Japan’s 2025 Domestic Music Market Estimated at 398.8 Billion Yen — Streaming Growth Underpins the Whole Market

The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) has released figures estimating Japan’s 2025 domestic music market (recorded music plus music distribution) at 398.8 billion yen. A comprehensive measure combining physical formats such as CDs with distribution, it reveals a structure in which the growth of distribution underpins the market as a whole.

RIAJ has begun publishing an “estimate of recorded-music and music-distribution sales” with the aim of grasping market size more comprehensively. Full-year 2025 is the first edition, with updates to follow each quarter. Music distribution includes downloads and streaming.

Music-distribution sales have continued to grow in recent years. Subscription and ad revenue from streaming have expanded, supporting the market in a way that complements physical trends. Developing such measures helps in grasping the current state of the industry as a whole.

As distribution becomes the market’s main axis, how to keep a song in a continuously listened-to state becomes key to revenue design. Playlist strategies, tie-ups, and the use of overseas distribution lead to diversifying revenue sources.

A rollout that keeps both physical and digital in view is growing in importance regardless of an artist’s scale. Strategy design based on data optimizes the allocation of limited resources.

The ZEN editorial team sees that within a market structure centered on distribution, designs that steadily build up play counts are required for independent artists as well.

Sources: Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), PR TIMES, and others