Revered music business veteran Kaz Kobayashi will step down as President and CEO of Warner Music Japan later this yr.
The manager has led the corporate in Japan, the world’s second-largest music market after the US, for the previous ten years.
Based on an official announcement on Wednesday (September 18), Kobayashi is working on a transition plan with Dr. Kenji Kitatani, the lately appointed Chairman of Warner Music Japan. The assertion added that Kobayashi’s successor might be introduced: “in the end.”
Kaz Kobayashi has been President of Warner Music Japan since 2014, enjoying an instrumental function within the careers of artists akin to Aimyon, THE YELLOW MONKEY, Kobukuro, TWICE, MISAMO and ONE OK ROCK.
Warner famous that the exec is credited with taking steps to evolve the corporate into “considered one of Japan’s main digital-first labels”, in a market the place bodily gross sales proceed to dominate.
In 2021, Kobayashi advised MBW that the corporate had “restructured” its enterprise “with the expectation that subscription streaming will sharply speed up over the subsequent few years”.
Revenues generated by subscription streaming in Japan reached 85 billion yen (USD $526m) in 2023, up 12% YoY in line with RIAJ information.
Kobayashi, a former artist himself, started his profession in music at EPICSony (now EPIC Information Japan) as an A&R.
After serving as a director and producer for varied artists, he was appointed President of the corporate in 2002. In 2008, he turned a Company Govt at Sony Music Leisure, whereas concurrently serving as President of EPIC Information Japan, DefSTAR Information, and Ariola Japan.
He oversaw Sony Music’s music TV property, reside venues, ticketing and journal publishing companies.
Kobayashi’s departure from Warner Music Japan follows the information, first reported by MBW in July, that Kazuhiro Shimada had departed his function as the corporate’s Chief Working Officer.
Shimada joined Warner Music Japan in November 2022 from Amazon Music Japan, the place he served as Director & Common Supervisor.
“I wish to thank Simon Robson and your entire staff at Warner Music Japan, previous and current, who’ve been with me on what has been an unimaginable journey.”
Kaz Kobayashi
Kaz Kobayashi stated: “I wish to thank Simon Robson and your entire staff at Warner Music Japan, previous and current, who’ve been with me on what has been an unimaginable journey.
“I’m actually grateful and really feel honored to have been concerned within the lives of many nice artists, together with Tatsuro Yamashita and Mariya Takeuchi. However all good issues come to an finish and I’ve determined it’s the appropriate second for me to maneuver on.”
“I wish to thank Kaz Kobayashi for his unimaginable contribution to the corporate during the last decade.”
Simon Robson
Simon Robson added: “I wish to thank Kaz Kobayashi for his unimaginable contribution to the corporate during the last decade.
“Not solely did he ship excellent outcomes for artists as a enterprise government, however he additionally earned nice respect for constructing deep belief and fostering friendships with them. He has led the corporate’s evolution in Japan, a extremely essential and distinctive music market.”Music Enterprise Worldwide
