What Fanplus does

Fanplus, Inc. (株式会社Fanplus) is a Tokyo-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime-listed M-up Holdings that operates a full-stack fan club and fan commerce platform for Japanese entertainment artists, including J-Pop, J-Rock, K-Pop (Japan operations), idol, 2.5D, comedian, and actor verticals. The company was founded in 2007 as Excite Music Entertainment, became wholly owned by M-up in 2018, integrated M-up's fan site business in 2020 under the current Fanplus name, and now serves 700+ official fan clubs with a 4M+ member base unified under a single Plus member ID. Its technology stack is a 100% in-house PHP/Symfony2/CakePHP/FuelPHP build on LAMP/AWS, exposed through a portfolio of products: Fan+Kit (zero-setup-fee self-serve fan club platform used by ~300 artists), FanStream (sub-2-second low-latency live streaming app with gifting, avatars, and 9-person multi-cast), StreamPass (PPV/VOD sales platform with higher artist revenue share than major video platforms), PlusPay (proprietary electronic money integrated with venue POS), FANPLANET (Apple Music/Spotify-synced metaverse app), Fanpla Market (Polygon-based Web3 marketplace), Fanpla Wallet (Fireblocks-secured), COMMUNE (bidirectional member-artist messaging with translation), Fan+Action (co-creation crowdfunding), and JAM'S Letter (digital fan letter). It also operates the cross-border 'bubble for JAPAN' messaging service in partnership with Dear U plus.

The business model is multi-stream and platform-plus-modules: recurring fan club subscriptions (~¥550-770/month, ¥6,600-9,800/year), transaction fees on artist EC/merchandise and venue POS via PlusPay, PPV/VOD/streaming sales (¥3,300-7,900 per event), bubble messaging subscriptions (~¥540-640/month), marketplace commissions on Fanpla Market, crowdfunding/platform fees on Fan+Action, and B2B managed services for white-label fan club systems and privacy-mark-compliant data analytics shared across the M-up group. Distribution is direct B2B to major Japanese labels and agencies (Sony, Avex, Universal, CyberAgent/AsobiSystem, Yoshimoto Kogyo, Y&N Brothers), self-serve via Fan+Kit for SMBs and individual artists, and consumer-direct through iOS/Android app stores, with group-company cross-distribution through Tixplus/チケプラ (ticketing and resale) and Dear U plus (cross-border messaging into Korea). Go-to-market is product-led growth on the Fan+Kit side, supplemented by direct enterprise sales, press release feed (64+ pages of sustained release cadence), and event-driven campaigns such as the annual Fan+ Live Audition tied to the Nakatsugawa WILD WOOD festival.

Name

Fanplus

Legal name

株式会社Fanplus (Fanplus, Inc.)

Website

https://fanplus.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fanplus is a Tokyo-based subsidiary of M-up Holdings that operates a full-stack fan club, e-commerce, live streaming, messaging, and Web3 platform serving 700+ official fan clubs and 4M+ members across Japanese entertainment artists, labels, and K-Pop Japan operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fan Club & Artist Engagement Platform

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (71132), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

akta.pro primary industry

Subscription Fan Membership Platforms (Paid Communities) (MPACAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fan Communities & Subscription Content Platforms (Membership/Patronage) (BPAMAJAO), Fan Membership, Subscriptions & Patronage Platforms (MPACABAF), Paid Live Events & Virtual Tickets (Webinars/Streams) (MPACAFAC), Direct Fan Messaging & Paid DMs (1:1/1:Many) (MPACAFAH), Creator & Fan Communities (BPAMABAD)

Keywords

• Fan club platform
• Live streaming service
• Artist ecommerce
• Fan engagement software
• Digital membership system

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fan club subscriptions (monthly/annual): Recurring monthly (~550-770 yen) and annual (~6,600-9,800 yen) membership fees paid by fans for paid fan clubs and fan sites; multi-tier plans (e.g., premium, W-membership) upsell higher commitment.
2. Artist EC / merchandise sales: Transaction-based revenue from artist official online stores integrated with fan clubs, including pre-sale ticketing, venue pickup, incentive and lottery sales, and Oricon/Billboard ranking integration.
3. Live streaming PPV / VOD / StreamPass sales: Per-event PPV tickets and VOD sales via StreamPass platform and FanStream app; higher revenue-share rate to artists/operators than major video platforms; includes tipping and gifting.
4. Fan+Action co-creation/crowdfunding fees: Platform and payment fees on cloud-crowdfunding/co-creation projects for artists (e.g., international one-man live production).
5. PlusPay electronic money / venue POS services: Revenue from proprietary PlusPay electronic money transactions and original POS system deployment at live venue merchandise booths.
6. Bubble subscription revenue (with Dear U plus): Monthly subscription revenue from 'bubble for JAPAN' messaging service (~550-660 yen web/app) shared with Dear U plus, with FC member discount integration.
7. Fanpla Market / FPL token marketplace fees: Marketplace commissions and fees on digital asset and merchandise sales on Fanpla Market, settled using the FPL token issued on Polygon.
8. Outsourced fan club system development / managed services: White-label/managed fan club system provision, official site operation, and bespoke fan club/FC app development (PHP/Symfony2 on AWS) for artists as 100% in-house development.
9. Privacy-certified data services / marketing data use: Joint-use of anonymized fan behavior and purchase data with contracted artist agencies and group companies for marketing analysis and event/ticket operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fanplus operates an integrated fan club, e-commerce, and live streaming platform for Japanese music artists, labels, and event organizers. Its offerings include paid fan club/fan site management, official online stores with venue POS integration, sub-2-second live streaming via FanStream/StreamPass, the Fan+Kit self-serve fan club builder, the FANPLANET metaverse app, the Fanpla Market Web3 marketplace, PlusPay electronic money, and the bubble for JAPAN messaging service, all unified under a single Plus member ID.

Product overview

Fanplus operates a multi-product platform-plus-modules architecture spanning four primary business pillars: (1) the Fansite & Fanclub Business, providing end-to-end fan club operation (free official sites, apps, paid monthly/yearly FCs) with multi-language, billing, membership management, and privacy-mark compliant infrastructure; (2) the MD & EC Business, offering artist online stores integrated with FC membership and QR-code authenticated in-venue merchandise sales with the proprietary PlusPay electronic money; (3) the Live Streaming Business, powered by the FanStream viewing app and StreamPass sales platform supporting PPV/TVOD/fan-club-only/free/VOD formats with sub-2-second low-latency 1080p/60fps streaming, avatars, gifting, and comments; and (4) the Fan+ Business (Fan+ for Artist), which includes Fan+Kit (no-setup-cost FC builder used by ~300 artists), Fan+Action co-creation crowdfunding, and a Web3.0 project comprising the FANPLANET metaverse app and the Fanpla Market cryptocurrency marketplace using FPL token on Polygon. These are unified by the Plus member ID identity platform and complemented by the bubble for JAPAN bidirectional fan messaging service (via partnership with Dear U plus), integrating with Tixplus/チケプラ ticketing and チケプラTrade resale, Google Analytics, Apple Music/Spotify (for FANPLANET listening parties), Fireblocks/Polygon (for the Fanpla Wallet), and Coincheck (for the FPL IEO).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fan+Kit: Fanclub/Official Site platform enabling artists to launch and operate fan clubs with no upfront setup cost.
• FanStream
• Fan+Action
• FANPLANET
• Fanpla Market
• Plus member ID
• PlusPay
• Fan+Headline

Products and services

• Fansite & Fanclub Business End-to-end fan site and fan club operation platform for music artists, offering free official sites, free apps, paid fan sites, and paid fan club sites with multi-language support, membership management, in-venue enrollment, shipping management, and privacy-mark compliant infrastructure.
• MD & EC Business Artist official online store and merchandise sales platform integrated with the fan club system, supporting ticketing-priority sales, in-venue pickup, QR-code authentication at in-venue merchandise sales, point-system linkage with FC member actions, and PlusPay register integration.
• Live Streaming Business (FanStream / StreamPass) Live streaming service powered by FanStream viewing app and StreamPass sales platform, offering high-definition streaming, multi-camera and up to 9-person multi-streaming, avatar customization, gifting, comments with highlights, and PPV/TVOD/serial-code/fan-club-only/free/VOD sales formats.
• Fan+Kit Self-service fan club/official site platform enabling artists of any scale to launch and operate fan clubs with no upfront setup cost, including built-in member management and operations functionality.
• Fan+ for Artist (Fan+ Business) Next-generation fan club platform bundling Fan+Kit (self-serve builder), Fan+Action (co-creation crowdfunding), and Web3.0 project components to enable artists to launch fan clubs with member management and integrated functionality.
• FanStream (Viewing App) Dedicated live streaming viewing app featuring interactive commentary, gifting/avatar actions, item posting, customizable avatars, picture-in-picture, push notifications, English support, and higher revenue-share returns to artists/promoters.
• StreamPass Streaming viewing-PASS sales platform offering pay-per-view live streaming, on-demand content sales, fan-club-authenticated discounts, commemorative content services, and higher revenue share to artists than standard streaming platforms.
• FANPLANET (Metaverse App) Fan-club-linked metaverse app featuring artist-specific virtual worlds, avatar-based fan interaction, live event areas with emotes, listening parties synchronized with Apple Music/Spotify, and digital item collection tied to Fanpla Market.
• Fanpla Market Cryptocurrency-based marketplace for digital assets and limited fan items using FPL token on Polygon blockchain, offering FC-member-only free-mint items, ticket purchases, avatar items, real goods, and premium experiences tied to artist activities.
• Fan+Action (Co-creation Crowdfunding) Co-creation crowdfunding service connecting artists and fans to realize projects such as overseas lives, exclusive merch, and limited experiences with supporter-only sites, video streaming, and end-roll credits.
• bubble for JAPAN Fan communication app (operated via partnership with Dear U plus) enabling bidirectional artist-to-fan messaging with real-time translation across 14+ languages, birthday greetings, fan-reply, voting, and bubble LIVE streaming, with member-discount ID linkage to Plus member ID.
• PlusPay (Electronic Money) Proprietary electronic money service integrated with the artist app and POS system at live venues, enabling QR-code payment and electronic ticket entry on a single smartphone.
• Fan+ Live Audition Annual live performance audition program offering the grand prize winner an opening act slot at Nakatsugawa WILD WOOD; 2026 edition introduces a general-user voting component and an in-person live final review.

Quantifiable outcome

• 700+ official fan clubs and 4M+ paid members operating on the Plus member ID ecosystem
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• M-up Holdings (株式会社エムアップホールディングス)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerM-up Holdings is Fanplus's 100% parent company (Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime-listed). It provides capital backing, cross-group services (Tixplus/TicketPlus, Dear U plus, Fanpla), and shared executive oversight (e.g., M-up CEO 美藤宏一郎 also serves as a Director of Fanplus).
• Tixplus / Ticket Plus (株式会社チケットプラス / 株式会社Tixplus)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup company providing Tikepla electronic tickets and Tikepla Trade official resale, integrated with Fanplus FC priority reception for tours and FC events (e.g., luv, Yoshizawa Kayoko, =ME, Reol).
• Dear U plus (株式会社Dear U plus)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates Japan business of Korean fan-messaging app 'bubble'. Jointly developed 'bubble for JAPAN' with FC member discounts, multi-payment support, and bubble relay integration with Korea's Dear U bubble for seamless cross-border content.
• Fanpla (株式会社Fanpla)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlockchain services partner that develops Fanpla Market (Polygon-based) and issues the FPL token; integrates with Fanplus's Plus member ID via Fanpla Wallet (with Fireblocks) for digital asset and ticket purchases.
• Coincheck (コインチェック株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCryptocurrency exchange operator (Monex Group / NASDAQ-listed parent) hosting the FPL token IEO from 2025-10-21 to 2025-11-04 with planned exchange listing on 2025-11-11.
• FireblockscoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital asset infrastructure provider whose technology underpins the Fanpla Wallet (private key management and gas-fee abstraction), enabling Web3 onboarding for Fanplus's 4M+ member base without technical friction.
• NTQ Solution Joint Stock CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVietnamese IT service provider entering a capital and business alliance (資本業務提携) with M-up Holdings (Fanplus parent) on 2026-04-02 to strengthen offshore development capacity amid Japan's engineer shortage and rising labor costs.
• M-up Group companiescoreOthersJoint use of fan-site / fan-club member personal data (name, address, phone, DOB, sex, member ID, email, purchase history, authentication history) with other M-up Holdings group companies for member operations and marketing analysis.
• TSUBURAYA / Tsuburaya Productions / Tsuburaya Imagawa Group talent agenciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist-management agencies that jointly use fan club / fan site member personal data with Fanplus per the Privacy Policy, and co-produce the Stardust Channel monthly video site.
• STPR (株式会社STPR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTalent agency for Strawberry Prince, Knight X and related 2.5D idols. Fanplus provides environment and co-develops 'Sutofami' and 'Lounge A' official fan clubs with new content, pricing plans and member management.
• TYMS PROJECT (株式会社TYMS PROJECT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManagement agency for THE YELLOW MONKEY; initial Fanpla Market partner supplying signed limited items, digital assets and FC-member-only free-mint items.
• PowerPlayMusic (株式会社パワープレイミュージック)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManagement agency for UVERworld; initial Fanpla Market partner supplying digital assets and free-mint items.
• RubberSoul (有限会社ラバーソウル)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManagement agency for GLAY; initial Fanpla Market partner supplying mobile-site-member free-mint items.
• IDO Entertainment (株式会社イドエンターテインメント)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency for FUNKY MONKEY BΛBY'S and THE BEAT GARDEN; initial Fanpla Market partner integrating FC with FANPLANET metaverse for avatar and digital asset sales.
• Eggman (株式会社エッグマン)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency for Macaroni Empitsu; initial Fanpla Market partner integrating FC with FANPLANET metaverse for avatar and digital asset sales and premium ticket sales.
• Hip Land Music Corporation (株式会社ヒップランドミュージックコーポレーション)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency and label providing EC, fan club business and limited digital asset sales for affiliated artists as initial Fanpla Market partner.
• Rainbow Entertainment (株式会社レインボーエンタテインメント)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency for Jeremy Quartus; initial Fanpla Market partner providing limited goods and digital content sales.
• Y&N Brothers (株式会社Y&N Brothers)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProducer Yasushi Akimoto's company handling AKB48 / Sakamichi series and 22/7 production; initial Fanpla Market partner for premium ticket sales and metaverse digital asset sales.
• Wise Connection (株式会社ワイズコネクション)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperator of 中津川 WILD WOOD festival (Fan+ Live Audition 2026 venue); initial Fanpla Market partner for premium ticket, metaverse asset and limited goods sales.
• Yoshimoto Kogyo (吉本興業)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerComedy talent agency whose artists (EXIT, Chocolate Planet, Yurlyan Retriever, Kanechika Daiki) operate official fan clubs via Fanplus.
• CyberAgent / AsobiSystem / NTT Docomo Studio & Live / Sony Music / Avex / Universal / etc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Japanese music and talent agencies whose roster (Aimyon, UVERworld, FRUITS ZIPPER, Momoland, Yamazaki Yuhane, etc.) Fanplus serves as fan-club/EC operating partner.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• UNIVERSE (NCSoft / Kakao): K-pop artist fan platform (now largely wound down) that provided artist-fan communication, content, and commerce. Direct historical peer to Fanplus's all-in-one fan club + EC + streaming approach in the K-Pop Japan market.
• Weverse: HYBE's global artist fan community and commerce platform (BTS, BLACKPINK, SEVENTEEN, etc.). Directly comparable to Fanplus in providing fan club, messaging, EC, and live streaming under a single app — but with a K-Pop-first, global footprint that Fanplus is counter-positioning against in Japan.
• Dear U (bubble): Korea-based operator of 'bubble', the artist-to-fan two-way messaging app used widely in K-Pop. Directly comparable to Fanplus's COMMUNE series and bubble for JAPAN service; Fanplus is a Japan distribution partner via Dear U plus, making bubble both collaborator and competitor in fan messaging.

Others

• Viberate: Music industry data, analytics and fan-engagement SaaS for artists and labels. Comparable to Fanplus's data-monetization revenue stream and member-behavior analytics under Plus member ID, though at a different layer of the stack.
• Tixplus / Tikepla: Sister company under M-up Holdings providing electronic ticketing (Tikepla) and official resale (Tikepla Trade). Sister-company partner rather than head-to-head competitor — Fanplus FC priority reception rides on Tixplus's ticketing rails, making the two economically linked but not directly competing.

Emerging players

• Stagecrowd: Japanese crowdfunding and live-event platform used by music artists for fan-funded concerts and projects. Directly comparable to Fanplus's Fan+Action co-creation crowdfunding service within the Japanese market.
• BAND (by Naver / Kiswe): Naver's group communication and fan community app popular with K-Pop fandoms. Comparable to Fanplus's COMMUNE messaging and fan club apps in use case, but a broader social-community app rather than a dedicated artist platform.
• IdolChamp (NHN): Korean K-Pop voting and fan engagement platform used heavily during music show promotions. Adjacent to Fanplus's fan-engagement stack (points, voting, event-linked content) but specialized in chart/voting mechanics rather than full fan club infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Mildom / 17LIVE Japan: Major Asia-focused live streaming platforms (Mildom operated by NTT Docomo; 17LIVE a Taiwanese-founded incumbent). Comparable to FanStream in live streaming technology, but operate as broad UGC platforms rather than artist-only PPV/event services.

Regional players

• SmartFan: Barcelona-based white-label fan club and subscription platform for music artists across Europe and Latin America. Comparable to Fanplus's Fan+Kit self-serve offering (white-label fan club + EC + ticketing) but focused on Western markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat8 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors11 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Fanplus