The Orchard is a music distribution and artist services company operating in 50 locations worldwide and member of Sony Music Entertainment.. The Orchard was founded in 1997, and opened its Japan office in August 2019. Currently, the company serves as a point of contact for digital distribution of music for artists and labels mainly in the independent market. It also supports artists' DIY activities by providing a wide range of services such as transparent data analysis, marketing, advertising, rights management, and both digital and physical distribution.
YOASOBI, whose song “Idol” (“アイドル”) became a worldwide hit in 2023, also has their music distribution managed by The Orchard Japan. As artists with an increasingly global focus, The Orchard Japan plays a crucial role in their success. We spoke with Masako Masuda (Vice President of The Orchard Japan) to learn more about what kind of distribution company The Orchard Japan is, and the philosophy under which the company handles music.
ーFirst, please provide an overview of The Orchard Japan.
Masuda We are the Japan office of The Orchard, a distribution company headquartered in New York. Our company originally focused on the digital distribution of physical music (online stores), including CDs. Now, we primarily assist labels and artists to distribute their music digitally. We also provide support by using technology to analyze how the music we distribute is being listened to. In 2015, Sony Music Entertainment in the United States acquired The Orchard. Discussions arose about building a presence in Japan, leading to the establishment of the Japanese branch four years ago. I was involved in corporate planning at Sony Music Entertainment at the time, so I came on board to provide support. It's a fascinating business with tremendous potential, so I fully transferred to The Orchard Japan last spring.
The Orchard's clients are artists in the indie market. Unlike major labels, which usually own master rights, The Orchard doesn't own master or publishing rights. The artists own the rights . Our job is to support the wishes of the artists and labels.-
ーWhat are the strengths of The Orchard Japan compared to other distribution services such as TuneCore?
Masuda I believe the strength of The Orchard Japan is its global team structure. The Orchard has approximately 50 offices in over 45 countries around the world, each staffed with dedicated personnel. For example, when YOASOBI first performed in Jakarta, Indonesia, I contacted the staff in Jakarta and told them that I wanted to do some promotion during YOASOBI's stay. In response, the Jakarta office arranged for a PR company based in Singapore. Then there were discussions among the Singapore, Jakarta, and Japan offices on what should be done while YOASOBI was in Jakarta. We’re able to do things like that relatively smoothly.
