Perceptions of censorship on Taiwan's popular music in the post-martial law era

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore censorship on popular music in Taiwan and how the practices have influenced the consumption and production of music in the post-martial law period. Design/methodology/approach Through adopting grounded theory with snowball sampling and ethnographic methods, this paper will interview music audiences and musicians as well as analyze recent censorship cases to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the topic. Findings Institutional and corporate self-censorship has a noteworthy influence on popular music in post-marital law Taiwan. Cross-strait relations still are a key tension that triggers censorship but the form has been shifting. Originality/value This study draws on both the complexity of censorship by case studies and the audience's perception of music in everyday life.