Music Business News: Japan

Sony Music Entertainment Japan acquires ‘full rights’ to Spookiz animation franchise

Sony Music Labels will work with South Korea's Keyring to produce new Spookiz animations.

Sony Music spent $2.5bn on 60+ deals in the past year (and 7 more things you should know from Rob Stringer’s latest investor presentation)

Rob Stringer, the Chairman of Sony Music Group and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, updated investors on the music company's performance and strategy on Friday morning (June 13).

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Sony Corp opens up 360 virtual mixing audio tech to music creators and more

The technology uses specialized headphones to recreate the acoustic environment of professional studios, allowing anyone to produce studio-quality mixes anywhere.

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HYBE restructures Japan division, appoints Kenji Shima, Jeff Miyahara to senior positions

HYBE JAPAN aims to develop Japanese artists who can find an international audience

Analysis News

Sony generated $2.54bn from recorded music and publishing in calendar Q1 2025; Sony Music Group predicted to grow profit by ‘high single digits’ over next 12 months

Both streaming and physical recorded music sales up single digits, as publishing division posts double-digit bounce in quarter

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Yamaha launches $50m fund to power music and media startups

The fund is meant to cement Yamaha's “leadership position as an innovator in the fields of sound and music”

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Live Nation acquires Hayashi International Promotions, one of Japan’s largest concert promoters

HIP is one of the largest concert promoters in Japan

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Apple Music expands global footprint with new Tokyo radio studio

New studio in Japan joins Apple Music's existing facilities in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, London, Paris, and Berlin