“Sony Music Group (Japan), with Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. as its headquarters and holding company, maximizes resources across its approximately twenty group companies to create a multidimensional and diversified business in entertainment.”
(Source: www.sme.co.jp )
On March of 1968, CBS Sony Records was founded in the Heart of Tokyo, next to the Sengaku-ji temple where are located the 47 ronin (samurais without master) graves. This Foundation was a joint venture agreement between Sony corporation and Columbia Broadcasting Inc (now CBS inc.) with the investment relation of 50:50 and total capital amount 720 million Yen (equivalent today to 5.6 million Euros).
The Main-company is Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. It’s divided by 3 Main sectors, which they call Business groups: Artist and Music Business Group; Visual and Character Business Group; and Entertainment Solutions Business Group.
SMEJ also owns one of the MTV Japan biggest rivals, M-on! (Music On! TV).
Artist & Music-Business Group
Sony Music Labels Inc. (Sacra Music )
Sony Music Marketing United Inc. Sony Music Artists Inc. Jisedai Inc. Sony Music Direct (Japan) Inc. Sony Music Publishing (Japan) Inc. MusicRay’n Inc. room NB Inc.
Visual & Character – Business Group
Aniplex Inc. ( Crunchyroll)
Sony Creative Products Inc. ForwardWorks Corporation
Entertainment Solution- Business Group
* in () some known subsidiaries companies names.
Sony Music Labels (SML) is a record company that oversees the production and promotion of commercial music and videos. They work with artists to develop their skills and talents, help with music production, market their music, and promote it through various media outlets. Their label business is diverse, with each label specializing in a unique type of music.
At Sony Music Direct (SMDR), They draw on the vast catalogue of music and video assets available to Sony Music Group(Japan) in order to create a range of business opportunities. In addition to this, they also manage record label businesses, including enka/traditional Japanese music and Rakugo (spoken-word performance).
In 2017, Sony Music Group announced the launch of its new sub-label, ‘SACRA MUSIC‘. The label will be focused on artists who are pursuing music careers not just within the domestic market, but also their overseas activities. A total of 15 groups of artists, who already belonged to the company’s various subsidiary labels, will move under this newly established sub-label Like Aimer and Lisa.
The artists under ‘SACRA MUSIC‘ have had great success on Japan Billboard with tie-up anime and multiple hit releases. They’ve proven to be very popular with both domestic and overseas fans, which is why Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, partnered with ‘SACRA MUSIC’. With this partnership, ‘SACRA MUSIC‘ aims to expand their overseas market strategy and global footprint by participating in events, staging live concerts, and distributing their music worldwide.
Aniplex (ANX) is a diversified entertainment company with a focus on video and music content, most of which is anime. They also produce games, distribute theater films, and have a variety of other businesses. This company is well-versed in a variety of entertainment areas and offers a broad range of services.
In the recent years, Sony has been merging a few of its subsidiaries, like Funimation and Crunchyroll.
In 2021, Sacra music and Sony music labels through their artists occupied the Japan Billboard leader position more than 14 times , representing around 12% .
This Year (2022), where mental illness is still largely viewed as a taboo subject, Sony Group Corp.’s music unit has launched a pioneering project to provide its signed artists with mental and physical health care. Sony’s music division has long been praised for its efforts to take care of the well-being of its artists, considering the toll the coronavirus pandemic has been taking on the working lives of performers.
Since artists’ work styles and contracts vary, their care and health has mostly been up to the artists themselves or their talent managers. Unlike employees of a company, whose employers provide them with regular health examinations, artists have not had this type of care in the past. Starting in August 2021, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. offers its artists free round-the-clock online medical counselling, face-to-face counselling, and regular mental and physical check-ups.
In Japan, where mental health its slowing being recognized as an issue, the big corporations acknowledging it and develop this sort of programs bring a little hope for tragedies by suicide never happen again. Among those suicides are the Tragedies of Hana Kimura, Yuko Takeuchi, Takashi Fujiki, Sei Ashina and Haruma Miura. Known Japanese Celebrities that committed suicide during the Pandemic.
However , just to be cleared, my research didnt show any relation or contract between this Celebrities that commit suicide and Sony Music group.
SMEJ looks like a good company to be a Star
… So far! 😛
J K Groove 