((I0 LIMITED -RELEASE STRATEGY much better and bigger. Un- Continued from page 53 ()11c of the wain problems a few fortunately, there is very little sup- :45-12 I Programming years ago was getting the licensing port for Japanese pop in Hong Up out help from cover versions -and deals from . A loophole in Kong from local suppliers unless building a niche following despite Taiwanese copyright laws meant the artist is big," says a spokesper- Q the language barriers. that counterfeiters could get away son for the retailer. "We have Record -label executives have with pirating Japanese albums if the exhausted all avenues to get greater credited much of the growing albums weren't released in support for more Japanese titles. attention to the availability and within the one -month window. even going as far as involving HMS popularity of Japanese drama series "But Japanese record labels are Japan in negotiating with suppliers and movies that star or feature reluctant to allow the release of al- directly in Japan. But there seems China Downloads, songs from Japanese pop idols such bums within the one -month win- to be little progress." as SMAP's Takuya Kimura ( "Long dow because records are much Toward that end, Warner Music Vacation ") and rockers Luna Sea cheaper in Taiwan and they feared and BMG Asia have set up new ( "Another Heaven "). parallel imports would affect sales," departments based in Tokyo, ded- Goes Latin, "Greater China has always been says Tan. icated to the promotion of -pop influenced by Japan, especially Working with lawyers and Avex in the Asia Pacific region. Taiwan. The reason that Japanese Trax's head office, Tan came up with "Obviously, we see the growth Surfs Web artists can break in the market is a the idea of having a limited release and the potential [of J -pop], and we direct influence from the Japanese of 500 copies to lay claim to the copy- have to address it," says Frances television dramas," says Garand Georgeson, VP of marketing at Wu, senior marketing manager, BMG Asia, which has seen News In Review promote both old and new artists international, at EMI Music Asia. encouraging success with R &B through TV drama soundtracks. One of "Starting from the days of Chage artist Misia and girl group Morn- MP3'S IN CHINA are all the rage nowadays. Korea's biggest record companies, &: Aska, Dreams Come True and ing Must' me recently. MP3s of domestic bands are increasingly Yedang Entertainment, recently signed Luna Sea, most of it can be tied to available on the Internet, giving fans a an exclusive contract with Munhwa these Japanese series. That has PROVING MARKET'S new freedom to engage in "self - Broadcasting Company (MBC), a major helped the popularity of the J -pop EXISTENCE programming," as 21- year-old "Web TV station, to release MBC's drama genre, and it is a trend that I see Like the other record compa- addict" Zhou Wei puts it. Sites like soundtracks. growing in the future," says Wu. nies, BMG still faces problems in 's Xiandai Bianzou and Modern In Utada's case, for instance, getting J -pop artists to take Asia as Variation are dedicated to offering a com- 11111111111INIMPIIMA1111111 trends are usual- album sales were obviously helped a serious market, says Georgeson. bination of local and foreign music. ly restricted by the mass appeal of Indian by her third single, "First ," "It's going to be a long process of Unsigned local bands, such as Godot, film soundtracks and local pop, MN India which was the main theme fbr education. We have to prove to Dead Poets' Society, Crystal Butterfly and is offering an aftemative in its new show popular television drama "Majo them that there is a market and Prague Spring release songs on an online "Olé MTV" Primarily a dance show with No Joken (To Be A Witch)." that we can actually sell those fig- MP3 compilation CD, "Underground heavy Latino leanings, "Olé MTV" only ures, People like Utada are paving Shanghai Music." Foreign bands such as reconfirms that Latin music is truly a glob- MARKETING STILL A FACTOR the way, and we are in contact with Birthday Party, 45 Grave and Gang Of al phenomenon. "The Latino trend is In Hong Kong and Taiwan, as our Japanese colleagues, and they Four are also exposed to fans through this sweeping the world and "Olé MTV" show- well as in countries such as are aware of it," she says. site. Modern Sky Records also uses cases this popular trend by presenting the Singapore, Japanese TV series have One of the markets that George - MP3s of its bands as a supplement to tra- passion and attitude of Latino music with become primetime fodder on local son is eyeing is Korea. With the lift- ditional radio programming, which in some rocking dance moves," says stations, a factor that has lifted the ing of any remaining restrictions on China is still dominated by syrupy Hong Natasha Malhotra, VP and executive pro- ,J -pop culture into the mainstream. Japanese pop culture-which in- Kong and Taiwanese pop music. ducer of MN India. It is a far cry from five years ago cludes everything from anime to Hardcore fan Ding Wei often spends Sponsored by Santiago when independent label Avex Trax movies to pop performances-and hours downloading MP3s from such Rum, "Olé MN" airs as decided to market J -pop on a main- Ayumi Hamasa given the fascination among Koreans Chinese Web sites and is always on the a vignette twice a day, stream scale. "There was always a with Japanese culture, the country lookout for new, previously unreleased at 7:00 pm and 11:00 market for J -pop, but it was more of represents huge potential for J -pop. songs. MP3 releases are most significant pm and is hosted by VJ an underground scene," says Avex right and then having a regional "Obviously, in the long -term, that as a means of getting around ossified Maria, herself an ac- Asia's general manager Holly Tan. release after the one month. Since is the market to be looking at, but publishing regulations that continue to complished dancer. The "It was difficult to get licensing then, Avex has seen artists such as we've also been seeing some action govern official releases of Chinese music, show's playlist features deals from the Japanese companies, , the now -disbanded in China as well," adds Georgeson. and, as Internet use mushrooms in the MN's Latino pick of which meant that products weren't Speed and, lately, For EMI's Wu, Utada's sales suc- PRC, MP3 popularity is likely to grow as the week and includes talent ranging out on the open market. So it really gain popularity in the region. cess in mainland China is a matter well. Xiandai Bianzou can be accessed at from Los Lobos to sounds from the isn't a phenomenon that has grown "What we've done in Taiwan, of great encouragement. "Even http://202.106.168. 78 /-- bunnyman Caribbean or Bryan Adams' flamenco - in the past year." we've done in Singapore and we'll though piracy has [inflicted] incred- while Modern Sky Records is on the Web inspired "Have You Ever Loved A While Tan agrees that some of the be doing in . Things are ible damage to all the labels, `First at www/modernsky. com. Woman," explains Malhotra. credit for the seeming J -pop "explo- changing," says Tan, who is predict- Love' still managed to sell 200,000 One of the main things lacking in Hong sion" should go toward the exposure ing that Hamasaki will be a major legitimate copies," he says. Kong is the availability of airplay for III INI(RNE1-IAIEI Philippine label N/A brought by television series, movies name in the genre. Wu only sees the demand for J- international repertoire on local radio Records has struck a deal earlier this and commercials, he says marketing pop rising in the future, and a new stations. Most stations provide for only year with online music retailer efforts should not be ignored. Avex's LUCKY VIDEOS name he hopes EMI will be able to one or two programs dedicated to inter- Soundbuzz.com, headquartered in l'RF- headed by J -pop meister Some of the changes that record launch region -wide is that of anoth- national repertoire. HMV decided to set Singapore, to have its music available Tetsuyo Komuro -was one of the labels are looking forward to are er singer -songwriter: Shena Ringo. things right for themselves in 1998 by for download. According to Sonia Lazo, first J -pop bandÑ to break in Taiwan more active participation from "In Asia, the idol system is still setting up its own "radio station" and Soundbuzz.com's country and Hong Kong without the help of Japanese artists in promotional strong, but with J -pop there is more hiring freelance DJs to spin everything manager, tracks available from N/A as an cover versions- largely due to activities in the region. Record com- focus on talent. The acceptance ofJ- from local to international repertoire and MP3 download include "U &I" from the sound strategic marketing, says Tan. panies have found it difficult to lure pop in recent times shows that the then having the broadcast piped into all album "Rippingyarns" by folk/rock "The Southeast Asian J -pop Japanese artists to Asia for promo- Asian market is getting more its stores in Hong Kong. So far, it has Filipino artist Cynthia Alexander. N/A is scene has been on an upswing in tion or for concerts because Asia is mature, especially in Singapore, proven to be a successful experiment for also posting two other songs, which the past year, and I think it is main- still a relatively small market, com- Malaysia and Indonesia -and we the retail chain. "We've seen that it defi- may be unreleased or live tracks. In ly through our own efforts. Our pared to their domestic one. also have to remember that Greater nitely helps sales," says an HMV addition, Alexander has a homepage, a people have been finding all kinds With his Avex artists, Tan says he China shares some of the same cul- spokesperson. feature given all artists -including of avenues to promote the music," is lucky to have good -quality music ture with Japan," says Wu. unsigned ones -that hook up with làn adds. "But TV series still videos from Japan that help his team At MTV North Asia, executive EMIR between different entertain- Soundbuzz.com. Lazo adds that promo- remain a very important way of promote the artists even if they do VP and managing director Harry ment mediums in a country as small as tional work on behalf of any artist signing breaking artists in the region. One not make the trip to Asia themselves. Hui also sees increasing demand South Korea can be powerful indeed. with Soundbuzz.com is also a possibility of our groups, , broke "The music videos are the best tool from his viewers for J -pop fare. Take, for example, the television dramas and says that Soundbuzz.com helped into the market with their single for us, especially when we do televi- From about 10% of the rotation, that air on all of Korea's very few public sponsor the "Rippingyarns" album 'Yesterday and Today,' which was sion promotions. They are catchy Hui reports that J -pop is now form- television stations, that serve as excel- launch held last June in Makati City near the theme from `Love 2000. "' and visually very strong," he says. ing about 15% of the repertoire. lent vehicles for the promotion of any Manila. In addition, Lazo says, Like his other counterparts, But, for HMV in Hong Kong, "It's starting to happen in Taiwan song. With the shortage of TV programs Soundbuzz.com has also sponsored a things weren't all that easy for Tan music videos are not the answer. and China. Last year, MTV had a equating to several million eyeballs per concert featuring five artists signed to and his team in the early days. One of the main complaints has concert attended by 50,000 people any given show, the competition to have the Web site. Soundbuzz.com, which Besides the language barrier, Asia been the lack of "support" from the where [Japanese band] Shazna a song aired on a TV drama is fierce, to has branches in various Asian countries, still remained a low priority for labels, despite the fact that J -pop played. This year, we are hoping to say the least. One such recent example is currently in a trial period, and Lazo apanese recording labels because titles have been hitting the best- invite more Japanese artists to come of this cross -market promotion is "Huh - says that, by the end of September, cus- sales in the market were nowhere seller charts regularly. and play. People like Utada are cer- joon", a highly popular drama that result- tomers will be able to purchase secure even near the millions that their "Currently, the market for J -pop tainly leading the way," Hui ed in skyrocket sales for an opera album digital downloads by credit card. Lazo artists sold in their homeland. is stable but potentially could be explains. after the title song was featured on one stresses that the downloads will be of the drama episodes. As a result, controlled by various digital- rights- C r e d i t s Steve International Deputy Editor Thom Duffy in Korean record companies are racing to management systems. N /As Web site is Billboard's Asia Pacific Quarterly was reported by: Asian Bureau (:biet McClure in 'lükyo; New lurk; Winnie Chung in I long Kong; Maya Kovskaya in Beijing, Elisa Kim in South Korea; David Gonzales in the Philippines; Philip Cheah insert their music in various dramas to at www.elnido.net/narecords. in Singatporc: Nyay Bhushan in India, Gavin Phipps in "Iàiwan, :uid Penchan Phoborisut in Thailand.

58 BILLBOARD AUGUST 19, 2000 www.americanradiohistory.com