TOKYO (CelebrityAccess) — Warner Music Japan (WMJ) announced a new strategic partnership with NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan to jointly develop opportunities around anime-related music.
Through this partnership, WMJ plans a full-scale expansion into the anime-related music business, and will use ADA, its independent label services company to expand the distribution of its catalogs, bringing the music to new fans around the world.
WMJO will also oversee production and promotion of new releases from NBCUJ’s artists and will acquire the distribution rights for more than 9,000 works in NBCU’s music catalog, including anime-related tracks. Distribution for these tracks will begin worldwide in 2025.
The partnership will be overseen for WMJ by a newly established Anime Business Division, with Koichiro Natsume, former President and CEO of Aniplex Inc., and Hiroyasu Shinohara, former Senior Executive Officer of TMS Entertainment Co., Ltd., serving as external advisors.
“We are delighted to take a strategic step forward in delivering Japanese music to the world through anime, thanks to our partnership with NBC Universal Entertainment Japan (NBCUJ). The popularity of Japanese anime is exploding both domestically and internationally with fans increasingly connecting with it on social media and streaming platforms. This presents an opportunity for artists to connect with new fans worldwide through music used in anime projects. So this partnership will not only enable us to help bring NBCUJ’s catalog to the world through our global network, but also give our artists opportunities to further grow their careers by leveraging anime-related collaborations,” stated Takeshi Okada, President and CEO of WMJ.
“To deeply resonate with anime fans, the perfect combination of anime and music is essential. With this strategic partnership, I am confident that the collaboration between NBCUJ’s anime and Warner Music’s repertoire will bring excitement to fans around the world. I am also delighted that songs by NBCUJ’s artists will reach even more listeners with the help of Warner Music’s global reach,” added Shoji Doyama, CEO and President of NBCUJ.
