Digital music distribution company FUGA has launched in Japan through a new joint venture.
Director Tamaki Yamashita will head up a 10-strong team based in Tokyo under the name Space Shower FUGA, while FUGA's CEO Pieter van Rijn and COO Christiaan Kröner have joined the new firm's board.
“We started the JV project before the music industry started to emphasise the importance of global collaborations to overcome the world pandemic," said Yamashita.
“We are now ready to provide support to great Japanese music and artists to reach the truly global market through unrivalled collaboration between FUGA's technology and international marketing and Space Shower's local expertise and trust. The service launch is just the beginning, and we look forward to strengthening our partnership with FUGA."
The new venture adds 15 Japanese DSPs – including Recochoku, Music.jp, Line Music and Mora – to FUGA’s international network, which spans 50 countries.
“The shared respect and cultural understanding between FUGA and Space Shower has allowed us to make an unprecedented move; a newly formed, world-class joint venture company between an international independent distributor and a local distribution partner in Japan," explained FUGA's CEO van Rijn.
"Together we offer a true combination of forward-thinking distribution technology and local industry expertise. As we take the first steps forward as Space Shower FUGA’ in Japan I’d like to recognise the invaluable work of Christiaan Kröner, Kaori Matsuda, and Tamaki Yamashita in galvanising this partnership.”
Earlier this year FUGA made two senior hires at its London office.
