Recently, famous Korean alt-rock band Nell launched a dedicated application service offering paid access to their content, including variety shows, radio, and music analysis videos. Previously, until early March, this service was run through YouTube membership, costing 30,000 KRW (about 21 USD) per month for access to various content videos from Nell. After launching the dedicated app, Nell introduced a subscription system divided into Basic and Premium plans.
The ‘Basic’ plan included full video access, free listening sessions to online music, pre-order benefits for MD products, a private messenger feature, and advance booking rights for concerts. The ‘Premium’ plan included everything in the Basic plan plus a raffle for meet-and-greet tickets.
The issue arose from the high pricing. The ‘Basic’ plan was priced at 38,000 KRW (approx 27 USD) per month, totaling 456,000 KRW (approx 328 USD) annually, while the ‘Premium’ plan was 418,000 KRW (around 300 USD) annually.
In response to the controversy, Nell conducted a live broadcast on their official SNS on the 23rd. They expressed their regret, stating, “We thought the app would provide solutions to various concerns, but it seems we were clearly mistaken.”
Explaining the pricing rationale, they said, “We thought that if we set the price too low, it would be difficult to prevent premium (resale) transactions.” They also announced that some content included in the membership would be available for free for the time being.
Furthermore, Nell expressed gratitude and apologies to those who had already subscribed, acknowledging, “We were unaware of many aspects and underestimated others. Our inexperience caused confusion, and we deeply regret and apologize for this.” They also confirmed that refunds would be processed for those who had already subscribed.
Source: Nate
