The Music Market in Japan
- Japan is the 2nd largest music market in the world after the USA in terms of sales. (300+ Billion Yen)
- The population of just the Tokyo Metropolitan Area is 38 million. (Total Population of Japan: 124 million)
- Japanese spend more money on music and music-related products per person than anyone else in the world.
- Streams make up more than 75% of all digital music sales in Japan.
- The most popular digital music platforms in Japan are Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, AWA, Line Music, kkbox
- About 30% of all CD's sold in Japan were from foreign artists.
- Alexander 23 (USA), Sury Su (China) and Salem Ilese (USA) received the 2023 "Best New International Artist" Japan Gold Disc Award for highest sales in Japan.
- There are fans in Japan for all styles of music in any language—from Hawaiian, Country, Bossa Nova, Folk, New Age, Jazz, and Bluegrass to Metal, Punk, Alt Rock, Hip Hop, R&B, EDM, Reggae, and everything in between. See what foreign music is popular right now in Japan on Apple Music and Spotify.
* Data provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) and International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI)
Every year, Japanese spend over a billion YEN on foreign music. If you are in the business of making and selling music, then Japan is your main market and should not be ignored.
Our main goal is to provide resources to help foreign indie bands/artists, managers and record labels sell and promote music in Japan. Please read the various sections and articles to gain insight into doing business effectively in the Japanese music market.
Many bands/artists and record labels from all over the world rely on Japan as a source of fans and revenue.
Below are some platforms for bands/artists, managers and record labels to promote their music in Japan.
Click here for more info and to register in the above platforms
See the indie artists/bands from your country that are actively promoting their music in Japan.
See the indie artists/bands from your country that are performing live in Japan.
Click here to book shows/tour in Japan
How do I market my music in Japan?
Marketing your music in Japan is no different from marketing your music in any country.
When you have a Japanese web page and your music available on popular music platforms in Japan then you are ready to promote your music in Japan.
Click here to create a free Japanese web page
Click here for distribution in Japan
The goal of promotion is to get Japanese consumers to learn about you and your music (i.e. become a fan) and to stream/download/license your music and buy your merch—thus creating revenues for you and hopefully offsetting the cost of marketing. Even if your end goal is not to make any money and just to spread your music in Japan, then you still require a Japanese web page and distribution in Japan.
Promoting your music is the same in Japan as in any country. This includes things such as performing live shows in Japan and advertising/publicity in Japanese media. Fortunately, there are some affordable services available to market your music in Japan.
