Openplay signs first partnership with Japanese record label Toy’s Factory

OpenPlay, the music industry’s leading media and rights management platform and business engine powering thousands of publisher and label catalogs, has announced its first partnership in Japan with iconic label TOY’S FACTORY. The agreement will see OpenPlay provide comprehensive content management services, offering a centralized platform for TOY’S FACTORY to efficiently manage and utilize its diverse array of digital assets, including audio, video, artwork and metadata. This milestone marks OpenPlay’s entry into the world’s second largest music market and follows its successful completion of a multi-million-dollar strategic investment round, led by industry veteran Tracy Maddux, to accelerate its global expansion strategy.

 

Founded in 1990, TOY’S FACTORY is one of Japan’s largest and most successful record labels, representing artists ranging from long-established icons to bold new voices reshaping Japanese pop culture.

 

Through the partnership, TOY’S FACTORY will have access to OpenPlay’s platform as a central hub to manage its data and digital assets while maintaining complete control of its rights. As the label looks to drive the global success of its artists, OpenPlay will provide the technology infrastructure to streamline its content management, unlocking opportunities worldwide.

 

Japan’s music market remains unique, with CDs continuing to drive the majority of sales, reaching 139 billion yen (USD $860 million) in 2023, up 7% year on year. There has, however, been a paradigm shift in recent years, particularly since the COVID pandemic, with Japanese consumers and rightsholders increasingly embracing the streaming economy and subscription streaming revenues reaching 85 billion yen (USD $526 milion) in 2023. Japanese music is accelerating its global expansion through digital platforms, and OpenPlay will play a pivotal role as the music business engine driving efficiency and growth.