What Rittor Music does

Rittor Music (株式会社リットーミュージック) is a Japanese music media and publishing company headquartered in the Jinbocho publishing district of Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Founded in 1978 and operating as a subsidiary of the Impress Holdings media conglomerate, the company operates a 51-100 employee organization built around a portfolio of music publications including Guitar Magazine, Bass Magazine, Rhythm & Drums Magazine, Sound & Recording Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and Metal Hammer Japan. Beyond print magazines and a catalog of instructional books and mooks, the business spans digital learning (plug+ beginner platform, Vocal Magazine Web), e-commerce (Digimart instrument marketplace, T-OD merchandise), sheet music distribution (Print Gakufu), a unified Rittor ID membership layer, and a physical multi-purpose venue (Ochanomizu RITTOR BASE). Revenue is generated primarily through recurring magazine subscriptions (annual billing with renewal discounts), one-time sales of books, mooks, and individual scores via owned e-commerce, the rittor-music.co.jp storefront, the Fujisan.co.jp subscription marketplace, and Amazon Kindle for digital content, plus advertising, marketplace transactions on Digimart, and event/workshop programming at the Tokyo venue.

The company's go-to-market is product-led growth driven by content: free web-exclusive articles, beginner tutorials on plug+, and social media presence across Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LINE serve as top-of-funnel acquisition, with monetization through subscriptions, books, and instrument sales. The strategic posture reflects an evolution from a legacy print publisher toward a diversified music media ecosystem — extending upstream into artist management via the Bandai Namco Music Live partnership (FloweRiRy debut, March 2026), downstream into instrument commerce via Digimart, and laterally into community/physical experience via RITTOR BASE workshops.

No AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary technology platforms beyond standard digital publishing infrastructure are disclosed. The competitive position rests on brand heritage (Guitar Magazine's 47-year history as Japan's longest-running guitar publication), the depth of accumulated instructional content, and the breadth of cross-platform owned media that no peer Japanese music publisher replicates.

Name

Rittor Music

Legal name

株式会社リットーミュージック

Website

https://rittor-music.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Rittor Music is a Japanese music media and publishing company operating a portfolio of music magazines (Guitar Magazine, Bass Magazine, Rhythm & Drums Magazine, etc.), instructional books, the plug+ beginner learning platform, the Digimart instrument e-commerce marketplace, and the RITTOR BASE physical venue, serving amateur and professional musicians across Japan as an Impress Holdings subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (51312), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Print Music Publishing (Sheet Music, Scores, Educational Repertoire) (MPAIABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Educational Music Products Retail (Method Books, Exam Prep, Classroom Instruments) (CRALAEAJ), Sheet Music & Music Books Retail (CRALAEAB)

Keywords

• Music publishing
• Music magazines
• Music instruction books
• Digital content platforms
• Musical instrument marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from music magazines including Guitar Magazine (monthly), Bass Magazine (quarterly), Rhythm & Drums Magazine (quarterly), Sound & Recording Magazine (monthly), and Acoustic Guitar Magazine (quarterly). Subscriptions offer discounted pricing and free shipping.
2. Books and Mooks: One-time sales of music instruction books, technique guides, artist biographies, and special edition mooks covering instruments such as electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, piano, and DTM/DJ equipment.
3. E-books and Digital Content: Sale of e-books and digital sheet music through Amazon Kindle and print-on-demand services.
4. Sheet Music (Individual): Individual score sales through Print Gakufu service for single musical pieces.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rittor Music is a Japanese music publishing company that publishes and sells music magazines, instructional books (including mooks/magazine-book hybrids), e-books, and sheet music for musicians across multiple instruments including guitar, bass, drums, piano, and vocals. The company operates Japan's largest portfolio of music magazine titles and supplements its publishing business with the plug+ beginner learning platform, the Digimart musical instrument marketplace, and the RITTOR BASE physical creative space.

Product overview

Rittor Music is a Japanese music media and publishing company (株式会社リットーミュージック, an Impress Group company) operating a multi-platform portfolio of music magazines, books, e-books, digital media, e-commerce, and physical spaces. Core print/digital products include Guitar Magazine, Bass Magazine, Rhythm & Drums Magazine, Sound & Recording Magazine (サンレコ), Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Vocal Magazine Web, Metal Hammer Japan, and Ukulele Magazine. The company also publishes instructional books and mukku (magazine-book hybrids) across guitar, bass, drums, piano, DTM, and music theory categories, sold through its own platform and the デジマート marketplace. Digital services include the plug+ beginner learning platform, the リットーID unified membership system, a subscription magazine service with free shipping, and the 御茶ノ水RITTOR BASE physical multi-purpose space. Related digital media brands span さがスタ (studio directory), 耳マン (entertainment media), T-OD (music-themed merchandise), and 立東舎 (cultural imprint). Social media presence includes official accounts on Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LINE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• plug+ (ぷらぷら): Beginner-focused information site for music learners
• ギター・マガジンWEB
• ベース・マガジンWEB
• ドラム・マガジンWEB
• サンレコ (Sanrec)
• デジマート (Digimart)
• さがスタ
• 立東舎
• 耳マン
• T-OD
• アコースティック・ギター・マガジンWEB
• ギター・マガジン・レイドバック
• メタルハマー・ジャパン
• ピアノスタイル
• ヴォーカル・マガジン・ウェブ
• リットーID
• 御茶ノ水RITTOR BASE

Products and services

• Guitar Magazine (ギター・マガジン) Monthly guitar magazine covering electric guitar, acoustic guitar, gear reviews, artist interviews, and technique tutorials. Available via annual subscription (17,820 yen/year list, discounted to 14,850 yen). Targeted at amateur and professional guitarists seeking instruction and industry content.
• Bass Magazine (ベース・マガジン) Quarterly bass guitar magazine covering bass techniques, gear reviews, artist features, and performance content. Available via annual subscription (8,800 yen/year list, discounted to 6,270 yen). Targeted at bass players seeking specialized instructional content.
• Rhythm & Drums Magazine (リズム＆ドラム・マガジン) Quarterly drum and percussion magazine covering drumming techniques, gear reviews, artist interviews, and rhythm studies. Available via annual subscription (10,120 yen/year list, discounted to 7,920 yen). Targeted at drummers and percussionists.
• Sound & Recording Magazine / サンレコ (Sanrec) Subscription-based web service (evolved from the print Sound & Recording Magazine) delivering PA and recording information for sound creators. Subscription priced at 18,480 yen/year list, discounted to 14,300 yen. Targeted at sound engineers, recording professionals, and music producers.
• Acoustic Guitar Magazine (アコースティック・ギター・マガジン) Quarterly acoustic guitar magazine covering acoustic guitar players, instruments, techniques, and related cultural content. Available via annual subscription (10,560 yen/year list, discounted to 9,020 yen). Targeted at acoustic guitar enthusiasts.
• Rittor Music Books & Mooks (リットーミュージック 書籍・ムック) Music instruction books, technique manuals, artist score collections, and special edition mooks (magazine-book hybrids) covering guitar, bass, drums, piano, DTM, and music theory categories. Sold as one-time purchases across multiple genres and skill levels. Targeted at musicians seeking structured instructional content.
• plug+ (プラプラ) Beginner Learning Platform Beginner-focused web media platform for music learners, offering free instructional videos, tips articles, and tutorials across multiple instrument categories including guitar, bass, DTM, vocals, and music theory. Also covers VOCALOID culture. Targeted at complete beginners starting their musical journey.
• Digimart (デジマート) Musical Instrument Marketplace One of Japan's largest e-commerce malls dedicated to musical instruments and music equipment, enabling direct and real-time sales outreach to players, sound creators, and beginners. Operated as a related Rittor Music site. Targeted at musicians seeking to buy and sell instruments and equipment.
• RITTOR BASE (御茶ノ水RITTOR BASE) Multi-purpose space opened by Rittor Music in the Ochanomizu instrument district, featuring acoustically optimized rooms, premium equipment, and video production capabilities for live streaming. Targeted at musicians, artists, and creators needing professional rehearsal and production facilities.
• Shibanzu-kun (ギターコード 指板図くん) Mobile App Guitar chord reference mobile app that displays fingerboard diagrams for guitar chords. Targeted at guitarists needing a quick reference tool for chord positions.
• Vocal Magazine Web (ヴォーカル・マガジン・ウェブ) Web platform serving vocalists, karaoke enthusiasts, and aspiring professional singers with vocal technique, artist information, and singing instruction content. Targeted at singers and vocal performers.
• Sagasuta (さがスタ) Studio Directory Music studio search service covering all 47 Japanese prefectures, designed for musicians and players to find practice and recording spaces. Targeted at musicians seeking rehearsal and recording facilities.
• T-OD Music-themed T-shirts E-commerce platform specializing in T-shirts, particularly music-themed designs, with customization options including text printing for unique original items. Targeted at music fans and musicians seeking merchandise.
• Rittor ID Membership Service Unified member ID service that allows users to access all Rittor Music services with a single account. Targeted at customers using multiple Rittor Music products and services.
• Print Gakufu (ぷりんと楽譜) Sheet Music Individual sheet music sales service for single musical pieces, available print-on-demand. Targeted at musicians seeking individual scores.
• FloweRiRy (フラワリリリー) Artist Debut Single 'スターチス' Digital music single release by FloweRiRy artist unit (under Bandai Namco Music Live), available for digital purchase. The debut single features songwriting by Vocaloid producer 晴いちばん with a flower-garden concept.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered parent and minor.

• Impress HoldingsparentOthersRittor Music is a subsidiary company of Impress Holdings (インプレスグループ), a major Japanese publishing conglomerate. The parent company provides corporate governance and group synergies across publishing operations.
• Studio Navi (さがスタ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic studio search platform covering all prefectures in Japan, providing utility for musicians seeking practice spaces.
• Rittorsha (立東舎)minorOthersCultural publishing label specializing in literature, comics, and visual culture under the Rittor Music umbrella.
• T-ODminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerT-shirt retailer specializing in music-themed merchandise, including customizable original T-shirt production.
• Bandai Namco Music LiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership related to artist management and music content, notably involving FloweRiRy duo debut under the label.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Future plc: UK-based global media company owning Guitar World, Bass Player, Electronic Musician, and other instrument-specific enthusiast titles. Closely comparable to Rittor Music's portfolio of Guitar Magazine, Bass Magazine, and Rhythm & Drums Magazine.
• Hal Leonard: Largest global music publisher and print music distributor, offering sheet music, books, and educational content across all instruments. Comparable to Rittor Music's sheet music, instructional books, and method book business at a global scale.
• Alfred Music: Major global music publisher specializing in educational music books, method books, and sheet music. Directly comparable to Rittor Music's instructional book and method book publishing operations.

Direct peers

• Ongaku no Tomo Sha: Long-established Japanese music publisher (founded 1941) producing the magazine 'Musical Companion' and a wide catalog of music books and scores. Directly comparable to Rittor Music in publishing heritage, magazine subscription model, and instructional book business.
• Yamaha Music Media: Japanese music publishing subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation that publishes music magazines, books, and educational materials. Closely comparable to Rittor Music in product mix (magazines, books, instructional content) and Japanese-market focus.
• Shinko Music Entertainment: Japanese music publisher producing music magazines (including keyboard/instrument titles) and music books. Comparable to Rittor Music as a multi-magazine, multi-instrument publisher operating in the same Japanese market.
• Doremi: Japanese music publisher and sheet music specialist (Doremi Gakufu) covering a wide range of instruments and genres. Closely comparable to Rittor Music's print music and music book operations.

Regional players

• Sound House: Japan-based online retailer of musical instruments and equipment, comparable to Digimart (Rittor's EC mall). Operates exclusively in Japan with a similar direct-to-consumer model for instruments and music gear.

Emerging players

• Sheet Music Plus: Large online retailer of print and digital sheet music, method books, and music instructional materials. Comparable to Rittor Music's music book retail and Print Gakufu sheet music offerings.
• Musicnotes: Leading digital sheet music retailer and publisher with a large downloadable sheet music catalog. Comparable to Rittor Music's Print Gakufu individual sheet music and e-book sheet music offerings, but with a digital-first model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rittormusicnews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RittorMusicVIDEO
• Facebookfacebook.com/RittorMusic
• Instagraminstagram.com/rittormusic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Rittor Music