Differences and similarities in marketing music between the Japanese and the German music market (eBook)

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2009 in the subject Musicology - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,8, University of Applied Sciences Bremen, language: English, abstract: Five years before starting my studies at the University of Applied Sciences Bremen, I absolved an apprenticeship at Warner Music Germany, one of the leading major music labels. During these 2 ½ years, I gained a thorough insight of the various departments a record label has to offer such as TV, radio and press promotion, A&R as well as licensing and retail. I continued working for Warner Music after graduation and put my gained knowledge to good use.

My interest for music and the music industry in general didn’t end when I chose to study Applied Business Languages (emphasis Japanese) and International Management in Bremen, and during my yearlong stay in Japan, I couldn’t help but notice the abundance of pop music “made in Japan” and some peculiar differences on how music seemed to be promoted.

Why shouldn’t there be differences anyway? Japan is unlike the rest of the world in so many ways, why shouldn’t this be the case for the music business? This train of thought led to the subject of this bachelor thesis.

In order to compare the promotion tools of both markets, it is important to gain an overview of both music industries first: chapter three defines the current status as well as some of the characteristics of the Japanese and German music market.

Chapter four takes a closer look at the marketing mix and presents the most important promotion methods used in Japan while comparing these to the German market such as testimonials and the tie-in system. It also gives examples of new ways of advertising both in Japan and Germany.

The next chapter deals with the empiric research conducted for this thesis in order to support and/or disprove the claims and observations made in the previous chapters. Possible reasons for the differences between theory and practice are presented as well.

Last but not least, chapter six sums up all important information about the differences and similarities in a nutshell.