Will the Japanese digital music market surpass its previous peak a decade ago?

[DocumentaLy]

Expanding from another thread:

 

The digital market’s (downloads and streaming) revenue increased by 13% compared to 2017, totalling 64.5 billion yen. This was the fifth consecutive year of growth and marked the first time in seven years that this segment topped 60 billion yen.

 

So the digital market in 2018 was the biggest it had been since 2012. WTF? So when was the peak? Last decade? How much money was being back then? So I checked!

 

From the 2009 year-end report:

 

Digital music delivery amounted to 91.0 billion yen in value, up slightly from the previous year, and has grown steadily from 34.3 billion yen when statistical data was first compiled in 2005. Mobile digital contents, a distinctive characteristic of the Japanese market, remained overwhelmingly dominant, while at the same time, Internet downloads continued to grow, posting a 13% gain on a value basis. Specifically, the value of album and single track downloads increased 17% and 11%, respectively. Therefore, on the basis of sales value, 89% of downloads took place via mobile phones versus 11% over the Internet, and the share of the latter is gradually expanding compared with 92% versus 8% in 2007 and 90% versus 10% in 2008. Mobile digital contents, which accounts for approximately 90% of digital music delivery, continued to achieve robust growth in sales of full single track downloads service, which increased 4% in value and accounted for a substantial 62% of all mobile digital contents and 54% of overall digital music delivery in terms of sales. Although mastertones declined 19%, ringback tunes posted steady growth, rising 15% from the previous year. Additionally, digital music delivery data shows that users’ needs for music videos remain strong, as underscored by increases of 18% in downloads of music videos via the Internet and a 1% increase in mobile digital contents.

 

So the 2018 digital market is about 71% of the size it was at its peak in 2009. And digital's share of the market peaked in 2010 when it hit 23% of the total market. Last year it was at 21%. So digital is inching towards the place it had at the turn of the decade. The difference is that this time it's actually being accepted by the industry and the media.

 

__________

 

Thoughts?

[satoori]

Physical market took a hit while digital is increasing. Makes sense.

 

 

What are some Japanese music awards based on?

[kevinpr9]

Physical market took a hit while digital is increasing. Makes sense.

 

 

What are some Japanese music awards based on?

There are Space Shower Music Award, Japan Record Award, Japan Gold Disc Award. Space Shower Music Award is sometimes based on popularity by the judges of each category. Japan Record Award and Japan Gold Disc are based on sales. That's what I think.

[satoori]

There are Space Shower Music Award, Japan Record Award, Japan Gold Disc Award. Space Shower Music Award is sometimes based on popularity of each category. Japan Record Award and Japan Gold Disc are based on sales. That's what I think.

Popularity awards. So that means fan voting is included like K-awards. ok. probably include mv views and sns too

 

 

For the awards based on sales, are physicals and digitals weighted the same?

[mmmmm]

physically and digitally it could NEVER reach its peak. digital singles in the mid-2000s would easily reach the million mark, but nowadays it's a miracle to do so (i think only one song did in 2018). while in 2008 you had Utada, who would hit the million mark 4-5 times from one album, kana is the same case where all her song from 2009-2011 did reach the mark, but now even top artist would be lucky with double platinum. The music industry in Japan has greatly changed from mainly earning it's income through music (physical and digital) to doing concert and events. Artists like Ayumi and Mai Kuraki are barely doing any music anymore but are constantly touring (but in Ayu's case it's probably to make sure her staff are paid). Also, digital songs in Japan are around $2.50 which is very expensive, and now with streaming, i doubt that it'll ever reach its peak.

 

You can see that the monetary power of music releases have really changed. If you look at the end of year charts from 2002-2005 compared to 2015-2016, there is a huge difference in numbers (the chart only calculate earnings from music sales). If i remember correctly ayu was the top earner in 2001 in which she brought in more than $220 million, and Utada followed closely behind, while now the top earners would bring in 60-80 million which mostly comes from gimmicks. 

[kevinpr9]

Popularity awards. So that means fan voting is included like K-awards. ok. probably include mv views and sns too

 

 

For the awards based on sales, are physicals and digitals weighted the same?

Whoops! I mean the Space Shower Award is based on the judges' vote, not the public. I dunno about the other two.

[kevinpr9]

physically and digitally it could NEVER reach its peak. digital singles in the mid-2000s would easily reach the million mark, but nowadays it's a miracle to do so (i think only one song did in 2018). while in 2008 you had Utada, who would hit the million mark 4-5 times from one album, kana is the same case where all her song from 2009-2011 did reach the mark, but now even top artist would be lucky with double platinum. The music industry in Japan has greatly changed from mainly earning it's income through music (physical and digital) to doing concert and events. Artists like Ayumi and Mai Kuraki are barely doing any music anymore but are constantly touring (but in Ayu's case it's probably to make sure her staff are paid). Also, digital songs in Japan are around $2.50 which is very expensive, and now with streaming, i doubt that it'll ever reach its peak.

I think the touring and events are getting popular in the West too.

[satoori]

Whoops! I mean the Space Shower Award is based on the judges' vote, not the public. I dunno about the other two.

ah ok! thanks <3

[DocumentaLy]

Popularity awards. So that means fan voting is included like K-awards. ok. probably include mv views and sns too

 

 

For the awards based on sales, are physicals and digitals weighted the same?

 

There is no fanvoting, thank God!

There are Space Shower Music Award, Japan Record Award, Japan Gold Disc Award. Space Shower Music Award is sometimes based on popularity by the judges of each category. Japan Record Award and Japan Gold Disc are based on sales. That's what I think.

 

The Japan Record Award is based on a judging panel as well.

[satoori]

There is no fanvoting, thank God!

 

Lucky! T^T

[DocumentaLy]

physically and digitally it could NEVER reach its peak. digital singles in the mid-2000s would easily reach the million mark, but nowadays it's a miracle to do so (i think only one song did in 2018). while in 2008 you had Utada, who would hit the million mark 4-5 times from one album, kana is the same case where all her song from 2009-2011 did reach the mark, but now even top artist would be lucky with double platinum. The music industry in Japan has greatly changed from mainly earning it's income through music (physical and digital) to doing concert and events. Artists like Ayumi and Mai Kuraki are barely doing any music anymore but are constantly touring (but in Ayu's case it's probably to make sure her staff are paid). Also, digital songs in Japan are around $2.50 which is very expensive, and now with streaming, i doubt that it'll ever reach its peak.

 

You can see that the monetary power of music releases have really changed. If you look at the end of year charts from 2002-2005 compared to 2015-2016, there is a huge difference in numbers (the chart only calculate earnings from music sales). If i remember correctly ayu was the top earner in 2001 in which she brought in more than $220 million, and Utada followed closely behind, while now the top earners would bring in 60-80 million which mostly comes from gimmicks. 

 

Yonezu Kenshi's "Lemon" hit 2 Million last year, about 8.5 months after its release.

 

Utada was doing well, but not that well. It was just "Prisoner of Love" and "Flavor of Life" and its ballad version that were selling a million via downloads and ringtones. Same for Kana. During that time period "Aitakute Aitakute", "Kimi tte", and "Best Friend" sold a million via downloads and ringtones. Kana did have other songs from that period that ended up selling a million years later.

 

I don't think it's that hard to hit Double Platinum now. 

 

And the diffrence in year end numbers isn't that huge depending on the year. I mean:

 

2001: Ayumi Hamasaki (Â¥24,380,000,000)

2002: Utada Hikaru (Â¥13,350,000,000)

2003: Ayumi Hamasaki (Â¥11,800,000,000)

2004: Utada Hikaru (Â¥8,660,000,000)

2005: ORANGE RANGE (Â¥14,350,000,000)

 

2015: Arashi (Â¥14,328,000,000)

2016: Arashi (Â¥12,183,000,000)

 

Arashi has some gimmicks, but not that many.

 

Streaming is part of digital though. Does this change your answer?