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Universal Music Japan

Coordinates: 35°40′14.8692″N 139°42′24.33894″E / 35.670797000°N 139.7067608167°E / 35.670797000; 139.7067608167
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35°40′14.8692″N 139°42′24.33894″E / 35.670797000°N 139.7067608167°E / 35.670797000; 139.7067608167

Universal Music LLC
Native name
ユニバーサル ミュージック
Yunibāsaru myūjikku
Formerly
  • PolyGram Co., Ltd. (1990–1999)
  • Universal Music Co., Ltd. (1999–2009)
  • Universal Music LLC (2009–present)
Company typeSubsidiary
Industry
FoundedApril 20, 1990; 34 years ago (1990-04-20)
Headquarters1-5-8 Jingumae, Shibuya,
Tokyo
,
Japan
Area served
East Asia
Key people
ProductsMusic and entertainment
RevenueSee Universal Music Group
Total equity¥295.2 million (US$2.69 million) (2021)
Number of employees
550
ParentUniversal Music Group
DivisionsList of Universal Music Japan labels
SubsidiariesDRC LLC
Office Augusta [ja][1]
Universal Music Artists
Universal Music Creative
Universal Music Publishing Japan
Websiteuniversal-music.co.jp

Universal Music LLC (Japanese: ユニバーサル ミュージック合同会社, Hepburn: Yunibāsaru myūjikku Gōdō gaisha), often referred to as just Universal Music Japan or UMJ, is a Japanese subsidiary of the Universal Music Group founded in 1990. It is the largest subsidiary for a foreign company in the country regarding music distribution. The company is responsible for marketing and distribution in Japan for Japanese record labels under Universal.

In 2021, Universal Japan CEO and President Naoshi Fujikura was included on Billboard's International Power Players list.[2][3][4]

History

Early years

The company was founded as PolyGram Co., LTD. in 1990 with Koike Kazuhiko serving as president and CEO. In 1999, the company was restructured and renamed as Universal Music Co., LTD.

2009–2013: Renaming to Universal Music LLC

In 2009, the company was renamed as Universal Music LLC. Kazuhiko stepped down as CEO and Keiichi Ishizaka became CEO and president of the company.[5]

2013–2014: Restructure following EMI purchase

In 2011, EMI agreed to sell its recorded music operations to Universal Music Group for £1.2 billion ($1.9 billion) and its music publishing operations to a Sony-led consortium for $2.2 billion.[6] Among the other companies that had competed for the recorded music business was Warner Music Group which was reported to have made a $2 billion bid.[7] Universal Music Group completed their acquisition of EMI on September 28, 2012.[8] In 2012, Ishizaka became CEO of EMI Music Japan while Universal Japan was scheduled to hold a corporate swap in response of the merger.[9] EMI Music Japan officially was absorbed into Universal Japan, became defunct as a company with EMI Records Japan as a successor to the EMI Music Japan label. Nine months after the merger, Ishizaka stepped down from his position of CEO from Universal Japan, and became a non-executive chairman. His successor, Naoshi Fujikura was appointed in 2014.[5] In April 2014, Universal Japan was once again restructured. Many of its labels were rebranded and split multiple times, including EMI Records Japan which de-merged into two sublabels EMI Records and Virgin Records of which the latter rebranded as EMI R and then merged with Delicious Deli Records to form Virgin Music.[10]

2015–present: New business model, push for streaming and worldwide distribution

In December 2015, Fujikura announced that Universal Japan "is a new business" and that the company would adopt a new business model to strengthen business.[11] These changes were effective as of January 1, 2016.[11] A new label, Universal-W was established in December 2015 with Japanese company Warlock.[12]

In August 2016, Radwimps released the soundtrack for the 2016 Japanese animated film Your Name. The album was a commercial success in Japan and in a rare feat, charted in the United States in 2017.[13] In December of the same year, UMJ acquired Office Augusta [ja], a music management agency, and made it a fully-owned subsidiary; as a result, the latter's "Augusta Records" label became an affiliated label of UMJ.[1]

In 2017, the company announced it would relocate from Minato, Tokyo to the Jingumae Tower Building in Shibuya, Tokyo. The relocation took place from September 15, 2018 to October 9.[14][15] In December 2017, Universal Japan announced they suspended the contract of Hilcrhyme member DJ Katsu following his arrest of possession of marijuana. He subsequently left the group following his arrest and the group lost their recording contract.

In June 2018, Universal Japan announced an exclusive license agreement with Disney Music Group.[16]

In 2019, Universal Japan suspended the sales of Junnosuke Taguchi's discography and removed his releases from digital stores following his arrest of possession of marijuana.[17]

In 2020, Universal launched the Virgin Music Label and Artist Services.[18] The service provides artists with global solutions and was launched in many Universal subsidiaries, including Universal Japan.

In 2021, Yoshimoto Music signed a distribution deal with Universal Japan for future releases. In July 2021, CEO Fujikura was listed on Billboard's International Power Players list. In an interview with Billboard Japan, Fujikura shared about his measures on increasing streaming revenue and strategies to have Universal Japan artists chart overseas.[4] Universal Japan has since released previous releases of former and current artists under their labels worldwide digitally, including Hikaru Utada, Crystal Kay, Radwimps, Mrs. Green Apple, Che'Nelle and Ai.

Labels

Further information: List of Universal Music Group labels § Universal Music Japan

Current labels

Former labels

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "ユニバーサル ミュージック/オフィス オーガスタ 戦略的提携に向けた合意について" [Universal Music / Office Augusta Agreement on Strategic Alliance]. office-augusta.com (in Japanese). Office Augusta. December 28, 2016. Archived from the original on May 6, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Universal Music Japan President/CEO Naoshi Fujikura Talks Streaming, Learning From K-Pop & More". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  3. ^ "Billboard International Power Playersインタビュー vol.2 藤倉尚 ユニバーサルミュージック合同会社 社長兼CEO". Billboard Japan.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b "Revealed: Billboard's 2021 International Power Players". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-09-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b Schwartz, Rob. "Naoshi Fujikura Becomes CEO of Universal Music Japan". Billboard.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "Citigroup Sells EMI in Parts for $4.1 Billion to Vivendi, Sony". Businessweek.com. December 8, 2009. Archived from the original on November 12, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  7. ^ Warner Music Group Wants Part Of EMI Archived July 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine – Radio-Info.com Archived October 31, 2011, at the Wayback Machine (released October 31, 2011)
  8. ^ Sisario, Ben (September 28, 2012). "Universal Closes on EMI Deal, Becoming, by Far, Biggest of Remaining Big Three". Mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  9. ^ "役員人事のお知らせ". Universal Music Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  10. ^ 新レーベル 「Virgin Music」 設立について. Universal Music Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  11. ^ a b "ニュービジネス関連部門 組織改編について". Universal Music Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  12. ^ "『UNIVERSAL-W』 誕生！". Universal Music Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  13. ^ "Heatseekers Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  14. ^ "Notice Regarding Head Office Relocation". Universal Music Japan.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ "本社移転予定に関するお知らせ". Universal Music Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  16. ^ "ウォルト・ディズニー・レコーズの日本国内における独占ライセンス契約を締結". プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1｜PR TIMES. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  17. ^ "田口淳之介＆小嶺麗奈容疑者、湾岸署に移送 顔上げ前を見据える". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  18. ^ Group, Universal Music. "Universal Music Group Launches Virgin Music Label And Artist Services". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2021-09-26. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)

Media related to Universal Music Group at Wikimedia Commons

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