[BizDev Interview] Launching a Video Service That Hit the Market Twice – A music industry veteran with over 20 years of experience takes on a new mission to fuse global culture and music.

This interview features Yuichi Takeba, who leads the expansion of existing businesses and the launch of new ventures as BizDev.

Yuichi Takeba has been in the music industry for over 20 years and has had a broad career, including working as a label promoter, launching a video streaming service, and taking a company public twice.

So what motivated him to join Gridge and what potential does he see in it? What does he see as Gridge’s strengths from the perspective of someone with extensive experience across the music industry?

Takeba-san’s story, dedicated fully to music and defined by overcoming many challenges, will appeal to those interested in entertainment and music, as well as individuals exploring careers in startups or ventures.

We hope you enjoy the story until the end.

Contents:

• From festival sponsorships to launching a video streaming service — a time he excelled with the feeling of “I want to spread music.”

• After taking a company public twice, working as a promoter and web strategist at his dream label, managing the entire marketing department alone during a turbulent period.

• A sudden company-wide layoff at a foreign-affiliated company, the turning point on Christmas Eve that led to his encounter with Gridge.

• A global team that can “translate” culture and high-level fandom research through precise preparation.

From festival sponsorships to launching a video streaming service — a time he excelled with the feeling of “I want to spread music.”

▍I see you have been in the music industry for over 20 years, but what brought you into the music industry?

I have always liked music to begin with.I started getting into music from the influence of my relatives around the 2nd or 3rd grade in elementary school. They liked The Beatles and Led Zeppelin and often let me listen to their records. Around that time, glamorous artists of the ’80s like Michael Jackson and Madonna would often appear on TV. Since there was no internet or social media back then, broadcast television was my main source of information.

I remember watching footage from Michael Jackson’s Japan Tour and feeling strongly that “music is so fun and cool.”

I also enjoyed music from radio recordings.

As I explored various music through the radio and rental CDs, I became interested in Japanese bands and Western music, and I started wanting to play music myself.

I bought a guitar when I was 15, started practicing little by little and was also in a band during my student years.

I didn’t improve much at playing, but I became deeply absorbed in listening, gathering information, and collecting CDs.

Since I moved to Tokyo for school, it made me want to feel music even more closely.

▍So that’s when you started being involved in the music industry officially.

Actually, the first time was when I joined a music broadcasting company as a part-timer through a friend while I was in school.

I got to experience what it was like to be an assistant director in a department that produced music programs and handled music publishing. I was able to be part of creating music programs and promoting them, so it made me feel strongly that a career in music would be incredibly exciting.

I liked mainstream music too, but I was especially drawn to subculture and indie artists, and I often felt, “Why aren’t they reaching more people even though they’re amazing?” That feeling became my passion to spread this music.

That feeling hasn’t changed since back then.

▍Is there any particular moment from that time that was especially memorable for you?

I think being involved in a sponsorship project for Japan’s largest music festival was the most memorable.

At the time, although we were in the music business, we weren’t really engaged with festivals. There were no program specials or sponsorships. And I had always wanted to work on something related to festivals.

My colleague and I came up with a special festival program, which then got approved. We met with the festival organizers in person to request permission to use their logo for publication in our newsletter and to explain our program concept.

We just went to request permission to use the logo and explain our program overview, but as it happened, they suggested, “Would you like to sponsor us?” (laughs)

They proposed a sponsorship of several million yen, and I was nervous about what to do. So I consulted my manager and he immediately contacted the president. Perhaps our passion came across as the festival sponsorship was officially agreed upon.

As I was the one who came up with the idea, I was appointed as the project leader in charge of booth setup and coordination with the event organizers, despite being so young. That was such an amazing learning experience.

That marked the beginning of sponsoring several major music festivals in Japan for that year.

▍Such impressive initiative!

In hindsight, it was just youthful enthusiasm. (laughs)

Another memorable experience was being part of launching a video streaming service.

This project all started with the company president’s statement: “To expand broadband to the world, we need content. We are stepping into an era where people watch TV over the internet.”

My boss told me on a Friday night, “I want you to go to the video streaming department starting this Monday and assist with the launch preparations!” And so began a whirlwind of work. (laughs)

I was only able to go home twice in a month probably, and everyone had been staying at the office overnight.

It’s hard to imagine now, but at the time, there was a festival-like excitement, and it was really fun.

After taking a company public twice, working as a promoter and web strategist at his dream label, managing the entire marketing department alone during a turbulent period.

▍What did you do next in your career?

When “chaku-uta” (downloadable ringtones) became a trend and everyone was listening to music on flip phones, I joined a startup working on mobile music distribution.

I wanted to join as a sales representative at first but I got assigned to the marketing department. The department was launched with just my supervisor and I, the two of us, and we started from scratch without knowing a thing.

The job involved running affiliate advertising to draw more users to the flip phone membership site, managing daily sales, planning advertising campaigns, and analyzing metrics. I had hardly used Excel before then and had only used music editing software, so I didn’t even understand terms like CTR and CVR.

So I worked very hard to learn that from there.

▍The skills you gained back then are still useful now.

I did learn the basics at that time. 

There were times when we spent around 100 million yen per month just on affiliate advertising, so gaining experience managing such large numbers was huge for me.

Following that, around the time of the 2011 earthquake, the company’s business suffered and it ended up closing. Then I joined an IT company that was operating in the digital entertainment and music field.

▍After joining that company, what kind of job duties were you responsible for?

I was in a department managing the music streaming site. I used the Excel and numerical management skills I had learned at my previous job to implement budgeting, progress tracking, and data analysis within the department.

Although the company was growing quickly, the department didn’t really have proper numerical management and often operated based on intuition, so I gradually worked to build a numbers-based management culture.

In the end, I became the department head overseeing the music streaming site.

▍And you experienced taking a company public after that, right?

That was a really valuable experience. While I was with that company, I went through taking the company public twice - first on the TSE Mothers Market, and then the TSE First Section right after.

I still remember clearly the moment when I rang the bell at the stock exchange with my team.

▍What made you change jobs while you were in that role at a listed company?

The growth of music streaming sites was hitting a standstill at that time.

Accompanying that, I took on the job of creating an additional character business separate from the music streaming site. Because I became the manager there, there were days I couldn’t get any sleep, and I wanted to dedicate myself solely to music-related work, so I decided to change jobs.

Then I started working at a renowned indie record company that I had always loved.

▍What were your roles there?

I first joined on a web strategy capacity, planning collaborative strategies with other web media outlets like YouTube.

But at the time I joined, the company’s promotions staff — in other words, the promoter — had left. I was asked to try it out, so I took on promoter tasks as well.

The promoter's duties were to visit media outlets like TV and radio stations and encourage them to feature our company’s content.

Additionally, we handled a variety of activities to promote artists to the public, such as exposure in magazines, web media appearances, planning launch campaigns, and helping with press releases and event activities.”

▍So you were in a positon of handling all the marketing duties.

Yes.

I had one supervisor who was a promoter, but that person also left half a year after I joined, so I ended up handling both web strategy and the promoter’s job on my own.

“In a major record company, they usually have separate positions for print media, TV, radio, and web, but I handled all of them by myself. On top of that, my responsibilities weren’t limited to Tokyo — they included the entire country.

It was tough, but because of that experience, I was able to build a broad network within the media and music industries.

I still maintain connections with the people I previously met, such as those at karaoke companies, record labels, and radio stations. I truly believe there will be many opportunities to work with them again as Gridge continues to grow.

Looking back, it was a really tough environment, but I think it has become something quite significant to me.

A sudden company-wide layoff at a foreign-affiliated company, the turning point on Christmas Eve that led to his encounter with Gridge.

▍After that, you were in charge of the music division at a foreign-owned YouTube MCN company?

※MCN: Abbreviation for Multi-Channel Network, an organization that assists creators on a platform.

In 2019, YouTube was already an enormous platform so I thought it was a fascinating domain.

Also, not everyone can become an MCN. It is a system that only a company given exclusive rights by YouTube can manage. I focused on how I could expand music, leveraging that advantage.

In music, copyright and licensing processes are very complicated. However, we developed a service where we can support artists and creators alike, combining not only the strengths of an MCN but also the traditional methods of music copyright management and use.

Services managing music copyrights and distribution are increasing every year, but it is extremely difficult for creators to handle everything alone.

That’s when we supported indie and amateur musicians by offering a service of “If you leave it to us, you’ll receive comprehensive, one-stop support.”

▍How did you first come across Gridge?

On the last business day of the year, we were told, “We don’t have any money, so everyone has to quit this month,” by the management.

I was surprised since we were just talking about next year’s team structure around early December and how we were saying, ‘Let’s do our best next year’ at the year-end party. Then we were all laid off on the last working day, which was Christmas Eve. (laughs)

It was like a ‘profitable yet bankrupt’ situation. The cash flow became unmanageable, and I heard that even investors who had been considering funding until the last minute canceled.

At that moment, there was an upcoming artist project planned for the next year, so I had to contact their team and say that we cannot continue.

Then someone from their team had a conncetion with Gridge CEO, Yabui-san and that person said  “Gridge might be a better fit for you, Takeba-san.” That’s how it all started.

I’ve seen Yabui-san and Yunoki-san speaking at an online music industry seminar before, so I knew a bit about Gridge beforehand.

Through these kinds of connections, I met Yabui-san and Yunoki-san shortly after the New Year, and I officially joined the company in February.

It truly was a relationship brought about by “connections between people and luck.”

▍Why did you decide to join Gridge?

The biggest reason is that I resonated with the vision of “Expanding Japanese music overseas.”

I was also drawn by the thought of not simply working within an existing system, but they want to create an “eco-system,” where  Gridge itself will be the engine that moves the world.

I’ve always enjoyed creating various elements, connecting people, and bringing new systems and projects to life.

Even at my previous job, I felt passionate about creating a kind of big engine and network by bringing together different things and people, so I felt that at Gridge, I could do this on an even larger scale.\

Currently, I am challenging myself to create a service that opens new opportunities in the music industry, and I feel a sense of fulfillment as it gradually takes shape.

A global team that can “translate culture” and high-level fandom research through precise preparation.

▍It has been around half a year since you joined Gridge, but what are some things you feel rewarded for or joyful about?

Since it’s a venture startup, there are a lot of tasks that need to be done, and it can be very busy, but because of that, I feel excited to be exposed to diverse experiences.

In a large company, each department has its own role and you just work on what your assigned tasks are.

But at Gridge, we keep the big picture in mind, always asking ourselves “What should I focus on most right now?” and act flexibly, which makes the work very fulfilling.

Also, I go out as a sales representative, and I often share the international marketing services and achievements that Gridge has accomplished.

At those moments, everyone is very receptive and interested and I’m even told by some people I’ve known in the field, "Wow Takeba-san, you are in that very intriguing company.”

This is more due to the efforts others rather than myself, the activities and accomplishments that Yabui-san, Yunoki-san, and our team have established.

I feel that Gridge’s creative initiatives are also properly acknowledged externally.

▍For people in the music industry, which aspects are they particularly interested in?

I think that marketing strategies with a precise understanding of trends in each country and their implications.

When I talk with record companies, I notice that everyone has mutual interest in ‘international expansion’ and trends in Indonesia for example.

At Gridge, we take these interests and turn them into specific data and strategies, which allows us to outline the next phase together.

We can indicate, what the situation is in Indonesia and why we should take this strategy, and show how that can be completely different depending on the country.

What gets people’s attention most is the ‘Fandom Report’ managed by Aida-san.

A lot of the world’s data can only show numbers reflecting the outcome of what has already happened.

People don’t know the subjective elements behind them, such as how fans felt and what kind of actions they took.

That’s why at Gridge, we create individual accounts, manually join fandoms on social media, and analyze them in detail from both qualitative and quantitative aspects.

When I share these kinds of stories, record companies take a strong and keen interest in them.

By collecting such in-depth data, we can comprehend more — for example, if we see data that an 18-year-old male in a certain country listens to a particular artist often, we can understand why he is listening to them and what emotions are behind it.

By applying this data to the PDCA process, we can strategically develop international fandoms. 

(PDCA : Plan–Do–Check–Act)

We can then capture fans’ psychological mindset through this deep analysis, which conventional data wouldn’t have been able to tell, and I think that’s what draws strong interest from people in the industry.

▍Why is it that Gridge is so uniquely able to do this fandom analysis?

The biggest part of it is because we have a local teammates overseas.

Moreover, our overseas members are not just capable of marketing; they also have a solid understanding of Japanese music and culture, which is our biggest strength.

To deliver Japanese music overseas, just translating the language isn’t enough.

We can conduct qualitative analysis and marketing by appreciating the beauty of Japanese song lyrics, the charm of the melodies, and by having an intimate understanding of Japanese culture, such as anime, Vocaloid, and VTubers.

Gridge’s global team is made up of people from different countries who are adept at these types of “cultural translation.”

I believe it’s also related to our entrenched culture of a prepared approach.

When we actually share the reports in meetings, people are regularly surprised, saying, “You’ve gone this far?”

We go through meticulous preparation and create proposals that meet and exceed expectations. This is possible because the CEO, Yabui-san’s, philosophy is deeply embedded in the company, which leads to Gridge’s own strengths.

▍Finally, please tell us what kind of person you want to work with and who would be a good fit for Gridge.

First and foremost, people who are into entertainment and music.

If they can turn that feeling of “like” into fuel and act on it, it will definitely become some kind of power.

Also, someone who can see the big picture. 

As I mentioned earlier, since it is a startup, it is crucial to monitor the company’s overall operations to decide and act on what needs to be done right now.

Someone with a broad perspective who can also pour their passion into specific areas. I think such people would be a good fit for Gridge.

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What did you think?

Takeba-san has remained on the front lines of the music industry for over 20 years.

He has kept taking on new challenges over time, driven by his unchanging desire to spread music, and you can feel his deep passion for it.

And now, as a member of the Gridge global team, he is strives to make his grand vision a reality: spreading Japanese music to the world.

With the knowledge and connections he has built over many years, and his initiative, he is working to build a new way to connect artists with fans worldwide.

If, through Takeba-san’s interview, you feel like, “I want to create entirely new, innovative music experiences,” or “I want to bring Japanese music to more people through a global perspective,” then please feel free to apply.

※We are looking for team members in various roles — contractors, full-time, or student interns. 

Thank you for reading until the end.