Bad News Records

Bad News Records is a Japanese entertainment company founded in 1989 for the purpose of editing and publishing a music magazine. The company name derives from the idea of creating an unprecedented interesting magazine: the initial candidate name was 'Good Music', but after considering the American music industry practice of calling the best things 'Bad', the name 'Bad' + 'News' was chosen. Since then, the company has transformed into a comprehensive entertainment company centered on music, including records, live events, management, and experience-based events, while retaining the name 'Bad News' to remember its founding spirit of creating interesting things. Its business areas include event and concert organization, overseas performances (inviting Japanese artists and promoting them mainly in China and Asia), artist management, and real-world puzzle-solving events under the name NAZOTOKI Adventure.

Bad News Records was founded in 1989 for the purpose of editing and publishing a music magazine. The founders wanted to create an unprecedented interesting magazine, and the first candidate name was 'Good Music'. However, that name did not feel right, and after considering that in the American music industry at the time it was fashionable to say 'Bad' instead of 'Good', they thought of a name, but it was already registered by someone else. Then they decided to go with 'Bad' + 'News' because it was a magazine. Thus the company name was born. Afterwards, the company changed its form into a comprehensive entertainment company centered on music, including records, live events, management, and experience-based events, but it kept the name 'Bad News' to not forget the founding spirit of creating interesting things. The company started from music magazine publishing and expanded into CD production and sales, event planning, artist management, and copyright management. In 1998, as an indie label, it held a label night at New York's CMJ, said to be the first for a Japanese indie label. In 2002, it signed the Chinese rock band Brain Failure and brought them to North America; in 2003, it released the American rock band SOLEA in the global market. In 2007, it opened China's first full-scale live house 'MAO' in Beijing, and in 2009 in Shanghai. After booking Chinese artists at SUMMER SONIC in 2011, by 2017 it handled overall coordination for SUMMER SONIC SHANGHAI held in Shanghai. It has handled A&R and management for many artists including Quruli, and has released over 400 titles. From 2015, it expanded Japanese artists into Asia—Shanghai, Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong—with artists such as She Her Her Hers, HITORIE, ZAZEN BOYS, Kenichiro Nishihara, DJ OKAWARI, Mukai Taichi, Sakanaction, Humbert Humbert, Ame no Parade, and Hyuga Fumi. It has also held Japan performances for many Korean artists such as Park Bo-gum, Ji Chang-wook, Song Kang, HIGHLIGHT, ONEW, xikers, and ATEEZ, handling all aspects including invitation, production, and operation. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic when Japan performances were impossible, it held many streaming performances.

A comprehensive entertainment company that started from music magazine publishing and expanded into records, live events, management, and experience-based events, with a founding spirit of creating interesting things.

• Music magazine publishing

• CD production and sales

• Event planning

• Artist management

• Copyright management

• Experience-based puzzle-solving events (NAZOTOKI Adventure)

1. 1Bad News – 面白い事を仕掛ける変な社名の会社badnews.co.jp
2. 2会社概要 – Bad Newsbadnews.co.jp
3. 3Bad News Recordswikidata.org