Japan’s digital revenue grows for H1 2016

The Japanese music industry posted increased digital revenue in the first half of 2016. According to the Recording Industry Association of Japan, digital revenue for the first six months totaled $255 million, up from $236.7 million in the second half of 2015. The digital share includes streaming, album and track downloads, and sales of music videos and mobile ringtones.

Physical formats remain a strong factor in Japan’s market. Consumers have spent $991 million on CDs so far this year. All physical formats are pegged at year-to-date revenue of $1.9 billion.

Despite the continued strength of CDs, vinyl, and physical formats, Japan has been seeing increased activity from streaming companies. Spotify has been making hires, Amazon and Google rolled out their music platforms, and domestic ecommerce operation Rakuten recently launched a new property for the sector.