The Label Machine Podcast #27 - Ken Kobori (SURF Music)

The Label Machine Podcast

On this episode Nick sits down with Ken Kobori, founder and CEO of SURF Music, a digital marketplace where music creators can sell their unreleased music directly to buyers worldwide.

One of today's most celebrated J-Pop songwriters and producers - best known as 2SOUL - Ken first found success in 2005 as the producer of "Story" by Japanese-American artist AI. The record-smashing hit single has led to numerous partnerships with artists from Japan, Korea and the US, including the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire and Little Glee Monsters. Success in his career as 2SOUL saw him create his own label 2SOUL MUSIC and later become an executive of Japanese media company Breaker Inc.

Ken's experience as both a creator and music business entrepreneur led him to develop SURF Music as a platform that simplifies the business of selling music for both producers and buyers. SURF Music uses artificial intelligence to auto-tag creators' songs and optimize the buyers' experience of searching for the right song, while keeping transactions efficient and transparent for creators.

Join us for an hour-long discussion on the Japanese music industry, the difference between North America and East Asia's music markets, sync deals, artificial intelligence in music and much more!