We’ve just published a new report on the Japanese digital music market. This report, which was written in response to strong client demand, analyses the key characteristic of the market and places it in the context of other key global digital music markets.

Whereas as online dominates the European and American digital music markets, mobile is the key force in Japan with a whopping 91 percent of all digital revenues. The scale of the market is emphasized by the dynamic growth of the OTA sector which is now more than three times bigger than Europe’s. Japan’s OTA market has numerous success stories and milestones such as UMG artist GreeeeN recorded the first million-selling OTA track in the world with "Aiuta." Also in July 2007, the single "Flavor of Life" by EMI artist Utada Hikaru sold more than seven million copies in Japan across all digital formats, including Internet downloads, mobile over the air (OTA), true tones, and video.

The success of OTA, though, contrasts sharply with the relative underperformance of the PC digital music market which lags the US and European markets by a number of years.