Market size
Japan Is the World’s Second-Largest Music Market
IFPI’s Global Music Report 2026 puts Japan second, after the US. The market grew 8.9% in 2025.
Read the IFPI reportWhy now
The Audience Is Already Listening
Streaming
Nearly Half of Japanese Artists’ Spotify Royalties Come From Abroad
In 2024, close to 50% of what Japanese artists earned on Spotify came from listeners outside Japan, mostly on songs in Japanese.
Read Spotify’s reportCharts
A Japanese-Language Rap Song Reached No. 8 on the Global 200
Creepy Nuts’ 2024 hit has passed 900 million streams and went Gold in the US. In the same year, Yuki Chiba reached the Hot 100 as a featured artist on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Mamushi”.
Read the coverageKey figures
3rdHip-hop’s rank among Japan’s most-streamed genres
After a steady climb, according to the distributor Believe.
2.9%Of Japanese artists’ home chart days that also charted abroad
For Mexico, 71% of Spotify Top 50 entries were in other countries.
17%Of TuneCore Japan artists’ revenue came from overseas in 2025
Up from 8% in 2020, and above 20% so far in 2026.
Sources: Believe, 2023; Chartmetric, September 2026 (the two chart figures measure slightly different things); TuneCore Japan, October 2026.
Our research
Where Japanese Artists’ Money Is Coming From
Distribution
TuneCore Japan Artists Earn More Abroad Every Year
The overseas share of revenue for artists distributing through TuneCore Japan has roughly doubled since 2020. The 2026 figure is year to date, announced October 1.
Read the yearly figuresMarket report
IFPI Global Music Report 2026March 2026Streaming
Japan’s Music Finds the WorldSpotify Newsroom, May 2025Chart data
The New Sound of Global MusicChartmetric, September 2026Genres
5 Things to Know About the Japanese Music MarketBelieve, 2023
The export gap
Mexico
71%
Japan
2.9%
Share of chart activity that crossed borders, 2021 onward. Chartmetric measures the two slightly differently, so compare loosely.
Our mission
The Target
ミッションWe picked Billboard because a Japanese-language rap song has already been near the top of it.
For most independent rappers the US charts are still a long way off. Our part is the step before that: making your release understandable to people who don’t speak Japanese.
We can’t promise a chart position, and we won’t pretend to.
言葉の壁で止まっているリリースを、英語でも届く形にして出す。それが私たちの仕事です。目標はアメリカの Billboard チャート。そこに向けて、一枚ずつ英語で届けていきます。
What we control
- The accuracy and tone of every translated line
- Subtitle timing
- Delivery within 48 hours of complete materials
What you control
- The music and the release date
- Approving the pack
- Posting the content and sending the pitches
- Shows, features and how often you release
What nobody controls
- Whether curators reply
- Streams, playlists or going viral
- Chart positions, Billboard included
What we deliver
The Bilingual Global Release Pack
パックの内容① English EPKOne page, long and short bio
② Lyric translationEvery line, with notes
③ Video subtitlesA timed .srt for YouTube
④ Spotify pitchFor Spotify for Artists
⑤ Curator pitchesThree versions
⑥ Short-form hooks15 hooks, scripts and captions
You see everything before we send the final files. The 48 hours start once we have your lyrics, video, bio facts and the deposit. The examples above come from a sample pack for a fictional artist.
Pricing
Three Ways to Start
料金（米ドル・1リリースあたり）
Core Pack
$399$499Founding price. Standard price is $499.
- All six items in the Pack
- 48-hour delivery, your approval before final files
Core Pilot
$199First four artists, launch test week only.
- The full Core Pack, all six items
- In return, we can use your feedback and results as a case study
The two $199 options are different
Starter is a smaller pack: a basic EPK and subtitles for one video. Core Pilot is the whole Core Pack at a pilot discount, for four artists during launch week.
Payment
50% up front, 50% on delivery.
2 founding packs = $798
Who it’s for
Independent Rappers With a Release Coming
- Japanese independent rapper
- Unsigned or self-releasing
- Spotify monthly listeners
- 10k–250k
- Instagram or TikTok followers
- 5k–80k
- Next single or EP
- Out in 30–60 days
- Your music videos
- Comments from abroad, no English subtitles
Not a fit if you haven’t released anything yet, or if you want guaranteed streams or chart placements. Nobody can honestly sell those.
Process
How It Works
Send us your release link
Instagram DM or email.
Get 60 seconds subtitled Free
We subtitle one minute of your video in English so you can judge the work first.
Pay the deposit and send materials
Lyrics, the video file and the facts for your bio.
Get the full pack in 48 hours
You approve it, pay the rest, and release.
Sample pack · fictional artist
YUNG KAZE
Lyric sheet
御堂筋、夜の光が俺のステージMidosuji at night, the streetlights are my stageMidosuji is Osaka’s main boulevard. We kept the name and added “Osaka” to the video caption.
ほんま、まだ終われへんFor real, I ain’t done yetほんま is Kansai dialect, so the English stays casual.
Subtitle file
14 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,100 Midosuji at night, the streetlights are my stage 15 00:01:15,300 --> 00:01:17,900 For real, I ain’t done yet
Hooks, 3 of 15
- “What Osaka sounds like at 2 a.m.”Night walk clip with the subtitled chorus
- “Count the Kansai slang in this verse.”Lyric breakdown
- “I wrote this on the last train home.”Talking to camera, English subtitles
Planning tool
Revenue Planner
We use this to plan our own monthly targets. The numbers are targets, not a forecast, and are gross revenue before fees, tools and tax.
FAQ
Common Questions
Why $399 to $499?
It’s six pieces of work for one release, written by someone who reads Japanese rap closely, done in two days. Priced separately, translation, subtitling and pitch writing would likely cost more and take longer.
Couldn’t I do this with AI for free?
You could get a literal translation. Rap lyrics lean on slang, dialect, double meanings and rhythm, and a literal translation usually flattens them. We use tools where they help, then a person rewrites every line, and you approve it before anything goes out.
How long does it take?
48 hours per release, counted from when we have your lyrics, video, bio facts and the deposit.
Who owns the rights?
You keep 100% of the rights to your music. We only do the language and packaging work and take no share of your masters, publishing or royalties.
Do you guarantee streams or chart positions?
No. Nobody can, and you should be careful with anyone who says they can.
Start with an email.
お問い合わせはメールか Instagram の DM でどうぞ。