Warner Music Japan (WMJ) and NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan (NBCUJ) have partnered to mutually capitalize on the growing popularity of anime-related music.
Under this partnership, WMJ will assume production and promotion of new releases by NBCUJ’s artists, and will acquire the distro rights for more than 9,000 works in NBCUJ’s catalog. It will begin digital and physical distribution of these works in early 2025.
NBCUJ will gain access to ADA, Warner Music’s global indie distribution and label services arm, which will “expand the distribution of its catalogs, and help its artists engage with existing and new fans around the world,” WMJ said in a statement on Thursday (December 12).
ADA expanded into Japan – the world’s second-largest music market – in 2020.
The companies will work together to develop new opportunities for music tie-ins with NBCUJ’s anime productions, including potentially having WMJ-signed artists contribute songs to anime, such as opening and ending theme tracks.
The anime music (or anisong) market has become a mainstream part of global culture. This past summer, Spotify said that streams of anime music on the platform had jumped 395% since 2021.
“The popularity of Japanese anime is exploding both domestically and internationally with fans increasingly connecting with it on social media and streaming platforms.”
Takeshi Okada, Warner Music Japan
A 2023 report from market research firm Luminate found that 18% of Gen Z music listeners in the US discover music through anime. That number rises to 22% in South Korea, 31% in Indonesia and 39% in Japan.
A report earlier this year from Grand View Research predicted that the anime market would see a 9.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2024 to 2030. The anime market was worth USD $31.23 billion in 2023, the report said.
However, according to recent data from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), anime music’s share of new releases in Japan fell to a 15-year low of 6.5% in 2023. Some of that decline can be attributed to the fact that, as anisong has gone mainstream, artists and creators have increasingly created anisong that’s not directly tied to an anime production.
“The popularity of Japanese anime is exploding both domestically and internationally with fans increasingly connecting with it on social media and streaming platforms,” said Takeshi Okada, President and CEO of WMJ.
“This presents an opportunity for artists to connect with new fans worldwide through music used in anime projects. So this partnership will not only enable us to help bring NBCUJ’s catalog to the world through our global network, but also give our artists opportunities to further grow their careers by leveraging anime-related collaborations.”
Shoji Doyama, CEO and President of NBCUJ, added: “To deeply resonate with anime fans, the perfect combination of anime and music is essential. With this strategic partnership, I am confident that the collaboration between NBCUJ’s anime and Warner Music’s repertoire will bring excitement to fans around the world. I am also delighted that songs by NBCUJ’s artists will reach even more listeners with the help of Warner Music’s global reach.”
The partnership with NBCUJ follows a number of leadership changes at WMJ, including Okada’s appointment as President and CEO in October. He came to the company from Universal Music Group’s EMI Records Japan, where he served as Managing Director.
As CEO, Okada succeeded Kaz Kobayashi, who had led WMJ for a decade.
Also this year, Dr. Kenji Kotakani took up the role of Chairman at WMJ. He served as Chairman of the sports streaming service DAZN Japan.Music Business Worldwide
