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Just weeks after our exciting deal with the Japanese entertainment conglomerate Avex, we are thrilled to announce another significant partnership, this time with Bandai Namco Music Live, a key player in Japanese Anime music. This marks a major milestone in our expansion into Japan and entry into the thriving anime music industry.

As Bandai Namco Music Live’s rights management partner on YouTube, we will leverage our AI technology to oversee, optimize, and monetize their extensive catalog on the platform.

Introducing Bandai Namco Music Live

Bandai Namco Music Live, a leading player in the Japanese anime music industry, has an extensive collection of songs and represents over 3,000 talented creators. They have contributed to numerous beloved entertainment moments, from the popular Love Live! series to the action-packed One-Punch Man.

As the popularity of digital platforms such as YouTube continues to skyrocket, the global reach of anime is also increasing. Recognizing this opportunity, Bandai Namco Music Live chose to partner with Orfium for its superior technology, which optimizes the management and monetization of music used in UGC which will enable them to continually invest into new productions and reach more fans.

As Akiho Matsuo, Rights Department General Manager at Bandai Namco Music Live, put it, “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.”

The Rising Tide of UGC in Japan’s Booming Music Market

Our partnership with Bandai Namco Music Lives sees Orfium move into anime music, a genre with its roots firmly in Japan but which has grown in popularity around the world as anime (short for animation) has become a global phenomenon. According to research by Morgan Stanley, the market reached a value of US$ 25 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to US $ 35 billion by 2030. Japan is the major contributor in the anime market, accounting for over 40% of the global anime market in 2020.

This growth provides a perfect opportunity for those in the entertainment and music industry to utilize new solutions to capitalize on international growth and fan appetite – a natural alignment with Orfium’s expansion into the Japanese and Asian markets. Leveraging our market-leading AI-powered technology, Orfium aims to help clients optimize and monetize user-generated content (UGC) in this rapidly growing market.

The Path Ahead: Future Opportunities for Orfium in Japan

Japan has held a pivotal position in Orfium’s global expansion strategy since 2022 when we acquired Breaker and established Orfium Japan, led by Alan Swarts. This latest deal builds on our partnerships with Avex, Warner Music Japan, and Victor Entertainment, highlighting our commitment to driving global digital transformation through local collaborations.

With the strength and expertise of our dedicated local team and the latest in cutting edge AI-powered technology, we are excited to continue forging more partnerships in Japan and across Asia’s dynamic music and entertainment landscape to power revenues for rights holders and creators across digital music and broadcast platforms.

We’re excited to share news of our latest partnership with Avex in Japan. Avex is a powerhouse in the world of entertainment and this partnership signals a significant step in Orfium’s growth as the first deal of its kind in Asia.

Japan is the world’s second largest music market, yet UGC monetization is still in its infancy. Recognising the opportunity to support the market there, Orfium expanded to Japan in 2022 with the acquisition of Breaker (now Orfium Japan) and has been growing solidly in the market since then.

Orfium is set to become Avex’s partner for music catalog management on YouTube, utilizing our AI-based matching technology to maximize revenue for Avex’s rights holders, artists, writers, and composers.

Who is Avex?

Picture a goliath in the world of entertainment, a company that weaves music, animation, film, and digital prowess into the iconic music landscape in Japan. The sounds behind a whole world of anime, filmmaking, Japan’s iconic and thriving DJ scene and so much more. That’s Avex Inc.

Founded in 1988, they started in the music and entertainment industry as a wholesale business of imported music records. They’ve since expanded to be a powerhouse in record labels, live music performances, animation, and filmmaking.

Avex’s mission is most aptly put by Avex’s own Representative Director and CEO Katsumi Kuroiwa, who says they are “Making impossible entertainment, possible.”, and they have been a pioneer in doing just that. Projects like Justin Bieber’s world tour to Japan, and the first fully remotely animated film ‘She Sings, As If It Were Destiny’ are just two shining examples of Avex’s innovation that proves that they are a driving force and strong representation of the desire in the Japanese market to consume and contribute to the music and entertainment industry.

The Growth of UGC & the Japanese Music Market

Ranking as YouTube’s third-largest revenue contributor, Japan’s digital music scene is flourishing. Although YouTube thrives with 70 million monthly active users, UGC monetization is just taking flight, with many Japanese music companies only now transitioning from restrictions to embracing the vast potential of sharing and licensing.

In 2022, despite YouTube’s global payout of over $6 billion, Japan received a modest 6% – showing clearly the opportunity for artists and rights holders to gain more for their art. There’s a huge opportunity here to fill the gaps by many platforms’ own services for tracking and monetizing music which leave potentially millions of dollars worth of revenue unfound and unclaimed – and as more music is shared, that opportunity is only growing.

Having already established ourselves as the leader in other major markets for UGC rights management and monetization, Orfium is excited to be a part of reclaiming those missed revenue opportunities by partnering with more Japanese clients, and supporting the unique industry there. We already work with the world’s leading Music Publishers, Record Labels, Broadcasters and Production Music Companies in the US and UK, and have delivered unrivaled results for them; and we’re excited to demonstrate the same value for the Japanese and Asian markets.

Our local team, led by the experienced and passionate Alan Swarts, has been instrumental in our swift rise in the Japanese market – behind every great achievement, is a dedicated and skilled team, and Orfium Japan is no exception. With their deep industry knowledge and commitment, they’ve ensured that Orfium Japan is positioned to deliver the full potential and degree of success we’ve seen around the world for our clients.

Looking Ahead: What Lies Beyond the Horizon

Orfium’s partnership with Avex follows agreements with Warner Music Japan and Victor Entertainment, and we’re looking forward to sharing news of more Japanese partner deals very soon. Driven by our company goal to deliver optimized UGC revenue generation, we are continuing to improve the industry for the better for creators, artists and rights owners, one partnership at a time. As we grow internationally, we look forward to more partnerships across the music and entertainment landscape of Japan and Asia

Be a Part of the Journey with Orfium Japan

If you’re intrigued by our journey and want to explore opportunities with Orfium, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.

We’re delighted to announce Orfium’s official sponsorship of All That Matters 2023!

As Orfium rolls out our full suite of tools and services into the Japanese and Asian markets, we are proud to announce our entry into the region with the confidence and clientele of some of the largest broadcasters, video game publishers and music publishers already.

With a global team of over 600 specialists, including dedicated teams in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, we have already established ourselves as a major player in solving key challenges in catalog and rights management in the entertainment industry. Our participation in the All That Matters event, which aligns perfectly with our core vision of driving innovation in the entertainment industry, provides us with the perfect platform to introduce our innovative solutions and to network with other professionals in the region.

Our sponsorship of the event reflects our unwavering dedication to driving innovation in the industry. We are excited to connect with other professionals, artists, and visionaries in the industry to explore the latest trends and innovations shaping the future.

The event blends business insights with fan enthusiasm and will take place in Singapore from September 11-13, 2023. This annual gathering has become a highlight on the industry calendar where the entertainment, media, and technology professionals come together to focus on current and future challenges, opportunities and innovation. An impressive lineup of professionals, artists, experts, and visionaries will come together to explore the latest trends and innovations shaping the future of these dynamic fields.

The agenda is filled with an engaging array of keynotes, interactive panels, workshops, music showcases, and networking opportunities that are designed to foster the exchange of knowledge and ideas. This event is a platform to uncover the ever-evolving trends, challenges, and opportunities in music, gaming, sports, marketing, and beyond.

The Orfium team will be there, including Alan Swarts, CEO of Orfium Japan, Bonna Choi, Head of Soundmouse by Orfium Korea, John Possman, Director of Orfium Japan, and Shiro Hosojima, Chief Operations Officer in Japan.

Orfium will participate in a panel discussion on online media monetization at All That Matters 2023. The panel, titled “Online Media Matters: A Comprehensive Guide for Content Owners and Creators,” will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at 2:20 PM – 2:50 PM GMT+8.

Alan Swarts, CEO of Orfium Japan, will be one of the panelists and will share his insights on the latest growth monetization strategies for content owners and creators in the Asia Pacific region. Some of the topics to be discussed will include different revenue streams for content owners, from ad revenue to brand collaborations, as well as legal considerations and future trends in online media monetization. Alan will be joined on stage by other panelists including Hao Zhang, Head of Western Content Partnerships & Licensing at Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME), and Reta Lee, Head of Commerce at Yahoo.

Orfium’s partnership with All That Matters perfectly aligns with our core mission: driving innovation in entertainment through technology. We offer a suite of services that empower music creators, labels, broadcasters, and more to effortlessly manage and monetize their content. Our involvement in this event is a testament to our dedication to forward-thinking discussions, industry insights, and collaborative endeavors.

This sponsorship showcases our ongoing commitment to nurturing growth, creativity, and progress in music and entertainment. We’re confident that All That Matters will serve as an invaluable platform for forging connections, sparking fresh ideas, and advancing our collective understanding of this ever-evolving landscape.

Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the organizers and participants who have crafted an environment that encourages exploration, collaboration, and insightful conversations. We’re eagerly looking forward to contributing to the event’s success and engaging in meaningful exchanges that will undoubtedly shape the future of entertainment and technology.

For more details about the event, including registration information and the schedule, please visit the official All That Matters website.

If you’re curious to learn more about Orfium and how we’re using machine learning, AI, and innovative algorithms to streamline and boost client revenue streams, feel free to drop by our Orfium VIP Lounge at the event, and leave your details here.