QQ Music operates under a freemium business model in which basic services are free whilst enhanced features are available on a subscription.

Artists using this strategy include Noah Cyrus, Ariana Grande[3] and Taylor Swift[4] in which certain albums are restricted to be purchased only.

In 2016, to strengthen copyright restrictions, QQ Music blocked international users, and users overseas will generally receive an error message when trying to play music, such as: '抱歉，应版权方要求，暂无法在当前国家或地区提供此歌曲服务' ('Sorry, this song is not yet available in the current country or region at the request of the copyright owner').

On September 6, 2023, QQ Music shut down their Penguin FM (企鹅FM) service preventing further sale or download of non-purchased content.

QQ Music is proprietary and generally uses Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection.

In June 2020, the Government of India banned QQ Music with 58 other Chinese origin apps citing data and privacy issues.