Kaz Kobayashi to step down as President and CEO of Warner Music Japan

Respected music industry veteran Kaz Kobayashi will step down as President and CEO of Warner Music Japan later this year.

The executive has led the company in Japan, the world’s second-largest music market after the United States, for the past ten years.

According to an official announcement on Wednesday (September 18), Kobayashi is working on a transition plan with Dr. Kenji Kitatani, the recently appointed Chairman of Warner Music Japan. The statement added that Kobayashi’s successor will be announced “in due course.”

Kaz Kobayashi has been President of Warner Music Japan since 2014, playing an instrumental role in the careers of artists such as Aimyon, THE YELLOW MONKEY, Kobukuro, TWICE, MISAMO and ONE OK ROCK.

Warner noted that the exec is credited with taking steps to evolve the company into “one of Japan’s leading digital-first labels”, in a market where physical sales continue to dominate.

In 2021, Kobayashi told MBW that the company had “restructured” its business “with the expectation that subscription streaming will sharply accelerate over the next few years”.

Revenues generated by subscription streaming in Japan reached 85 billion yen (USD $526m) in 2023, up 12% YoY according to RIAJ data.

Kobayashi, a former artist himself, began his career in music at EPIC Sony (now EPIC Records Japan) as an A&R.

After serving as a director and producer for various artists, he was appointed President of the company in 2002. In 2008, he became a Corporate Executive at Sony Music Entertainment, while concurrently serving as President of EPIC Records Japan, DefSTAR Records, and Ariola Japan.

He oversaw Sony Music’s music TV assets, live venues, ticketing and magazine publishing businesses.

Kobayashi’s departure from Warner Music Japan follows the news, first reported by MBW in July, that Kazuhiro Shimada had departed his role as the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

Shimada joined Warner Music Japan in November 2022 from Amazon Music Japan, where he served as Director & General Manager.

“I want to thank Simon Robson and the entire team at Warner Music Japan, past and present, who have been with me on what has been an incredible journey.”

Kaz Kobayashi

Kaz Kobayashi said: “I want to thank Simon Robson and the entire team at Warner Music Japan, past and present, who have been with me on what has been an incredible journey.

“I am truly grateful and feel honored to have been involved in the lives of many great artists, including Tatsuro Yamashita and Mariya Takeuchi. But all good things come to an end and I’ve decided it’s the right moment for me to move on.”

“I want to thank Kaz Kobayashi for his incredible contribution to the company over the last decade.”

Simon Robson

Simon Robson added: “I want to thank Kaz Kobayashi for his incredible contribution to the company over the last decade.

“Not only did he deliver outstanding results for artists as a business executive, but he also earned great respect for building deep trust and fostering friendships with them. He has led the company’s evolution in Japan, a highly important and distinctive music market.”

Elsewhere at Warner Music Group globally, we learned on Tuesday (September 18) that Kevin Liles, the CEO of 300 Elektra Entertainment, will leave the label and its parent company, WMG, at the end of this month.

Liles wasn’t the first senior WMG exec to announce his departure this summer: Both Max Lousada (WMG’s CEO, Recorded Music) and Julie Greenwald (Chairman, Atlantic Music Group) confirmed last month they would be leaving WMG.

Lousada, Greenwald and Liles are all understood to be leaving their current full-time roles at the end of September, which is the close of WMG’s financial year.Music Business Worldwide