Avex
- Company typePublic
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Avex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Avex
- Legal name
- Avex Inc. (エイベックス株式会社)
- Website
- https://avex.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Avex industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music & Entertainment
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Licensing & Rights Monetization (UGC Licensing, Music/Video Rights) (MPACAFAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rights Management, Content ID & Anti-Piracy Platforms (MPACABAK), Social/UGC Music Platforms (Short-Form, Social Listening) (MPAIACAE), Virtual Events & Conferences Live Streaming Platforms (MPACACAL)
Keywords
Where Avex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices11 records
Markets served
Avex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Music Sales and Streaming: Music label business including music content production, production, and sales across domestic and international markets. Artists include Ayumi Hamasaki, Koda Kumi, Da-iCE, BE:FIRST, Snow Man, TREASURE, NCT WISH, EXILE/TREASURE,东方神起 (TVXQ), and many more.
- Live Entertainment: Live concert production, ticketing, and merchandise sales through Avex Live Creative. Notable events include a-nation festival, STAR ISLAND, ULTRA JAPAN, and individual artist arena tours.
- Artist Management: Talent and artist management across multiple subsidiaries (Avex Management, Avex Clann, Avex Styles, Avex Management Agency, Avex Creator Agency, Avex AY-Factory) covering music artists, actors, voice actors, models, and athletes.
- Animation and Video Production: Anime content planning, production, and distribution through Avex Animation Labels, Avex Film Labels, Avex Pictures, FLAGSHIP LINE (STUDIO GRAPH77), Anime Times. Live theater and event production, anime movie and drama distribution, and live viewing services.
- Music Publishing and Catalog Investment: Music publishing administration through global partnerships (Bruno Mars), catalog acquisition strategy ($100 million commitment), and publishing rights management through Avex Music Publishing and S10 Music Publishing.
- Digital Services and E-commerce: Digital platforms including EC (domestic and international), Z-aN live streaming service, aggregation services, music creator agency, music studios, and night club operations (SEL OCTAGON TOKYO).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Music usage licensing (B2B) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | AniBiz.com B2B anime IP licensing marketplace (Nakama, Inc.) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Avex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Avex Inc. is a diversified Japanese entertainment conglomerate that operates integrated music (record labels, music publishing, live event production, artist management), animation/film/video production, and digital services businesses. The group manages J-pop and global music artist rosters (including Ayumi Hamasaki, Koda Kumi, BE:FIRST, Snow Man, TREASURE, NCT WISH, and publishing relationships such as Bruno Mars), produces anime and film content, runs major live events such as a-nation and STAR ISLAND, and operates e-commerce, streaming, and talent-development platforms (Avex Artist Academy, avex Youth).
Product overview
Avex Inc. is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate operating across three main business segments: Music (encompassing labels, live events, publishing, artist management, and digital services), Animation/Video (including anime production, film production, and streaming), and Other businesses. The music business includes Avex Music Creative (record label operations with EC, Z-aN, BIG UP!, muchoo services), Avex Live Creative (concert production and events like a-nation, STAR ISLAND), Avex Music Publishing (copyright management), and various artist management subsidiaries. The animation/video segment comprises Avex Animation Labels (anime production and voice actor management), FLAGSHIP LINE (animation studio with STUDIO GRAPH77), Avex Film Labels (film/DRAMA production and distribution), and Anime Times (streaming service). Avex also operates digital services including Z-aN (live streaming), SARF (voice AR for regional activation), and artist portals. The company also runs talent development programs including avex Youth and Avex Artist Academy, and produces branded events like DANCE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP, STAR ISLAND, and KING OF PRISM IP.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Avex Youth: Talent discovery and development organization focused on cultivating global stars from Japan.
- Avex Artist Academy
- LIVE EMPOWER CHILDREN
- DCC (DANCE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP)
- avex class
- STAR ISLAND
Products and services
- Avex Music Creative (エイベックス・ミュージック・クリエイティブ)
Quantifiable outcome
- FY2025 revenue of approximately USD 971 million (JPY 146.6 billion), 11.3% YoY increase, highest since COVID-19 pandemic
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Avex
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Avex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature6 records
Avex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Bruno MarsflagshipAvex Music Group announced a global music publishing administration partnership with 16-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist Bruno Mars. Avex Music Group will serve as exclusive global administrator for music written by Bruno Mars during the deal term. The partnership will commence upon completion of Mars's current arrangement with BMG/Warner Chappell. Positions Avex to administer publishing for one of pop music's most commercially successful songwriters. The deal followed Avex's $100 million global music catalog investment initiative.
- The OrchardcoreAvex Music Group forged a worldwide distribution deal with The Orchard for all future releases. The agreement is positioned as a strategic move to leverage The Orchard's global distribution infrastructure to expand Avex's international footprint. CEO Brandon Silverstein cited The Orchard's established expertise and global reach as critical to growing the company's artists' fanbases worldwide.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Avex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sony Music Entertainment: Global major music label with strong Japan presence through Sony Music Labels. Directly comparable across recorded music, music publishing, artist management, live events, and anime integration (via Aniplex) — Avex's largest direct competitor in Japanese-language entertainment.
- Universal Music Group: World's largest music label with Universal Music Japan. Comparable as a global recorded-music, publishing, and licensing platform. Engaged with Avex via Hook platform (providing >20M licensed songs for AI fan remixes); competes with Avex Music Group for global publishing administration and catalog acquisition.
- Warner Music Group: Global music major with Warner Music Japan. Directly comparable as a multi-territory music label/publishing operator and a competitor in the same catalog acquisition market Avex is now entering with its $100M strategy.
- Toei Animation: Premier Japanese animation studio. A founding backer of AniBiz.com (Avex's anime IP licensing marketplace), Toei is both an Avex partner and a comparable anime IP producer/distributor competing for global licensing economics.
- Pony Canyon: Established Japanese music label and anime distributor (Fujisankei Communications Group). Directly comparable as a Japanese music label with adjacent anime/video operations — a domestic direct competitor for artist signings, anime production, and live events.
- Victor Entertainment: Japanese music label under JVC Kenwood Group. Comparable as a domestic Japanese record label with classical, pop, and anime-related music operations, competing for artist signings and catalog rights in the same Japanese market.
- HYBE Co., Ltd. Korean entertainment platform behind BTS and global K-pop acts. Highly comparable as a music label with integrated artist development, publishing, and global expansion strategy — represents competitive pressure on Avex's Japan-originated global crossover thesis.
- Being Inc. Japanese music label and management group (B'z, ZARD). Comparable as a Japanese music label with recorded-music, talent management, and publishing operations serving similar domestic audiences and competing for the same roster of artists.
Broad incumbents
- Toho Co., Ltd. Major Japanese film/anime studio with growing music and live-event operations. Comparable as a diversified Japanese entertainment conglomerate spanning anime, film, live performance, and merchandising — broader portfolio than Avex but competes across multiple Avex segments.
- Live Nation Entertainment: World's largest live entertainment company. Comparable via Avex Live Creative's concert production, ticketing, and major festival operation (a-nation, STAR ISLAND, ULTRA JAPAN) at much larger scale — broader incumbent competing for global touring economics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Avex social profiles
Digital presenceAvex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Avex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Avex subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries23 records
Avex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Avex M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments9 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Avex
What does Avex do?
Avex Inc. is a diversified Japanese entertainment conglomerate that operates integrated music (record labels, music publishing, live event production, artist management), animation/film/video production, and digital services businesses. The group manages J-pop and global music artist rosters (including Ayumi Hamasaki, Koda Kumi, BE:FIRST, Snow Man, TREASURE, NCT WISH, and publishing relationships such as Bruno Mars), produces anime and film content, runs major live events such as a-nation and STAR ISLAND, and operates e-commerce, streaming, and talent-development platforms (Avex Artist Academy, avex Youth).
Is Avex a public or private company?
Avex is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Avex founded?
Avex was founded in 1988. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Avex based?
Avex is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Avex make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Music Sales and Streaming is the primary driver. The others are live Entertainment, artist Management, animation and Video Production, music Publishing and Catalog Investment and digital Services and E-commerce.
Who are Avex's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Toei Animation, Pony Canyon, Victor Entertainment, HYBE Co., Ltd. and Being Inc.. Broad incumbents are Toho Co., Ltd. and Live Nation Entertainment.
Does Avex have an API?
No public API is recorded for Avex.
What industry is Avex in?
Avex's product category is Music & Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAFAK, Creator Licensing & Rights Monetization (UGC Licensing, Music/Video Rights), with a secondary code of MPACABAK, Rights Management, Content ID & Anti-Piracy Platforms. Its NAICS code is 7114 and its SIC code is 7311.