Streaming exclusives suck, but they’re allowed, right? Well not so much in China where the government has warned music streamers of their disdain for exclusives.

The Chinese Government has come out in support of pretty much everyone with their condemnation of streaming exclusives. They say, rightfully so, that making music exclusive to one service harms the music industry and have warned streaming services and labels to avoid partaking in exclusively licensed music.

The country’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television (SAPPRFT) sent a warning notice to various streamers. Those warned include local streaming giants like Tencent Music, Ali Music Group, NetEase Cloud Music, Baidu Taihe Music as well as international labels like Sony, UMG and Warner Music Group.

Roughly translated, some of the transcript reads:

The current online music copyright market, there have been some problems, driving up copyright licensing fees, snatch exclusive copyright, unathorised use of music and other phenomena have rebounded. This is not conducive to the wide dissemination of musical works, is not conducive to the healthy development of the network music industry.

The person in charge of the copyright management department stressed that the Internet music service providers in accordance with the requirements of copyright law, the implementation of the main responsibility, and actively maintain the hard-won online music copyright order, for the majority of Internet users, the audience better to provide music services.

The purchase of music copyright should follow the principle of fairness and reason, in line with market rules and international practice, not to drive up prices, vicious bidding, to avoid exclusive purchase of copyright. To actively promote the spread of online music, to promote the transfer of online music works, to eliminate the widespread impact of network music and dissemination of illegal, unreasonable obstacles.