NexTone

What NexTone does

NexTone Inc. (株式会社NexTone) is a Tokyo-headquartered, Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth-listed (ticker 7092) music copyright management business formed in February 2016 through the merger of E-License and Japan Rights Clearance. The company operates as a registered copyright management business under Japan's Copyright Management Business Act, holding registration numbers 01005 and 01011 with the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and is one of only two principal collective management organizations in Japan alongside JASRAC. NexTone accepts mandates from rights holders (music publishers, songwriters, composers, artists) and grants usage licenses to music users (game publishers, broadcasters, film producers, advertisers, event organizers, streaming platforms), collecting and distributing royalties across all major usage categories including recording, interactive delivery, broadcasting, cable, publication, lending, karaoke, and performance.

The company's technical foundation consists of three proprietary platforms: PlayN, an online clearance portal handling the full rights holder and music user workflow from contract application through royalty distribution; Contents Passport, a DDEX-compliant next-generation master recording management system launched April 2021 with real-time metadata correction and lyrics integration; and a YouTube Content ID operation active since 2014, managed by Google-certified staff, which monetizes managed sound recordings on YouTube globally. Supporting systems include the NexTone Works Database for public rights verification and the Virco DX cloud service launched October 2025 to digitize publisher-side copyright operations. The company is also registered with CISAC and has collection agreements with SACEM, SDRM, and IMPEL for overseas royalty collection.

NexTone earns revenue primarily through percentage-based management fees deducted from royalties distributed to rights holders (e.g., 8.5% for broadcasting, 9.5% for interactive delivery as of June 2020), quarterly usage-based fees from music users, and distribution fees from aggregating and delivering content to global streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Additional revenue comes from business support services (casting, system development via NexTone Systems, BLONIA reusable celebratory flowers) and, following the September 2023 acquisition of a 51.7% stake in RecoChoku for ¥1.5 billion, consolidated digital music distribution revenue. The company maintains 100% owned subsidiaries in the United States (Cool Japan Music Inc., est. 2009) and Taiwan (One Asia Music Inc., est. 2013) to support cross-border rights activities, and operates the annual NexTone Award program (since 2017) to reinforce industry relationships.

Name

NexTone

Legal name

株式会社NexTone（ネクストーン）

Website

https://nex-tone.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NexTone operates a regulated music copyright management business in Japan, collecting and distributing royalties for music publishers, songwriters, and artists across all usage categories, while also distributing content globally via Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube and running a YouTube Content ID monetization operation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Rights Management

NAICS

Music Publishers (51223), Record Production and Distribution (51225)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management) (MPAIABAL), Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) & Public Performance Licensing (MPAIAKAA), Neighboring Rights (Master Performance Rights) Administration (MPAIAAAH), Sync Royalty Administration & Reporting (Cue Sheets, Claims, Audits) (MPAIALAL)

Keywords

• Music copyright management
• Royalty distribution services
• Digital music distribution
• Music publishing administration
• Music rights licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Copyright Management Fees (管理手数料): NexTone collects royalties from music users on behalf of rights holders (songwriters, composers, music publishers) and distributes them after deducting a management fee. The management fee rate varies by usage type (e.g., broadcasting 8.5%, interactive delivery 9.5% as of 2020). Distribution is made quarterly on fixed dates (March 15, June 15, September 15, December 15).
2. Digital Content Distribution: Aggregation and distribution of music content to global streaming and download platforms (e.g., Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube). NexTone earns distribution fees from music publishers and artists for this service.
3. Business Support Services: Casting services coordinating entertainment content promotion, system development for entertainment-specific systems, and BLONIA reusable celebratory flowers service. Revenue from service fees.
4. Music Publisher Services: Practical agency services for music publishers including rights management support, administrative operations, and copyright management outsourcing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NexTone is a music copyright management society that accepts mandates from rights holders (songwriters, composers, music publishers) to grant licenses for music usage, collect usage fees, and distribute royalties across multiple categories including recording, interactive streaming, broadcasting, cable, publication, lending, and karaoke. Beyond copyright management, it aggregates and distributes music to global streaming platforms, and offers business support services including casting coordination, entertainment system development, and the BLONIA reusable celebratory flower service.

Product overview

NexTone operates as a comprehensive music copyright management company offering three core service pillars: (1) Copyright Management Services (著作権管理サービス) — its primary business acting as a registered copyright management society under Japan's Copyright Management Business Act, handling licensing and royalty distribution for music works; (2) Digital Distribution Services (デジタルディストリビューションサービス) — aggregating and distributing music to global streaming and download platforms; and (3) Business Support Services (ビジネスサポートサービス) — including casting coordination, system development, and BLONIA reusable celebratory flowers. The product portfolio includes proprietary technology platforms: PlayN (クリアランスシステム) as the online clearance portal for license applications and royalty management; the NexTone Works Database (作品データベース) for searchable copyright verification; Content ID for YouTube monetization; Contents Passport for next-generation sound recording management (DDEX-compliant); and Virco as a new DX cloud platform for music publishers (launched October 2025). NexTone also operates the annual NexTone Award program recognizing outstanding rights holders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Copyright Management Service (著作権管理サービス) Primary copyright management service operated under Japan's Copyright Management Business Act. Accepts mandates from copyright holders to grant licenses for music works and collect/distribute royalties across recording rights, interactive delivery, broadcasting, wired broadcasting, publishing rights, lending rights, karaoke, and performance rights. Available for both domestic and foreign territories.
• Digital Distribution Service (デジタルディストリビューションサービス) Music distribution service supplying audio content to domestic and international music streaming and download platforms. Functions as an aggregation service delivering music to multiple platforms, including marketing system features such as Link page generation and Pre-campaign (Pre-Add/Pre-Save) functionality developed in partnership with Spincoaster.
• Business Support Service (ビジネスサポートサービス) Content utilization promotion and creator support services bridging entertainment and corporate clients. Includes casting coordination, system development for entertainment-specific applications, and the BLONIA reusable celebratory flower service.
• PlayN Clearance System (クリアランスシステム) Proprietary online clearance and copyright management portal used by both rights holders for contract management and music registration, and content users for license applications, usage reporting, and royalty payments. Enables workflows for copyright clearance, licensing, usage reporting, and payment processing across all music usage categories.
• YouTube Content ID Service (コンテンツID) YouTube Content ID service enabling copyright monetization of sound recordings on YouTube. Registered sound recordings are automatically detected in user-uploaded videos; NexTone files copyright claims and manages revenue distribution from YouTube ads to rights holders. Operational with a dedicated in-house team and Google-certified staff.
• Contents Passport Next-generation sound recording management system featuring DDEX-compliant metadata architecture, optimized marketing data structure, seamless delivery to music distribution platforms, immediate metadata corrections and takedowns, and lyrics data display coordination.
• Virco Cloud-based digital transformation platform for music publishers to digitize copyright management operations. Provides cloud technology tools enabling music publishers to manage copyright operations more efficiently.
• Casting Service (キャスティングサービス) Casting and coordination service bridging entertainment and corporate clients to promote music content utilization. Coordinates music content for events, tie-ups, and promotional activities on behalf of rights holders.
• System Development Service (システム開発サービス) Entertainment-specialized system development services provided by NexTone Systems (NexToneグループ). Develops and operates copyright and sound recording rights processing systems, content distribution related systems, and various internal enterprise systems.
• BLONIA Reusable Celebratory Flower Service (リユース型祝い花サービス) Reusable celebratory flower service providing alternative flower arrangements for events and concerts. Reduces waste by offering reusable decorative flower displays instead of fresh cut flowers at music and entertainment events.
• NexTone Works Database (作品データベース) Online searchable database allowing users to verify whether specific music works are managed by NexTone and under which rights categories. Displays work names, rights holder names, and managed right types (audio, video, games, broadcast, etc.) to facilitate copyright clearance before music usage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Royalty distributions made quarterly (March 15, June 15, September 15, December 15)

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 株式会社エッグス (EgGS) and 株式会社エムシージェイピー (MCJP)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023NexTone group companies EgGS and MCJP launched a 'Copyright Management Application Service' through business partnership, providing streamlined copyright management application services.
• RecoChoku Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023NexTone acquired a 51.7% stake in RecoChoku, a mobile music distribution pioneer and digital content service provider, making it a consolidated subsidiary. The capital and business alliance enables integrated copyright management and digital distribution services.
• SpotifyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 March 2021NexTone provides a curated gaming music playlist 'Gaming Music World' on Spotify as part of its digital distribution and marketing services. Also ran US-targeted audio advertising campaigns on Spotify in March 2021 to promote managed game music content.
• Google LLC (YouTube)coreTechnology or Integration · 8 January 2020NexTone entered a licensing agreement with Google for the North American region, enabling NexTone to manage YouTube usage of its copyrighted works in North America. This followed an earlier worldwide data exchange agreement with Google in 2017 and YouTube's prior comprehensive licensing agreement in 2008 by NexTone's predecessor company.
• SACEM, SDRM, IMPELcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020NexTone signed collection agency agreements with European copyright management organizations SACEM (France), SDRM, and IMPEL for the collection of copyright royalties for NexTone-managed works used overseas. Also entered ClientRME contract with CISAC (Confédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Auteurs et Compositeurs).
• CISAC (Copyright Alliance International Confederation)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020NexTone entered a ClientRME contract with CISAC, enabling international royalty collection and cross-border rights management through the global network of CISAC member societies.
• Cool Japan Music Inc. (USA)minorOthers · 1 January 2013100% subsidiary established in New York, USA in November 2009 to support international music publishing operations.
• One Asia Music Inc. (Taiwan)minorOthers · 1 January 2013Music publishing company established in Taipei, Taiwan in 2013 as a 100% subsidiary to support music publishing operations in the Asian market.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PRS for Music: UK-based PRO providing music rights administration and royalty collection; comparable operating model, scale, and CISAC-membership structure to NexTone.
• ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers): US PRO with the same core business of performing rights licensing and royalty distribution; useful reference for scale of rights-administration business model.
• JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers): JASRAC is Japan's historical monopoly (60+ years) and now-dominant music copyright management society — NexTone's direct competitor for the same rights holder mandates and music usage licensing in Japan.
• GEMA (Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte): Germany's leading PRO; equivalent business of administering musical works, collecting royalties, and distributing to rights holders across multiple usage categories.
• SACEM (Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Éditeurs de Musique): France-based collecting society and NexTone's reciprocal partner; offers the same model of rights administration, royalty collection, and international distribution via CISAC.
• BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.): US PRO directly comparable to NexTone in administering public performance, broadcast, and digital rights for songwriters and publishers.
• KOMCA (Korea Music Copyright Association): Korea's national music copyright management society — regional peer operating under analogous rules, serving songwriters, publishers, and music users in Korea's similar K-pop-driven market.
• COMPASS (Composers and Authors Society of Singapore): Singapore's music rights administration society with a comparable mandate (songwriter/publisher administration, royalty distribution) in the Southeast Asian market adjacent to NexTone's Asia footprint.

Emerging players

• Songtrust: Global publishing administrator offering royalty collection and rights administration for independent songwriters and publishers — competing for the same publishing admin use case internationally.
• SoundExchange: US-based nonprofit designated for neighboring rights collection (digital performance of sound recordings) — closely aligned with NexTone's Content ID and master-rights administration capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NexTone_info
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=wen_cMiN7R4
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nex-tone.co.jp%2Fnews%2F2026%2F02%2F02%2F1173%2F

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors11 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NexTone