Korea’s Music Giants To Target Japan as Paid Streaming Scales Up

• Japan's premium music streaming climbed enormously, thus maintaining its dominance in the Asia-Pacific paid audio market.
• The surge alone rivals Taiwan and Thailand's combined yearly paid streaming volumes, illustrating Japan's market size and momentum.
• Labels are now approaching Japan as a data-driven expansion market, with a focus on localization and monetization rather than instinctual growth.

The 2026 Korea Music Data Summit indicated that premium music streaming in Japan increased by 14.2 billion plays in the previous year. The surge reflects the country's rapid shift toward subscription-based digital consumption, as well as its growing position in the Asia-Pacific music industry.

On February 6, industry managers from over 50 Korean entertainment organizations, including HYBE, SM, JYP, and YG, met in Seoul to study Japan's music market and design a data-driven expansion strategy. The event was co-hosted by the global analytics business Luminate and its Korean partner, Creators Network.

Streaming Growth Mirrors Regional Annual Volumes

According to Shin Sang-hyun, CEO of Creators Network, Japan's surge in premium streams of over 14B is almost equivalent to the total yearly paid streaming volumes of Taiwan and Thailand. The contrast highlights not only the sheer size of Japan's market, but also the rate at which demand is growing throughout the region.

This increase in premium streaming is consistent with broader APAC trends. According to Luminate's most recent consumption data, Japan accounted for roughly one-third of all premium streams in Asia-Pacific and Australia-New Zealand in the first half of 2025. The findings highlight Japan's leadership in paid audio usage, despite slower regional penetration relative to global averages.

Market Structure and Consumer Behavior

Adrian Sarosi of Luminate noted changes in fan behavior, pointing to an increasing number of Gen Z listeners switching from free to premium subscriptions, which is an important generator of revenue and deeper engagement. Rupinder Singh of Warner Music Japan stressed Japan's hybrid consumption model, which combines premium streaming with strong physical sales and live events to create a distinct ecology compared to Western markets.

Grand View Research estimated Japan's music streaming market to be worth approximately $2.15 billion USD in 2024. The organization further predicted that this market may nearly double by 2030, rising at a compound annual rate of 13.8%, bolstering the sector's long-term digital progress.

Data as a Strategic Compass for Japan’s Music Streaming Market

Summit speakers noted that intuition-driven techniques are no longer effective in Japan, suggesting Korean acts and labels worldwide to focus on data-driven analyses of local consumption, fanbase behavior, and monetization. Kim Jeongbeom, chief data officer at Creators Network, went on to explain how Japanese streaming data may help with market entrance decisions such as release time, platform prioritizing, and tour planning. On the other hand, Son Uiseong, the company's chief business development officer, highlighted how converting fan participation into income models could be profitable for K-pop acts venturing into Japan.

Industry leaders saw Japan as a data-driven frontier rather than a single music market, indicating a shift toward precise analytics, localized execution, and integrated digital-physical interaction. They stated that the move matches broader worldwide revenue patterns, with growth more based on paid streaming rather than volume-driven expansion.