Billboard’s Billboard Global Power Players list recognizes the leaders that are driving the success of the music business in countries outside the United States. Avex Inc.’s CEO, Katsumi Kuroiwa, was chosen again from the music industry leaders of the world for inclusion in the list. Billboard JAPAN interviewed Kuroiwa upon his selection and talked to him about signing Bruno Mars, the prospects of the company’s global music catalog acquisition project, and the challenges involved in overseas expansion.
The announcement of the global music publishing partnership between the Avex Music Group (AMGL) and Bruno Mars made a huge splash. Could you talk a bit about what AMGL does?
Katsumi Kuroiwa: Broadly speaking, AMGL’s business consists of label business and music publishing. We knew that to make an impact on the American market, first and foremost, we had to make unique creative content. We started out through the song and publishing business, acquiring rights and building a solid system with a strong local presence.
Going forward, AMGL is aiming to serve as a bridge that connects Japanese and other Asian artists with the rest of the world. AMGL’s network is home to many excellent songwriters who have created music for diverse artists, from top class global entertainers like Justin Bieber and Drake to groups on the frontlines of K-pop, like ILLIT or LE SSERAFIM.What’s important is that top creators like these have a hub where they can come together and pool their creative output. It’s because of that environment that our artists, like BE:FIRST, ONE OR EIGHT, or XG, can constantly put out world-class music and create truly new music.
