Warner Music Japan and NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan Join Forces
Warner Music Japan (WMJ) and NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan (NBCUJ) have partnered to leverage the rising popularity of anime-related music.
Through this collaboration, WMJ will produce and promote new releases from NBCUJ artists, while also acquiring distribution rights for over 9000 works from the NBCUJ catalog. Distribution of these works, both digital and physical, will commence in early 2025.
Expanding Global Reach
NBCUJ will benefit from ADA, Warner Music’s global distribution and label services division, which aims to “expand the distribution of its catalog and assist its artists in connecting with existing and new fans worldwide,” as stated by WMJ on Thursday (Dec. 12).
In 2020, ADA entered the Japanese market, recognized as the second-largest music market globally.
The two companies will collaborate to create new musical opportunities for NBCUJ’s anime productions, potentially allowing WMJ-signed artists to contribute songs for anime, including opening and ending theme tracks.
The anime music (or anisong) market is increasingly significant in global culture. Last summer, Spotify reported that anime music streams on their platform surged by 395% compared to 2021.
“Japanese anime is rapidly growing in popularity both domestically and internationally, with fans increasingly connecting with it on social media and streaming platforms.”
Takeshi Okada, Warner Music Japan
A report for 2023 by market research firm Luminate found that 18% of Gen Z music listeners in the US discover music through anime. This percentage climbs to 22% in South Korea, 31% in Indonesia, and 39% in Japan.
Moreover, a report from earlier this year by Grand View Research projected a 9.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the anime market from 2024 to 2030, estimating its worth at US$31.23 billion in 2023.
However, recent data from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) indicates that the share of anime music in new releases in Japan has dropped to a 15-year low of 6.5% in 2023. This decline may be partly due to the mainstreaming of anisong, leading artists and creators to develop anisong that is less directly linked to anime productions.
“Japanese anime is rapidly growing in popularity both domestically and internationally, with fans increasingly connecting to it on social media and streaming platforms,” remarked Takeshi Okada, President and CEO of WMJ.
“This provides artists with an opportunity to connect with new fans globally through the music integrated into anime projects. Thus, this partnership not only facilitates the global introduction of NBCUJ’s catalog through our extensive network but also empowers our artists to advance their careers via anime-related collaborations.”
Shoji Doyama, CEO and President of NBCUJ, added, “To connect deeply with anime fans, it requires the perfect blend of anime and music. With this strategic partnership, I am confident that the collaboration between NBCUJ’s anime productions and Warner Music’s repertoire will captivate audiences worldwide. I’m also thrilled that NBCUJ artists’ songs will reach an even broader audience through Warner Music’s global network.”
The partnership with NBCUJ comes after a series of leadership transitions at WMJ, including the recent appointment of Okada as president and CEO in October. He joined the company from Universal Music Group‘s EMI Records Japan, where he held the position of Managing Director.
Okada succeeded Kaz Kobayashi, who led WMJ for a decade.
This year also saw Dr. Kenji Kotakani appointed as chairman of WMJ, previously serving as the chairman of the sports streaming platform DAZN Japan.
Warner Music Japan, NBCUniversal Japan team up on anime-related music
