Kakao Entertainment's leading Korean music app. Biggest influence on K-pop charts
Price checked 2026-10-12, source: melon.com. Prices and benefits may change. Check the official site before you pay.
Some information has not yet been verified against official sources. Please check the official site before you pay.
Pros
- No. 1 influence on K-pop charts
- FLAC high-quality pass available
- Many bundle products such as SKT T Universe and Wavve
Cons
- The FLAC pass (₩13,200) and the offline pass (₩11,990) are separate, so no single pass does both
- No family plan
- No free tier with ads (in preparation)
These are opinions compiled by Pickx from public sources.
Best quality
FLAC 16bit/44.1kHz streaming (Hi-Fi pass), AAC 320kbps
Family plan details
No family plan (not confirmed officially)
Korean music
Very strong. The TOP100 and HOT100 charts are used as a benchmark by K-pop fandoms and the industry. Linked with Kakao
Good for
- Fans who follow K-pop charts and new releases
- People who get Kakao or SKT bundle benefits
At a glance
Melon is a leading Korean music service run by Kakao Entertainment. Its TOP100 and HOT100 charts are treated as a benchmark by the K-pop industry and fandoms, so many people who follow new release rankings use it. However, there is a report that it lost the number 1 spot by number of users in Korea to YouTube Music in 2026 (outside source).
Plans
| Pass | Monthly price (incl. VAT) | What you get | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Streaming Club | ₩7,590 | Unlimited listening on phones and tablets only | No PC use, no offline saving |
| Streaming Club | ₩8,690 | Unlimited listening on all devices including PC | No offline saving. Promotion for new subscribers: ₩100 for the first 2 months (outside source) |
| Streaming Plus | ₩11,990 | Unlimited listening + offline playback of saved songs | For listening without worrying about data |
| Hi-Fi Streaming Club | ₩13,200 | Unlimited FLAC lossless listening | Offline saving is not included |
| MP3 10 Plus | ₩15,950 | Unlimited listening + keep 10 MP3 songs each month | For people who want the music files |
- Every pass can play on only 1 device at a time (outside source).
- There are bundles with YouTube Premium Lite through SK Telecom T Universe (₩12,900 for mobile, ₩13,900 for all devices, promotional price until December 2027) and bundles with Wavve (outside report).
- In-app payment through app markets costs more than payment on the web.
Sound quality and features
- AAC 128kbps, 320kbps, FLAC 16bit/44.1kHz streaming (FLAC with the Hi-Fi pass)
- Some user posts say 24bit works only with download purchases, but this is not officially confirmed.
- TOP100: Updated every hour, weighing the last 24 hours and the last 1 hour of usage equally (outside source). The real-time chart was discontinued in July 2020
- HOT100: Counts only new songs released within 30 days or 100 days
- Genre and theme charts, ForYou recommendations, tag search, Melon TV, KakaoTalk integration
- There are reports of an ad-supported free plan in preparation, but as of June 2026 the price and timing are not decided.
Who each plan suits
- Mobile Streaming Club: People who listen only on a phone and want the cheapest option
- Streaming Club: General users who also listen on a PC
- Streaming Plus: People who save data and listen offline, for example on a commuter subway
- Hi-Fi Streaming Club: People who care about sound quality with good earphones or speakers
- MP3 10 Plus: People who want to keep favorite songs as files
Notes
- Information checked on: 2026-10-12
- The official Melon site blocks automated access, so we could not check the official pass page directly. All prices are from an outside comparison site (2026-09-24) and need verification.
- Sources:
Good for
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Prices converted at 1 USD = ₩1,329.49 (2026-10-19). Original price shown in brackets. Taxes as listed by each provider.
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