTENT, which describes itself as “the world’s first premier multinational K-pop powerhouse music company,” represents a shift in how K-pop expansion works.
Instead of the traditional “sequential” model – starting in Korea, then moving to Japan, China, Southeast Asia, and finally the US and Europe – TITAN, based in the world’s largest recorded music market, aims to launch artists simultaneously across global markets from day one.
The company’s first major test comes with AtHeart, a seven-member girl group that debuts today (August 14) through a strategic partnership with Republic Records’ IMPERIAL Music.
TITAN CONTENT has assembled what Kang describes as an “Avengers”-like leadership team, with Kang serving as CEO alongside co-founder and Chairman Nikki Semin Han (former CEO of SM Entertainment), Chief Performance Officer Lia Kim (founder of Korea’s 1MILLION DANCE STUDIO), Chief Visual Officer Guiom Lee (founder of DAZED KOREA), and Chief Business Officer Dom Rodriguez (multi-platinum producer with over 20 years of experience).
TITAN has also raised funding through a seed round led and closed by RW3 Ventures and Raptor Group with Dreamus Company serving as a co-lead investor, along with participation from companies including Animoca Ventures. The company also had the successful first closing of its Series A funding round, though the exact amount remains undisclosed.
“We see artists not as subjects to manage, but as creative partners.”
Katie Kang
According to Kang, TITAN’s value proposition to artists differs from traditional K-pop agencies: “We see artists not as subjects to manage, but as creative partners,” she says.
This philosophy, combined with the company’s global-first approach, positions TITAN to capitalize on what Kang identifies as the next phase of K-pop’s evolution – one focused on “sustainability” and “localization” rather than just rapid expansion.
As K-pop continues its global growth, with groups like BTS, BLACKPINK, Seventeen and more breaking barriers in Western markets, TITAN CONTENT represents an experiment in whether the Korean entertainment industry’s proven artist development system can be successfully transplanted to American soil while maintaining its core effectiveness.
Here, Katie Kang discusses TITAN’s approach to K-pop, the challenges of building a Korean entertainment company in America, and her predictions for the future of the global K-pop business…
What gaps in the global K-pop ecosystem did you identify that led to the creation of TITAN, and how are you specifically addressing those opportunities?
Traditional K-pop expansion has mostly followed a sequential model, starting from Korea and moving to Japan, China, & Southeast Asia, then on to the US and Europe. But in today’s landscape, where global fandom grows in real time through digital platforms, I saw clear limitations in that approach. At TITAN, we focus on maximizing speed and simultaneity.
From the moment an artist debuts, we carry out distribution, marketing, and promotion across Korea and key global markets including US and Asia at once.
This not only accelerates monetization but also boosts the scale of revenue for both the company and the artist, while helping build a stronger global fandom from the start.
For instance, with AtHeart, we’ve been working with IMPERIAL under Republic Records and Universal Music Group on a global level from the pre-debut phase, combining new media strategies with online and offline events. We’re also actively building partnerships with major labels across Asia, including Japan and Chinese-speaking regions.
This is how TITAN creates an environment where artists can quickly gain a foothold in the global market by making “speed” and “simultaneity” the core of our strategy.
How does TITAN’s business model differ from both traditional K-pop agencies and American music companies when it comes to artist development and monetization?
At TITAN, we see artists not as subjects to manage, but as creative partners. While the traditional K-pop system is heavily top-down and American companies often invest in already fully-formed artists, our approach respects the identity and creative potential of emerging talent. We work closely with them to shape their direction and build their brand together.
“Instead of focusing on short-term revenue from album sales or touring, we focus on long-term IP development.”
Our monetization model also differs. Instead of focusing on short-term revenue from album sales or touring, we focus on long-term IP development. We’ve built a structure that lets both the company and the artist expand and diversify revenue through Web3, brand collaborations, merchandise, serialized content, and fan-driven global communities.
And because TITAN was built in a digital-first environment, we are not bound by geography or traditional debut timelines. We apply a “glocal” strategy—global reach with local insight—from the earliest planning stages. Rather than adapting to the existing market, our goal is to help shape a new music ecosystem.
The leadership team you’ve assembled brings experience from diverse sectors – How does this approach influence TITAN’s strategy?
Our leadership brings together experts from music, tech, entertainment, fashion and global business. This “Avengers”-like team allows us to approach challenges from multiple angles.
That diversity has helped us build strategies that are both culturally thoughtful and globally scalable. It also gives us the flexibility to adapt in a fast-changing content market and the foundation to make bold, creative decisions.
This kind of leadership has been key to positioning TITAN as a cross-border, global content company.
AtHeart represents TITAN’s first artist launch in partnership with IMPERIAL Music. What made IMPERIAL the right partner for introducing this group to the global market?
From the start, our goal was to grow AtHeart into one of the top global K-pop acts. That meant we needed more than a distributor—we needed a partner who truly understands the local market and shares a long-term vision for the artist’s brand.
IMPERIAL has a strong track record of supporting unique artists like Stray Kids and TWICE in Western markets through a spirit of experimentation and diversity.
What made them the ideal partner was their respect for an artist’s identity and creativity, along with their ability to co-develop global strategy. We believe the synergy between TITAN and IMPERIAL will help AtHeart go beyond the category of K-pop to become a global artist who best connects with fans around the world.
With your extensive experience in talent development, what new challenges have you encountered launching a group through a US-based company rather than a Korean entertainment agency?
K-pop has long been built on a refined system of artist training and end-to-end production, with a step-by-step global expansion that starts in Korea and moves through Japan, Asia, China, and then the US.
But with the recent explosive growth of K-pop and its fandom in the US, TITAN set out to shift the paradigm. We’re the first and only K-pop company established in the US from the ground up.
We’ve positioned ourselves as the most global K-pop company — one that accelerates growth from the debut stage in a digital-first, global environment. As a startup, we’re also actively working to overcome scale limitations through innovation and new business models.
What are the biggest challenges in the global K-pop business today?
With K-pop’s worldwide popularity, I believe the market has already reached a certain level of scale. The next major challenges are “sustainability” and “localization.” To build lasting artist brands that go beyond short-term trends, it’s essential to form deeper relationships with global fans. That requires cultural authenticity and strong storytelling.
Looking ahead five years, how do you envision TITAN’s positioning in the global K-pop landscape and the global music business more broadly?
Our goal is for TITAN to grow into a global creative content house, not just a K-pop company. Music is our starting point, but our strategy is to expand IP and blend it with various technologies and content formats to build layered value around our artists and brands.
In five years, we expect TITAN to be a global player with direct influence in key markets like North America, Europe, and South America. We aim to nurture a new generation of global artists and lead a music ecosystem that transcends borders of nationality and genre.
TITAN recently closed its series A round. Can you share the value of the round please, and tell us about the significance for TITAN and its long-term goals of having this list of investors onboard?
This Series A round marks a key milestone as TITAN begins its next chapter as a global content company.
While we can’t disclose the exact size of the investment, it was led once again by our lead investor from seed round, with participation from existing investors as well as several new strategic partners, including leading Korean entertainment-tech companies and major institutional investors from Korea.
“More than just financial backers, these partners bring long-term vision and alignment across our global expansion efforts, artist IP strategy, and content diversification.”
More than just financial backers, these partners bring long-term vision and alignment across our global expansion efforts, artist IP strategy, and content diversification. This round further strengthens our global network and helps us build the foundation for a next-generation content business powered by technology and data.
With increasing competition for global talent, what is TITAN’s value proposition for aspiring artists compared to longer-established agencies
Our biggest differentiator is that we place each artist’s individuality and potential at the center of everything we do. We’ve built a system that’s designed to develop the world’s top global artists —efficiently, creatively, and with music that’s truly world-class.
“For aspiring idols, we’re offering more than just a path to debut. We’re offering a new kind of stage: one where they can express their own voice and connect with the world.”
As a global content company, we’ve built our strategy and network with the international market in mind from day one. That means we’re not just helping artists go global but creating an environment where they can grow as equal players on the global stage.
We don’t see artists as subjects to “manage,” but as “co-creating partners” in building a brand. For aspiring idols, we’re offering more than just a path to debut. We’re offering a new kind of stage: one where they can express their own voice and connect with the world.
What will TITAN look for in the artists it wants to work with?
The number one quality we look for is potential. And we don’t just mean skills or early results. We’re looking at each artist’s unique story, their sincerity in wanting to connect with the world through music, and the inner strength that can sustain them through the journey.
“We care deeply about how an artist brings their own culture and identity into their work, and how that can resonate with global fans.”
Especially in global markets like the US, what matters most isn’t being “fully formed”— it’s having the foundation to grow. We care deeply about how an artist brings their own culture and identity into their work, and how that can resonate with global fans.
In the end, we don’t ask, “Are they perfect now?” We ask, “How far can they go?” We see our role as a partner who helps shape that journey and stays with them to the end.
What are your short-to-long-term predictions for the global K-pop business?
In the short term, our focus is on proving TITAN’s execution power through AtHeart’s success in the global market. From training and IP development to music production, marketing, distribution, and management, we’re maintaining the strengths of the K-pop system while layering in flexible, tech-driven strategies that fit the global music landscape.
In the long run, our goal is to establish a creative philosophy and track record strong enough that people start referring to a “TITAN style.” We’re not just staying within music. We want to create IP across genres and become a game-changer in the global content industry.
If you could change one thing about the global music business, what would it be and why?
It’s more so what I think can be improved when it comes to connecting with fans around the world. The music industry is powered by fandom—it’s fandom that builds it and drives it forward.
So we believe it’s crucial to engage deeply with global fans, to reflect their needs, and to create new types of content, services, and products inspired by that relationship. To support this, TITAN is building a platform based on web-3 technology, with the goal of driving innovation across the music industry.
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