Pictured [L-R]: Akiho Matsuo Bandai Namco Music Live and Alan Swarts, CEO Orfium Japan
Orfium, a Los Angeles-based music rights and metadata management software platform, continues its expansion into the Japanese music market by partnering with another Japanese entity for an anime music deal.
This collaboration comes on the heels of Orfium’s partnership in September with Japanese entertainment giant Avex Inc. for a YouTube management deal.
The collaboration with Avex saw Orfium providing its technology to enhance the monetization capabilities of the entertainment agency on YouTube.
Orfium said the Japanese anime market has been experiencing growth, driven by its expanding global fan base, with platforms like YouTube playing a key role in accelerating its popularity.
Citing data from Morgan Stanley Research, Orfium said the global anime market generated nearly $25 billion in 2023 and is projected to surpass $35 billion by 2027.
This growth is fueled by the expansion of anime intellectual property (IP) franchises across various digital services, catering to both domestic and international audiences.
Under the deal with Bandai Namco Music Live, Orfium will use its artificial intelligence-based rights management software to manage, optimize, and monetize the company’s repertoire.
Bandai Namco Music Live represents over 3,000 creators and is behind some of the most popular anime titles, including the Love Live! series, Violet Evergarden, One-Punch Man, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Bandai Namco Music Live joins Orfium’s expanding global client base, which includes record labels, music publishers, music production companies, collecting societies, broadcasters, and film and TV stakeholders.
Bandai Namco Music Live was formed in April 2022 from the merger of Bandai Namco Arts’ music business, Bandai Namco Live Creative, and Sunrise Music.
Orfium says its focus on Japan has been evident since 2022 when the company acquired Breaker and established Orfium Japan, led by Alan Swarts, a veteran with over 25 years of experience in the Japanese music and entertainment industry.
“This deal advances our mission to provide the technology infrastructure for the global entertainment ecosystem, supporting the industry and ultimately creating more value for creators and rights holders from the use of their music.”
Rob Wells, Orfium
Commenting on the partnership, Orfium CEO Rob Wells, said: “Orfium’s partnership with Bandai Namco Music Live cements our position as the frontrunner for UCG monetization in the Japanese market. With our move into the rich cultural heritage of anime music, we are proving how Orfium drives global digital transformation through distinctive local partnerships.
“This deal advances our mission to provide the technology infrastructure for the global entertainment ecosystem, supporting the industry and ultimately creating more value for creators and rights holders from the use of their music.”
Alan Swarts, CEO of Orfium Japan, added: “The opportunity for Orfium to expand into anime music comes at a time when the art form has never been more popular, and to be administering the catalog of such an established player in this space is testament to our expert team, advanced technology and AI-powered products and services.
“This new partnership with Bandai Namco Music Live is another opportunity for us to demonstrate our capabilities and I look forward to working with the team there to realize the true value of their repertoire.”
“By partnering with Orfium, whose superior technology allows for the management and monetization of music used in user-generated content, we can ensure that artists and creators make their music available on a popular global platform and one that, importantly, is also optimized for monetization.”
Akiho Matsuo,Bandai Namco Music Live
Akiho Matsuo, Rights Department General Manager at Bandai Namco Music Live, said: “YouTube and other video platforms are great places where users and music can connect, but protecting and monetizing the rights of artists and creators is also important.
“By partnering with Orfium, whose superior technology allows for the management and monetization of music used in user-generated content, we can ensure that artists and creators make their music available on a popular global platform and one that, importantly, is also optimized for monetization.”
