Anime music market data: the ¥26.6 billion category inside AJA's report
Anime music is one of AJA's domestic broad-market categories. The official figure counts consumer spending on anime-related music, not record-label revenue.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: The Association of Japanese Animations estimates that anime-related music spending in Japan reached ¥26.6 billion in 2024, down 0.4% from ¥26.7 billion in 2023. That category covers music CDs and digital music tied to anime. It is a small part of AJA's ¥3.84 trillion broad anime market and is measured as estimated end-user spending, not industry revenue.
What AJA counts as anime music
In the Anime Industry Report, the music category is part of the domestic broad market. It is defined as spending on music CDs and digital music related to anime, measured in yen at the consumer level.
This is narrower than the overall Japanese music market. AJA's figure does not include live concert tickets, merchandise sold at events, or revenue from streaming platforms that is not tied to anime music sales.
Anime music spending has drifted downward since 2018
The AJA time series shows anime music peaking at ¥35.8 billion in 2018 and falling to ¥26.6 billion by 2024. The category dipped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not recovered to its late-2010s level.
At the same time, the overall Japanese music market has grown on the back of streaming. That divergence suggests that anime music, as AJA defines it, is more exposed to physical and download formats than to streaming growth.
AJA broad-market anime music category, 2018 to 2024, in billions of yen.| Year | Anime music value | Year over year |
|---|
| 2018 | ¥35.8B | - |
| 2019 | ¥33.7B | -5.9% |
| 2020 | ¥27.6B | -18.1% |
| 2021 | ¥31.7B | +14.9% |
| 2022 | ¥27.4B | -13.6% |
| 2023 | ¥26.7B | -2.6% |
| 2024 | ¥26.6B | -0.4% |
How anime music fits into the broader market
At ¥26.6 billion, anime music made up less than 1% of AJA's ¥3.84 trillion broad anime market in 2024. It is smaller than merchandising, streaming, live entertainment, and even home video.
The modest size does not mean anime music is unimportant. Theme songs, soundtracks, and artist tie-ins remain central to marketing and fan engagement, even when the direct spending category is relatively small.
What the official data does not show
AJA does not publish per-title, per-artist, or per-platform splits. The figure is an aggregate estimate based on questionnaires and publicly available statistics, not a census of every sale.
Because it counts end-user spending, it also does not represent the revenue received by anime production companies, music labels, or artists. Rights splits and royalty flows are handled separately.
Using anime music data responsibly
The safest reading is that anime music spending, as defined by AJA, has been flat to declining while the rest of the anime economy has grown. That makes the category a shrinking share of the broad market.
Analysts should avoid treating AJA's music number as the total value of anime-related music activity. Concert tickets, synchronization fees, and indirect marketing value sit outside this category.
Definition matters: AJA's anime music figure is a domestic consumer-spending estimate for CDs and digital music. It is not the same as anisong concert revenue, label revenue, or global streaming revenue.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the anime music market in Japan?
AJA estimates anime-related music spending at ¥26.6 billion for 2024, down slightly from ¥26.7 billion in 2023.
Is anime music growing?
Not by AJA's definition. The category has fallen from ¥35.8 billion in 2018 and was flat in 2024.
What is included in AJA's anime music category?
Music CDs and digital music tied to anime. Concerts, streaming platform totals, and non-anime music are not included.
Does the anime music figure include streaming?
It includes digital music sales tied to anime, but AJA does not break out streaming separately. The category is narrower than the overall music streaming market.