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Reports on trends in the classical music market in Japan. Decrease in sales due to recession; Rise in value of the yen as biggest single problem for classical-repertoire managers at Japanese record companies; Diminishing library-factor; Companies' promotional tactics to reach consumers outside the core of classical-fan base; Increase in sales of budget-priced classical products of Nippon Columbia.

This article discusses the efforts of the music business market their music acts internationally. Zucchero--a.k.a. Adelmo Fornaciari--may be Italian, but he is well on his way to becoming part of a rare musical breed: the European rock star. Max Hole, senior vice president of marketing and A&R at Universal Music International, masterminded the effort, working with the label's Italian arm and Zucchero himself to create music with broad allure. In the world's biggest music markets--the United States, Japan, Britain and France--homegrown bands capture the lion's share of sales: 93 percent of music sold in the United States in 2002 was by local artists, as was 74 percent in Japan and more than half across Europe. Slowly, that's beginning to change. Enterprising governments are starting to back independent artists and small labels. German Sounds hopes to identify up-and-coming domestic artists and showcase them at the industry's yearly trade show in Cannes. And the European Music Office, a lobby organization, is pushing for more EU integration--including a European export office in New York and a European Talent Exchange Program, which would give local festivals an opportunity to select artists from across the Continent.

States that Japanese labels' body the Recording Industry Assn. of Japan (RIAJ) is abandoning its traditional method of market analysis under pressure from its members and from the international record industry. How the RIAJ has historically measured the market; Critics of the original system; Plan to use shipments as a measure of the market; Comments of Catrin Hughes, director of market research at the International Federation of Phonographic Industry.

Reports that although manufacturing figures are up in the Japanese music industry, the market is very dull as of August 1998. Details of market data released by the Recording Industry Association of Japan; Production figures as up due to a string of major album releases; The comments of some executives of Japan's major record labels.

Continues a series of articles relating to Asia's music industry. Lack of major impact from Asia's economic recession on Japan; Japan as the only country that continues to promote music aggressively; Decision by independent label Pony Canyon to restructure its Asian operations.

The article discusses online music distribution company TuneCore's launch in Japan in partnership with international marketing agency Wano.

The article lists the top ten ways to promote music releases in Japan's music industry through television (TV) exposure, including a guest performance on NHK's annual New Year's Eve music TV program "Kohaku Uta Gassen," a performance on the TV program "Music Station," and interviews on Fuji TV's "Mezamashi TV."

Offers information on the increasing popularity of Japanese popular music throughout Asia. How the easing of a ban on Japanese popular culture has helped increase the popularity of Japanese music in South Korea; Comments of music writer Shin Yong-Hyun; Speculation on reasons for the lack of popularity of Japanese music in the Philippines.

Reports from Tokyo, on the Internet's potential for the introduction of Japanese music to the world. Japanese-music site UNSOUND; Comments from Gil Kay.