Warner Music Japan has inked a strategic partnership with LAND. LAND will fully produce music in collaboration with several prominent WMG artists.
Warner Music Japan will lead the global rollout in all formats worldwide. Land and WM Japan will also jointly develop global marketing strategies and engage in digital distribution services and media promotion across the globe. Warner Music says the rising popularity of Japanese culture through anime, games, artists, and music helped cement the strategic partnership.
WM Japan and LAND aim to leverage their joint creative and commercial firepower to create a new way of ‘Japan-originated’ global hits. The partners’ first release is “What Is Love,” performed by Aloe Blacc and primarily written by members of End of the World and recorded in Los Angeles under the oversight of LAND’s Creative Director Naoki Wada. The track will be digitally distributed on June 23. Blacc is a Grammy-Award winning artist who has generated more than two billion streams worldwide and is typical of the caliber of artists the partnership aims to work with.
“This partnership aims to create global hits based on the genius of Japanese artists, using the combined creativity and global firepower of LAND and Warner Music,” adds Kaz Shimada, Chief Operating Officer of WM Japan. “We’ll put together thoughtful campaigns that’ll amplify artists’ voices and help connect them with fans around the world with a sense of speed.”
“Japan is a cultural colossus and the world’s second-largest music market,” continues Simon Robson, President, International, Recorded Music, WMG. “Our timely partnership with LAND is designed to help more amazing Japanese artists make an impact on the global scene, as Japan’s culture is becoming increasingly influential globally.
The Japanese recorded music industry has been slower to embrace streaming than the rest of the world—but that market is quickly growing. The industry saw a 17% year-over-year increase in digital revenue during 2022, thanks to streaming gains.