JMT Web News

Japan Musical Instruments Association recently completed the Music Products Industry Manufacturers Survey conducted by Tomoaki Tanaka, associate professor of Tokyo Keizai University and his group. They sent a questionnaire to 81 companies in the industry, and 56 responded. The Retailers Survey will be available early spring.

The pandemic struck every segment of the industry from manufacturing, to distribution after the last spring. Under the chaotic environments, it took extra time and labor for them to collect the data from the manufacturers. The effect of Covid-19 was scarcely reflected in the survey as it was subjected to a full year term from April, 2019 to March, 2020. The actual influence by the virus will be remarked in the 2021 survey.

Brisk export of large keyboard instruments
The domestic sales and export of acoustic pianos including grand and upright pianos, and automatic player pianos in 2019 marked 55.2 billion yen, and gained 19% share of total domestic sales and export. Domestic sales and export of Digital pianos were 68.3 billion yen and shared 24% of the total. The entire category shared 43% of the total domestic sales and export.

Export of acoustic pianos maintained the same level as the previous year in unit, but value-wise they counted 47.5 billion yen, minus 2%. Grand piano export slightly declined both in unit and value, but the domestic sales increased 9% to 3,678 units and 8% to 3.97 billion yen in value. Upright piano export kept the level of the year before last in unit, but the domestic sales declined 4% in unit to 8,936 units and 3% in value to 3.58 billion yen. Automatic player piano also tracked the same pattern as upright pianos with no change in export but 8% decline in the domestic sales to 143 units and 16% decline to 140 million yen.

Export of digital pianos increased 6% to 1,389,000 units and 3% to 55.53 billion yen, while the domestic sales were stagnant with 14% decline in unit and 12% decline in value.

The domestic sales of electronic keyboards with standard-size keys jumped 39% in unit, and 57% in value, but export kept the level of the year before last in value. Those with mini-size keys enjoyed continuous growth in domestic sales and export with 10% gain in unit, and 22% domestic sales increase and 31% export increase in value.

Minor decline of wind instruments in domestic market
In 2019 domestic sales and export of wind instruments in Japan were 31 billion yen, sharing11% of entire value. Export gained equivalent sales in unit and value, but the domestic sales declined 10% in unit and 8% in value. Sales of every segment of this category slightly went down.

Export of saxophones and clarinets gained 9% and 3%, respectively in unit and 8% and 2% respectively in value, and other woodwind instruments and trumpets/cornets increased 2% and 1% respectively in unit. Since these products gained sales in unit than value, average unit price narrowly declined. It suggests sales of entry level instruments Increased last year.

Brass instruments struggled both in export and the domestic market with 6% and 10% declines, respectively. Trombones significantly went down 16% in export and 12% in the domestic sales.

Sales of string instruments including violins, violas, celli, double basses and electric models increased marginal 2% in unit, while declined 6% in value. Naturally, it caused lower average unit price.

Production and sales of other string instruments such as mandolins, banjos and harps went down 90% in unit. However, export and the domestic sales of them declined just 6% and 2%, respectively. Considering the size of the market, it’s likely that the dramatic decline in unit has not much influenced the market.

Excellent sales of digital drums and educational percussions
The domestic sales and export of percussion instruments in 2019 were 21 billion yen which shared 7% of the total industry sales.

Digital drumkits are the largest segment of the category with 6.87 billion yen sales. Export of them declined 10% in value, but the domestic sales increased 2% in unit and 3% in value.

The domestic sales and export of acoustic drumkits and single drums, the second largest segment of the category, declined to 3.12 billion yen with 3% and 16% minus in the domestic market and export, respectively.

School-use small percussions dramatically increased 58% in unit and 12% in value in the domestic market. Other digital drums increased 18% in unit and 27% in value. Hardware gained 11% in unit and 17% in value. Cajons increased 11% in unit but decreased 10% in value.

In addition to the above products, table-top xylophones (28% increase in unit and 23% in value), table-top glockenspiels (15% increase in unit and 11% in value) and other percussion instruments (25% increase in unit and 3% in value) contributed to export growth.

Minor increase of guitars and related products
In 2019 the domestic sales and export of guitars and related products including acoustic and electric guitars, electric-acoustic guitars, electric basses, amps, effect devices, tuners and guitar strings were 36.3 billion yen sharing 12% of the total industry sales. They marked meager 4% increase in unit and 2% increase in value in the domestic sales.

The domestic sales of electric-acoustic guitars increased 21% in unit and 12% in value. Acoustic guitars also gained 6% in unit and 1% in value. Guitar and bass amps also sold well in the domestic market with 44% increase in unit and 35% increase in value. These segments have showed the largest growth since 2016 when the present data collection system started.

This category also showed an excellent result in export; electric guitars and basses with 15% increase in unit and 30% increase in value, electric-acoustic guitars with 7% increase in unit and 8% increase in value, guitar and bass strings with 4% increase in unit and 16% increase in value.

Sound export of harmonicas and accordions
The domestic sales of other musical instruments including harmonicas, keyboard harmonicas, accordions, recorders, ocarinas and Taishokotos declined between 10% and 15%, however, they showed excellent performance in export. Harmonicas gained remarkable 48% increase in unit and 78% increase in value. Also, accordion export rose 39% in unit and 36% in value.

Though the domestic sales and export of ocarina declined 15% in unit, they kept the level of the previous year in value. It suggests high-quality models are purchased by adult players.

Taishokotos which upturned the previous year fell 54% in unit and 46% in value in the domestic market.

Digital musical instruments made in Japan boosted the market
The domestic sales and export of digital musical instruments were 15 billion yen sharing 5% of the total sales. While overseas production of synthesizers with keyboard and other digital musical instruments dramatically went down, domestic production jumped up from 8 times to 50 times depending on models. The trend was also evident on other digital musical instruments. Production of them in the domestic market outperformed overseas production.

Except the domestic sales of other digital musical instruments which increased 20% in unit but decreased 3% in value, every segment of this category recorded overwhelming increase of sales in value reflecting significant increase of average unit price.

Export of other digital musical instruments gained 33% increase in unit and 57% in value, seemingly value-added models of wind synthesizers and stand-alone music production tools successfully explored overseas market.

Growing demands for compact PA systems
Portable PA systems, power amps, mixers and speaker systems earned 15.2 billion yen sales in the domestic market and export. They represent 5% of total industry sales.

Portable type PA systems significantly increased 60% in value in the domestic market and export. The domestic sales of mixers and speaker systems grew 17% and 22%, respectively in value.

Hard disk MTR gained 6% sales in the domestic market and over 56% growth in export suggesting continued demands among considerable number of musicians.