The rise of citizen music is an important feature of Song Dynasty music.

In the Song Dynasty, agriculture and handicrafts were very developed, commodity circulation was unprecedentedly active, and many metropolises appeared.

In the Tang Dynasty, there were more than a dozen cities with more than 100,000 households, and by the Song Dynasty, there were more than 40 cities.

Some cities such as Bianliang and Chengdu have become domestic business and trade centers, while metropolises such as Quanzhou, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou along the coast have become international trade centers.

A large number of entertainment venues have appeared in these cities, bringing together a large number of professional artists, promoting the development of music in the city.

With the prosperity of the urban economy, a large number of people have flowed into the city, gradually expanding the citizen class and forming the backbone of society.

Music that was once enjoyed by dignitaries is now mainly enjoyed by the public.

Music left the court and flourished among the people, gradually becoming more popular among the people.

Changes in the music audience have prompted changes in the form of music. In order to suit the tastes of the citizenry, large-scale songs and dances in the Tang Dynasty were no longer popular, while various folk music arts such as rap and opera gained greater popularity. The development of the Song Dynasty, especially the emergence of comprehensive art opera, caused the mainstream of Chinese music to shift from song and dance music before the Tang Dynasty to opera music after the Song Dynasty. Therefore, some people call the Song Dynasty a turning period for Chinese music.