SNH48 (short for “Shanghai48”) is a girl group based in Shanghai, China. With around 80 currently active members, SNH48 is the largest idol group in China and one of the largest idol groups in the world.
- SNH48 is primarily based around the Star Dream Theater, located in Shanghai. Every week, SNH48 performs mini-concerts known as “stages” at their theater.
- All SNH48 members are grouped into “teams” of about 10 to 20 people. Theater shows are performed by specific teams, and each team has their own “stage” comprised of a unique set list. Currently, SNH48’s active teams are Team SII, Team NII, Team HII, and Team X.
- Auditions for new SNH48 members are held several times a year. The new members debut together as “generations” and are initially classified as trainees. Eventually, the trainee members are promoted and become full SNH48 members.
- SNH48 members can leave the group, or “graduate”, at any time. All SNH48 members are under contract with Siba Media until they are 30 years old, but they are not required to be SNH48 members for the contract’s full duration. However, if a SNH48 member leaves the group, they cannot pursue any activities in the entertainment industry as long as they are still under contract.
- SNH48’s concept is “face-to-face idols”, or “idols you can meet”. The group is based around interacting with and supporting idols. Through the theater, online streaming app Pocket48, and many different events, fans can “push” their favorite members to stardom and build close relationships with them.
- Most SNH48 members are ordinary girls with little to no singing and dancing experience. A large part of the group’s appeal comes from watching the idols develop their talents and grow into stars, and there is a heavy emphasis placed on charisma, visuals, and personality.
- The main way SNH48 fans support, or “push” their favorite members is by spending money to vote for them in a variety of different events and competitions throughout the year. These events include:
General Elections are held once a year, and are SNH48’s biggest event. Usually held in August, the election is a massive contest where fans spend millions of dollars to decide which members have the highest rank across the entire SNH48 Group. The top 16 members are given special work opportunities, star in a new music video, and form the lineup for SNH48’s next single.
Best 50 is held once a year, usually in December or January. It is a contest where fans create a concert by voting in songs and deciding which SNH48 members will perform them. The concert is comprised of the top 50 songs with the most votes.
Best Partners is a tournament held over several months of the year. SNH48 members in the tournament pair up and form CPs (“couple pairings”) to perform with each other. Fans vote on which CPs advance to the next round and continue to give special performances.
- As SNH48 is an idol group based in Shanghai, it has “sister groups” that are based in other Chinese cities. Each sister group functions like SNH48; they have their own members, their own theater, and their own stages. Collectively, they have over 200 currently active members and are known as “SNH48 Group” or “China48”. The current active sister groups are:
BEJ48, based in Beijing. BEJ48 currently has around 15 active members, and no active teams.
GNZ48, based in Guangzhou. GNZ48 currently has around 70 active members, and three teams: Team G, Team NIII, and Team Z.
CKG48, based in Chongqing. CKG48 currently has around 15 active members, and no active teams.
- SHY48 (based in Shenyang) was disbanded, and CGT48 (based in Chengdu) is currently in development. Due to difficult circumstances, BEJ48 and CKG48 are both unable to access their original theaters and perform in rented venues in Beijing and Chongqing. They also have less members than usual, and perform as one “team” consisting of their entire respective groups.
- Some SNH48 Group members do not belong to sister groups, but are placed in special groups that function more like categories. Members in these special groups only occasionally perform in SNH48 Group theaters.
IDOLS Ft is comprised of members that were once demoted for unpopularity, or members that once graduated and returned to become an idol again. IDOLS Ft members can use social media and Pocket48, but they do not participate in most SNH48 Group activities. In order to become full members, they must pass certain requirements and maintain a certain level of popularity. There are currently around 15 active IDOLS Ft members.
Honored Graduates are members who served out their full contract. Most Honored Graduates have left Siba Media to pursue other opportunities, but some members signed a new contract with them and act as solo artists. There are currently 17 Honored Graduates.
Star Palace is comprised of members who have ranked #1 twice in SNH48 Group elections. After completing this achievement, SNH48 members graduate from the group, ascend to Star Palace, and become solo artists. There are currently 3 Star Palace members: Ju Jingyi, Li Yitong, and Sun Rui.
- Some SNH48 Group members are also placed in “sub-units”, smaller groups that have their own unique concepts and promotions. Currently, the only active sub-unit is 7Senses. All members in sub-units are also in one of the aforementioned groups.
What happened between SNH48 and AKB48?
- AKB48 is a Japanese idol group with a theater based in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, Japan. They have several sister groups across Japan and in different countries across Asia. In 2012, SNH48 was founded as AKB48’s Chinese sister group.
- In 2016, SNH48 cut ties with AKB48 and became independent. This was due to several different factors, including a contract dispute and disagreements over licensing fees. SNH48 Group and AKB48 Group have many similarities, but they operate completely separately from each other and are no longer affiliated. Many AKB48 fans still bear a grudge against SNH48.
- Although SNH48 is now separate from AKB48, they legally own the Mandarin Chinese versions of AKB48 songs they licensed before they cut ties. SNH48 still performs these licensed AKB48 songs alongside their own original music.
- In 2018, AKB48 returned to China and established AKB48 Team SH, their new official sister group in Shanghai. AKB48 Team SH and SNH48 are similar, but they also have no affiliation with each other.
I want to get into SNH48. Where do I start?
- The easiest way to become a SNH48 fan is to watch their stages and performances, which are broadcast live several times a week here. SNH48 also has a second YouTube channel here, where they upload performance highlights and music videos.
- Once a member catches your eye, you can use these resources to start following her more closely:
Pocket48 is SNH48’s primary app. Here, SNH48 members post about their daily life, interact with their fans, livestream, and hold events. The app is only in Chinese, but an English-language guide is available here []
Weibo is a Chinese equivalent to Twitter. All SNH48 members have Weibo accounts and frequently post updates there as well. A list of members’ Weibo accounts can be found here. SNH48 members also have accounts on other social media platforms, like Instagram, Bilibili, and Douyin.
Weibo Super Topics are like a combination of Twitter hashtags and Facebook groups. Fansite pictures, performance highlights, fan fiction, and other fan activities are posted in members’ super topics. A list of members’ Weibo super topics can be found here.
Bilibili is a Chinese equivalent to YouTube. While YouTube has some SNH48 videos, the majority of them are on Bilibili instead. New and old stages, livestream recordings, vlogs, MCs, and all other video content can be found there.
- SNH48 can seem overwhelming, but you’re not required to pay attention to the whole group or even know all of the members’ names. As you watch more stages and learn more about SNH48, you will naturally learn more about your favorite members’ teammates and the rest of the group. Being a SNH48 fan is a hobby, so most fans just stick to the content they find interesting.
How can I follow SNH48 if I don’t know Chinese?
- Unfortunately, if you don’t know any Chinese, your options are very limited. SNH48 has a small international fanbase for this very reason, but there are options:
- Most English-speaking SNH48 fans are on Twitter. SNH48 Today and Info @ SNH48 Group are general update accounts, and you can try to find English updates on members by searching their names on Twitter.
- Some SNH48 content on YouTube and Twitter has English subs, but most content is not subbed. SNH48.xyz is a directory of existing subbed content.
- Translation software is far from perfect, but it will get the job done in many situations and it is recommended to have at least one downloaded. Baidu Translate is generally the most reliable app, but Google Translate and DeepL have their own strengths. If you ever get lost navigating something in Chinese, you can take a screenshot and try machine translating it.
- I created this glossary and use CuriousCat as resources for international fans. If you have any questions, you can always ask around. Stage48, AKB48 Wiki, and SNH48G Wiki are also useful English-language resources.
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