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SKY-HI – The importance of D.U.N.K. on YouTube (Translation by shizuna)
Translated from SKY-HI's interview series with Nikkei, "Be myself, for ourselves"
Original interview, 91st installment from July 6, 2023.
Other than the participation of artists across various labels and offices, by showing off music, dance and vocals with collaboration, one of the main things he wanted to do with D.U.N.K. was distribute it on YouTube.
There are currently very few music programs in Japan, their broadcast time is usually in the middle of the night, and you can’t find / watch them on the Internet. You’ve only got the fans who like the artists a lot that are watching the contents, pretty much. In the past, some of those late night programs might spark some discussion or topic of conversation, but there is so much video content out there now that it is difficult to see those topics develop.
On the other hand, with video streaming and distribution services – it’s not always easy for Japanese artists to release content that can be watched around the world. There is usually a fee / service to pay for watching the content, and the fact that some labels will put region restrictions on their YouTube videos.
One strategy is – focus on content that is available to view for free on the Internet, increase its value offline and increase its appeal to the fans – then lead them to purchase the products and / or services. But what has happened with the Japanese music industry is that it has been trying so hard to “stay closed” for such a long time that I think it has completely weakened in strength over the last 20 years. While the music industry is growing steadily worldwide, Japan is in a state of decline. It is clear as day that the reason for this is [J-Ent] industry’s response to the Internet.
It was therefore very important for us to have something available on the Internet – a music program on YouTube – that everyone knows and can watch from all over the world.
There was a good atmosphere among the artists in the D.U.N.K. Showcase, and I hope to bring that atmosphere to the world.
I think there was a period of time where content was so bleak such that videos of people getting angry got the most views, but lately I’ve seen a growth in content that is counter to that, where it makes people feel comfortable and at ease. In other words, I think content that reflects “good friendship” and “a good atmosphere” will grow.
For instance, I think audition programs that show off [a good atmosphere] will grow stronger in the future than severe survival type programs. Rather than videos in which everyone is suffering and enduring, the time has come for content with a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere. I felt this strongly during “THE FIRST”, and if we can ensure content such as D.U.N.K. [is on YouTube] then I think we will be able to hit the program’s target numbers.
However, it is not me or BMSG that produced the program, it’s NTV. We needed to communicate our vision and proceed with very precise communication. For THE FIRST, BMSG produced the program and NTV & Hulu broadcasted it. I’ve found it both difficult and interesting to “have them made as per our requests”. In good and bad ways, if my requests are met too often I honestly wonder how far I should go in conveying them. Looking back on it, I realized that BMSG hasn’t had much experience working with large companies to create content. I think in that sense this will be a good experience for me.
Note: BMSG was in charge of producing the D.U.N.K. Showcase, but NTV was in charge of D.UN.K. the TV show and variety content.
As for music programs, I think there’s still a lot of room for growth, especially in terms of camerawork, so I want to do my best in that.
Please note I translate these for free, so they may not be super perfect.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
Original interview, 91st installment from July 6, 2023.
Other than the participation of artists across various labels and offices, by showing off music, dance and vocals with collaboration, one of the main things he wanted to do with D.U.N.K. was distribute it on YouTube.
There are currently very few music programs in Japan, their broadcast time is usually in the middle of the night, and you can’t find / watch them on the Internet. You’ve only got the fans who like the artists a lot that are watching the contents, pretty much. In the past, some of those late night programs might spark some discussion or topic of conversation, but there is so much video content out there now that it is difficult to see those topics develop.
On the other hand, with video streaming and distribution services – it’s not always easy for Japanese artists to release content that can be watched around the world. There is usually a fee / service to pay for watching the content, and the fact that some labels will put region restrictions on their YouTube videos.
One strategy is – focus on content that is available to view for free on the Internet, increase its value offline and increase its appeal to the fans – then lead them to purchase the products and / or services. But what has happened with the Japanese music industry is that it has been trying so hard to “stay closed” for such a long time that I think it has completely weakened in strength over the last 20 years. While the music industry is growing steadily worldwide, Japan is in a state of decline. It is clear as day that the reason for this is [J-Ent] industry’s response to the Internet.
It was therefore very important for us to have something available on the Internet – a music program on YouTube – that everyone knows and can watch from all over the world.
There was a good atmosphere among the artists in the D.U.N.K. Showcase, and I hope to bring that atmosphere to the world.
I think there was a period of time where content was so bleak such that videos of people getting angry got the most views, but lately I’ve seen a growth in content that is counter to that, where it makes people feel comfortable and at ease. In other words, I think content that reflects “good friendship” and “a good atmosphere” will grow.
For instance, I think audition programs that show off [a good atmosphere] will grow stronger in the future than severe survival type programs. Rather than videos in which everyone is suffering and enduring, the time has come for content with a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere. I felt this strongly during “THE FIRST”, and if we can ensure content such as D.U.N.K. [is on YouTube] then I think we will be able to hit the program’s target numbers.
However, it is not me or BMSG that produced the program, it’s NTV. We needed to communicate our vision and proceed with very precise communication. For THE FIRST, BMSG produced the program and NTV & Hulu broadcasted it. I’ve found it both difficult and interesting to “have them made as per our requests”. In good and bad ways, if my requests are met too often I honestly wonder how far I should go in conveying them. Looking back on it, I realized that BMSG hasn’t had much experience working with large companies to create content. I think in that sense this will be a good experience for me.
Note: BMSG was in charge of producing the D.U.N.K. Showcase, but NTV was in charge of D.UN.K. the TV show and variety content.
As for music programs, I think there’s still a lot of room for growth, especially in terms of camerawork, so I want to do my best in that.
Please note I translate these for free, so they may not be super perfect.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!