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Physical media still dominates Japan's music sales, despite the growing popularity of digital releases and streaming.
Idol groups lead the physical charts, with bands and solo artists performing better digitally.
Snow Man topped the overall 2024 sales with JPY 15.42 billion, while Mrs. GREEN APPLE excelled digitally, earning JPY 7.3 billion.
Notably, artists like Yonezu Kenshi thrive across both formats, with 56% of his JPY 5.84 billion sales from physical media.
In contrast, digital-first Mrs. GREEN APPLE saw 76% of their earnings from online platforms.
South Korean boy bands SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids rivalled Japanese idols Snow Man and SixTONES, showcasing global competition.
Surprisingly, female idols like TWICE underperformed in music sales, potentially relying on concerts and merchandise revenue instead.
Agency practices also shape these trends. STARTO Entertainment limits digital releases, favouring physical formats.
Meanwhile, NHK's Kouhaku absence of SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids raised questions about how popularity is evaluated.
Overall Top 10 Bestselling Music Artists in 2024:
- Snow Man (JPY 15.42 billion)
- Mrs. GREEN APPLE (JPY 9.59B)
- SixTONES (JPY 6.47B)
- SEVENTEEN (JPY 6.38B)
- Stray Kids (JPY 6.05B)
- Yonezu Kenshi (JPY 5.84B)
- Ado (JPY 4.61B
- YOASOBI (JPY 4.37B)
- WEST. (JPY 4.28B)
- INI (JPY 4.12B)
Top 10 Physical Media Sales:
- Snow Man (JPY 14.92B)
- SixTONES (JPY 6.35B)
- SEVENTEEN (JPY 5.2B)
- Stray Kids (JPY 4.9B)
- WEST. (JPY 4.28B)
- Naniwa Danshi (JPY 3.79B)
- INI (JPY 3.67B)
- Nogizaka46 (JPY 3.41B)
- Sakurazaka46 (JPY 3.37B)
- Yonezu Kenshi (JPY 3.27B)
The rankings highlight evolving consumer preferences, artist strategies, and the enduring appeal of Japan's physical music culture.