No .: In conclusion, this is actually a more natural process than the company team chooses to work hard to promote overseas. At the time, it also used the spread of YouTube video sites. For the first two years, news about Hatsune Miku may really only be seen in Japan. Then slowly, the company’s external mailboxes began to have English, and similar Japanese-made emails. Everyone feels more and more interested in foreign countries.
Music Finance: Hatsune Miku has evolved from a simple sound library to an IP with vast influence. I can see that she now releases albums, shows on TV, and also receives a lot of brand endorsements. There is a saying that virtual idols are actually idols. What do you think of Hatsune Miku ’s development advantages over three-dimensional traditional idols and two-dimensional anime idols?
Hiroyuki Ito: It’s also their own strengths. For example, if it is a live idol concert in Beijing, I have to fly. But Hatsune Miku is virtual, and there is no space limitation for her. This is her big difference from the three-dimensional idol. And after all, Hatsune Miku has been launched in various channels, so for people who like second-dimensional culture, she is a very close existence, which is also an advantage. Real people feel they are quite distance Sense.
Music Finance: How does the company handle the copyright issue of Hatsune Miku image and the copyright of musical works produced by creators?
Hiroyuki Ito: In Japan, the right to a song is divided into two parts. The first is copyright, which includes the right to write lyrics and compose. The other is the original right, which is the right to hear a recorded version of the song uploaded by the creator on the Internet. These rights belong to the creator. Japan also has commissioned agencies. For example, I am the creator, and I will entrust my rights to a certain platform management. When someone wants to use this song, they need to submit an application and pay the copyright fee. Original rights are more often managed by the creators themselves. He can publish the CD himself or upload it online.
If Hatsune Miku is going to perform a concert, it is necessary to commercialize the work of a certain creator, and it is necessary to pay him a fee. But conversely, if the creator’s CD has the image of Hatsune Miku, the company owns the copyright of Hatsune Miku’s image. When you make a second commercial use of the Hatsune Miku image, the author applies to the company for use rights.
Music Finance: Live broadcast is becoming a rising force in the entertainment industry. Hatsune Miku’s positioning is virtual singer, which focuses on original music content, and virtual anchor (VTuber) is the main companionship. Now YouTube, NICONICO, and China’s B stations, a large number of VTuber groups have appeared. What do you think of this part of the market being divided up?