As reflected by our products, we at ByteDance see music as a universal language that connects people from all over the world. When it comes to the business side of dealing with copyright and licensing, we trust our global Music Business Development team to lead the way and ensure that users of our apps are free to express themselves through music.
To learn what it's like to drive global music business development at ByteDance Japan, we spoke with Tomishi K. and Kyo T., two key members of our Music BD team in Tokyo who are working on some fascinating projects. Tomishi and Kyo reflected on their roles, the dynamics behind how they work together, and the future of music at ByteDance.
Most of us are familiar with business development, but what does it mean in the context of music?
Tomishi: "We do a little bit of everything. First, we work on establishing music licensing and copyright, which means identifying and negotiating with labels and their leads to make sure we secure the legal rights to use their music in our apps. In the same vein, we spend time localizing and legalizing global business deals for the Japan market. We also identity, negotiate, and manage the licensing of any Japanese music that will be streamed overseas."
Kyo: "Some of our work is actually similar to consulting, because we're constantly looking at current trends and trying to anticipate future trends that may be exciting to our users. We also do much of our work within cross-functional teams, especially alongside the Operations and Legal departments, so that there aren't any hiccups as we're developing the music on our platforms."
You've both worked outside of Japan. Tell us about your backgrounds and how you ended up at ByteDance in Tokyo.
Tomishi: "I was previously working, traveling, and studying in Eastern Europe, but I came back to Japan also because I love karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken). Since the start of my career, I've been working in the copyright field and focusing on music. I was first inspired by a (really niche) metal band that I was a fan of, but ultimately dissolved itself due to a lack of stable income; by working in copyright, I felt I could support bands like them and allow more music to be shared with the world. As a global company promoting Japanese music and encouraging the discovery of new music through its apps, ByteDance struck me as the ideal place to pursue those goals on a large scale."
Kyo: "I studied sound engineering at a US college with the goal of becoming a studio engineer. Later, however, I realized that I'd rather be out doing business than working in the sound room, which is what motivated me to intern for a music hardware firm in Los Angeles and eventually return to Japan to join TikTok's music team. After transitioning last year to my current role in music business development alongside Tomishi, I've had the chance to learn a lot while making a meaningful impact across ByteDance's apps."
How would you describe each other?
Kyo: "Tomishi is like Atlas (from Greek mythology). His licensing deals are the bedrock of our ByteDance apps, and we use them as a starting point for new projects. We all see him as the compass, always guiding and steering us in the right direction -- of course, with a firm understanding of where ByteDance wants to go in both the short and long-term. Tomishi is also someone who can turn something devastatingly boring into something interesting, which makes him an amazing person to work with, in addition to his extensive knowledge of copyright laws."
Tomishi: "I would describe Kyo as a 'man of ideas.' It may not be the perfect phrase, but hear me out! Kyo is very creative, and he always manages to surprise me (in a good way) while being reliable -- a steady hand to keep our 'ship' going. Even when we're swamped with work, Kyo is able to press forward and contribute new ideas and perspectives that I might never have considered before. These qualities make him an invaluable teammate."
What does the future look like at ByteDance?
Tomishi: "Our job entails legally obtaining the rights to use music within our apps to allow our users to freely express themselves. This might not always be the most sexy job, but our ultimate goal is to carve out a healthy ecosystem on our platforms for artists and labels -- one where a new revenue stream can give them the opportunity to continue creating what they love (unlike the niche metal band that broke my heart!). This will always be a top priority when it comes to music, both for me and the company as a whole."
Kyo: "To add to that, we want to continue to improve our platforms so that users can express themselves freely, safely, and creatively. I often compare our team to the monsters in the 2001 Pixar movie Monster's Inc: there are a lot of personalities and everyone has a different superpower (specialty), but we're all able to work together. Like Tomishi, I think the sky is the limit for us as we continue to explore countless new apps and opportunities."
As colleagues and friends, Tomishi and Kyo represent the best of life at ByteDance. Interested in joining their team? Check out this open position on our Music BD team in Tokyo, or browse other open positions in Japan or globally on our jobs page. Make sure to follow ByteDance on LinkedIn for the latest updates as well!
