Nature Bliss

What Nature Bliss does

Nature Bliss (株式会社ネイチャーブリス, Nature Bliss Inc.) is a privately held Tokyo-based independent music company incorporated in October 2007, operating 12-14 specialized record labels — including SPEKK, KAICO, LANTERN, PANAI, WONDERYOU, PLOP, Happy Prince, Fennely, KURAGE, PRIMO, the ETHNORTH GALLERY, MOAMOO, and mu-nest — that have collectively published approximately 250 music titles worldwide spanning ambient, electronic, techno, jazz, experimental, rock, and world music genres. The company recruits artists globally through an open demo-submission program and operates from its Yanaka, Taito-ku headquarters, where it also runs an in-house recording studio supporting music production, composition, and sound design.

The business operates three principal revenue streams: (1) music publishing and distribution — physical CDs and digital downloads sold via the Bandcamp storefront, the directly operated ETHNORTH GALLERY retail store in Yanaka, and wholesale partners including Tower Records, Disk Union, Tsutaya Electronics, and Amazon Japan; (2) B2B music services — licensing for film, TV, commercials, and spatial installations, BGM curation for retail and commercial spaces, custom compilation album production with rights management and mastering, sound design, and jacket/cover design; and (3) artisan handicraft products — handmade goods from ethnic artisan communities worldwide (e.g., Miao village in Guizhou, China; Laos NPO partnership; JETRO-linked Indonesia projects) sold through the ETHNORTH GALLERY retail space and via wholesale to Tokyu Hands, Marui, Odakyu, and Tobu department stores.

Commercially, the company serves a hybrid customer base of individual music enthusiasts and collectors (long-tail DTC via Bandcamp and ETHNORTH GALLERY), B2B media and commercial clients (licensing, BGM, sound design), and retail/wholesale partners. Marketing channels include a multilingual website (Japanese, English, Traditional Chinese), social media (Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook), community/demo-submission programs, trade show participation (IFFT Interior Lifestyle Living), and live release events. The wholly-owned 'intree' design studio (launched May 2019) extends the company's design capability to external clients. With approximately 8 employees, the company operates at small-business scale and remains entirely founder-owned and self-funded, with no disclosed external investment.

Name

Nature Bliss

Legal name

株式会社ネイチャーブリス

Website

https://naturebliss.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nature Bliss is a Tokyo-based independent music company operating 12-14 specialized record labels across ambient, electronic, jazz, and world music, plus B2B licensing, design, and an artisan handicraft retail business via the ETHNORTH GALLERY. It serves music collectors, media clients, and Japanese wholesale retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Music Label

NAICS

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

SIC

Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735), Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)

akta.pro primary industry

Micro-Licensing & Direct Licensing Platforms (UGC, SMB venues, online uses) (MPAIAKAJ)

Keywords

• Independent music labels
• Music publishing services
• Music licensing services
• Handicraft retail
• Sound design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Music Sales (Physical and Digital): Sale of CDs and digital downloads through their Bandcamp store, physical retail store, and distribution partners. Revenue from releasing albums across their 10+ record labels covering genres including ambient, electronic, jazz, world music, and experimental.
2. Music Licensing: Licensing music to film productions, corporate videos, commercial spaces, and other media for use in visual projects and facilities.
3. BGM Curation Services: Selecting background music for retail stores and commercial spaces.
4. Compilation Album Production: Creating custom compilation albums for retail stores and commercial clients, including rights management, jacket design, mastering, and CD manufacturing.
5. Sound Design Services: Composing music for video productions and spatial facilities.
6. Graphic Design Services: CD jacket artwork design and possibly other graphic design services.
7. Handicraft Products: Sale of handmade and natural material goods through the ETHNORTH GALLERY retail store and wholesale channels, produced with ethnic groups and artisans worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nature Bliss operates as a multi-label independent music publisher running 12+ specialized record labels (SPEKK, KAICO, LANTERN, PANAI, WONDERYOU, PLOP, NATURE BLISS, Happy Prince, Fennely, KURAGE, PRIMO, ETHNORTH GALLERY, MOAMOO, mu-nest) that have released approximately 250 titles spanning ambient, electronic, jazz, world, experimental, rock, and pop music. The company sells these releases directly to consumers through its Bandcamp store and the ETHNORTH GALLERY physical retail store in Tokyo, and provides professional music services to commercial clients including music licensing for film/TV/commercials, BGM curation for retail and commercial spaces, custom compilation album production, sound design, and graphic/jacket design. It also curates and sells handmade artisan handicrafts from ethnic communities worldwide through the ETHNORTH GALLERY retail concept.

Product overview

Nature Bliss operates as a multi-label music company and creative services provider. The core offering consists of 14 distinct music labels (SPEKK, KAICO, LANTERN, PANAI, WONDERYOU, PLOP, NATURE BLISS, Happy Prince, Fennely, KURAGE, PRIMO, the ETHNORTH GALLERY, MOAMOO, and mu-nest) releasing approximately 200 titles spanning genres including techno, electronica, rock, jazz, experimental, ambient, and world music. Complementing the label business, the company provides professional services including music licensing, BGM selection, compilation album production, sound design, and jacket design. The company also operates physical retail (the ETHNORTH GALLERY in Yanaka, Tokyo), an online store via Bandcamp, a handicraft product division, and an external design studio (intree).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPEKK: Record label themed on 'various interpretations of minimalism', releasing electronic music, bands, improvisation, and field recordings from around the world.
• kaico
• LANTERN
• panai
• wonderyou
• PLOP
• happy prince
• Fennely
• Kurage
• PRIMO
• the ETHNORTH GALLERY
• intree

Products and services

• Music Licensing Services Licensing of curated music from the Nature Bliss catalog for use in film, TV, corporate videos, commercials, web, games, and spatial/commercial installations. Rights-managed clearance provided for commercial use.
• BGM Curation Services Selecting and curating background music for retail stores and commercial/spatial facilities, drawing on the Nature Bliss catalog and broader music library.
• Compilation Album Production End-to-end production of original compilation albums for retail stores and commercial clients, including rights management, jacket design, mastering, and CD manufacturing. Used as commercial materials and promotional items.
• Sound Design Services Composing and producing music and sound design for visual productions (films, commercials) and spatial facilities.
• Jacket/Graphic Design Services CD jacket artwork design and graphic design services for music releases and external clients.
• Music Publishing Publishing division managing contracted artists' works including collection, distribution, and licensing for use in films, TV, commercials, web, and games.
• Handicraft Products (ETHNORTH GALLERY) Handmade and natural-material handicraft goods produced in collaboration with ethnic groups and artisans worldwide, sold through the ETHNORTH GALLERY retail store in Yanaka, Tokyo and through wholesale channels.
• Music Catalog (Independent Label Releases) Approximately 250 music titles released across 12+ specialized independent record labels covering ambient, electronic, techno, jazz, experimental, rock, pop, and world music from artists worldwide, sold as physical CDs and digital downloads.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• IFFT Interior Lifestyle Living ExhibitionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018Nature Bliss participated in the IFFT Interior Lifestyle Living exhibition in November 2018, marking their first exhibition appearance and launching their wholesale business for handicraft products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stones Throw Records: Los Angeles-based independent label releasing hip-hop, electronic, and experimental music with strong design and physical media emphasis. Comparable to Nature Bliss in design-forward branding, physical product focus, and curated indie scale.
• Erased Tapes: London-based independent label specializing in ambient, modern classical, and electronic music with strong design reputation and global touring artist roster. Comparable to Nature Bliss in genre focus, design-forward branding, and international scope.
• Ninja Tune: London-based independent label and publisher releasing electronic, hip-hop, and experimental music with global distribution and integrated publishing/sync operations. Comparable to Nature Bliss in genre focus, licensing emphasis, and B2B commercial services.
• Thrill Jockey Records: Chicago-based independent label releasing indie rock, electronic, jazz, and experimental music with long operating history and strong curatorial reputation. Comparable to Nature Bliss in genre breadth, design focus, and long-tail indie scale.
• Ghostly International: US-based independent label focused on electronic, experimental, and ambient music with publishing arm and strong design identity. Comparable to Nature Bliss in genre focus, design-driven brand, and integrated music-publishing operations.
• Kranky: Chicago-based independent label releasing ambient, experimental, and indie music with a small curated catalog and strong critical reputation. Comparable to Nature Bliss in catalog scale, genre focus, and curatorial depth.
• Flau Records: Tokyo-based independent label releasing ambient, electronic, and experimental music with global artist roster. Closely comparable to Nature Bliss in curatorial philosophy, Japanese indie scale, and digital distribution emphasis.
• Kitchen. Label: Japan-based independent label focused on ambient, electronic, and experimental music with global artist roster. Closest peer to Nature Bliss due to shared Japanese base, similar genre focus, and comparable curator-driven indie scale.
• P-Vine Records: Established Japanese independent record label releasing jazz, soul, world music, and experimental genres with strong physical retail and wholesale distribution. Comparable to Nature Bliss in geographic focus, genre breadth, and multi-label structure.

Broad incumbents

• Warp Records: UK-based pioneering electronic and experimental label with global artist roster, integrated publishing, and decades-long catalog. Comparable to Nature Bliss in electronic/experimental genre focus but operates at significantly larger scale as a broad incumbent in the space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/238550069511524
• Instagraminstagram.com/ethnorthgallery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nature-bliss

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Nature Bliss