Is Japan’s huge Music Market behind?

Music streaming service in Japan

“Google has launched a music streaming service in Japan, becoming the latest tech giant to push into the world’s No. 2 music market, despite mixed results among earlier arrivals.

The U.S. company said that its Japanese edition of Google Play Music features more than 35 million tunes available at a cost of ¥980 ($8) a month.

The launch came after similar services debuted in Japan this year by Apple, popular messaging app Line, and a joint venture by IT firm CyberAgent and Japanese music giant Avex Group.

Japan is the world’s second-largest music market, estimated to be worth $2.6 billion in 2014, after the $4.8 billion U.S. market, according to the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

But packaged media such as CDs account for about 80 percent of Japanese music sales, contrasting sharply with the U.S. market where digital downloads are soaring.”

(Global) Key players in Music Streaming seem to be late in entering the huge Japanese Music Market. Packaged Media (CDs) are still predominant and far more popular than digital downloads in the “country of the walkman”, where the latest electronics gadgets and mobile phones have always been welcomed!  Is Japan’s huge Music Market behind? And for how long? What do you think?

Read more from:

Is Japan’s huge Music Market behind?