[Music x SDGs]Reduced plastic usage during CD manufacturing by approximately 10 tons, abolished the traditional bonus system, and although CD sales fell by approximately 70,000 units, total sales increased by approximately 2 times[BE:FIRST “Masterplan” results report]

BMSG Co., Ltd. (Representative Director and CEO: SKY-HI, hereinafter referred to as BMSG) is pleased to report the results of its sales activities for the BE:FIRST concept single “Masterplan,” which will be released on April 24, 2024.

BMSG has implemented the following initiatives in response to concerns about the Japanese music industry’s business model that relies heavily on CDs.

・Replacement of plastic CD jackets with paper
– Elimination of purchaser benefits that differ depending on the retailer/sales site (= corporate benefits) and randomly included CD benefits

As a result, the following results have been reported during the sales period from release to May 22, 2024:

・Reduced plastic usage during CD manufacturing by approximately 10 tons
・Total sales for the entire work, including CDs and merchandise, have increased by approximately 2 times (compared to the previous work)

For details on the results of the activities and comments from SKY-HI, please see the video below.

Less Waste, More Music[From Proposal to Realization]

■BE:FIRST “Masterplan” sales activities and results

Regarding the sales of “Masterplan,” we will report details of our activities and results from two perspectives: SDGs and music business.

[SDGs perspective]

Activities: Replacing the CD jackets that were previously made of plastic with paper jackets.

Result: The amount of plastic used in the CD manufacturing stage was reduced by approximately 10 tons. This is equivalent to a reduction in CO2 emissions of 59 tons. (*LCA assessment by K&ESG based on the Ministry of the Environment’s emission unit database)

BE:FIRST “Masterplan” Paper Jacket

[Music business perspective]

Activities: We have abolished the purchaser benefits (= corporate benefits) that differed depending on the store/sales site, which could be one of the reasons for purchasing multiple CDs. The CD benefits that randomly included one of seven types have been changed to selling merchandise that includes all seven types.

Results: The total sales for the entire work increased by about 2 times compared to the previous work. The abolition of the traditional bonus system resulted in a decrease in the number of CDs shipped of about 70,000, but the sales of goods sold in place of bonuses increased. In addition, by switching from CD sales with bonuses to merchandise sales, which have a higher return rate to artists, we were able to return more to individual artists.

BE:FIRST “Masterplan” Goods

■BMSG raises issues regarding Japan’s CD business

This initiative started from the “Recommendations for preventing the music industry from becoming unsustainable” presented by BMSG in February 2024.

“Proposals to prevent the music industry from becoming unsustainable”https://bmsg.tokyo/topic/240213/

In addition, in the[2024 BMSG CEO PRESENTATION]released on the BMSG official YouTube channel in April 2024, SKY-HI himself touched on his concerns about the Japanese CD business. Compared to the global music market, which has expanded by adapting to changes in business models brought about by the Internet, he also expressed a sense of crisis about the fact that the sales composition ratio of the Japanese music market has not changed significantly for decades and continues to depend on the CD business.

Based in Tokyo, heading to the global music market.[2024 BMSG CEO PRESENTATION]

https://youtu.be/EJiHRHA_7XE?feature=shared

BMSG will continue to pursue a sustainable future for Japan’s music industry and take concrete action.

■Company Profile

BMSG Inc. is a music agency that SKY-HI started in 2020 in order to make a difference in the Japanese entertainment industry, and he is now the CEO. Under the slogan “Don’t kill talent,” the company was established with the aim of creating an environment where artists can develop their talents in their own way and protect new possibilities for Japanese music. The name BMSG comes from “Be MySelf Group,” which means a space where you can be yourself, and the initials of each name also contain the meanings of Brave, Massive, Survive, and Groove.

■BMSG SNS

Official Website:https://bmsg.tokyo/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmsg_official/

X:https://twitter.com/BMSG_official

X global:https://twitter.com/BMSG_global

YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/BMSG_official

■ Inquiries regarding this matter

BMSG Corporation Public Relations Department

Email address: info@bmsg.co.jp