Bandai Namco Music Live

Bandai Namco Music Live Inc. is a Japanese entertainment company within Bandai Namco Group. Its current business centers on music production and distribution, artist management, and live entertainment, particularly in areas connected with anime, games, character properties, and voice-actor culture. The company is the successor to a business that began in 1983 as AE Planning Inc. and later developed through Bandai Visual and Lantis, two organizations with complementary roles in visual media and music. The company’s most significant structural change came in 2018. Bandai Namco Holdings combined Bandai Visual with its subsidiary Lantis, creating Bandai Namco Arts. The reorganization brought together Bandai Visual’s video-content activities and Lantis’s music operations under a single corporate entity while preserving their respective areas of expertise. During this period, the business was associated with anime production and distribution as well as the creation, licensing, and release of music connected with Bandai Namco and partner properties. A further group reorganization was announced in 2021 and implemented around the creation of separate visual-content and music-focused businesses. Sunrise and related visual-content operations were organized into the company that became Bandai Namco Filmworks, while Bandai Namco Arts concentrated on music and live-event activities. The music-focused organization incorporated relevant activities from Bandai Namco Arts together with Bandai Namco Live Creative and Sunrise Music. In 2022, the company adopted the name Bandai Namco Music Live, reflecting its narrower role as the group’s specialist music and live-entertainment company. Bandai Namco Music Live operates through several labels and music initiatives. Lantis is its principal music label, while Kiramune is associated with male voice-actor artists. Sunrise Music links music activity with Sunrise and Bandai Namco Pictures properties, and is distributed by The Orchard according to the referenced company material. Other named labels and initiatives include Purple One Star, created in collaboration with bluesofa; MoooD Records, positioned around hit-making with an international outlook; UNIERA, which focuses on distinctive talent; and GloryHeaven, associated with Sony Music Solutions. Together, these labels give the company a portfolio spanning anime songs, character and franchise music, voice-actor releases, pop-oriented projects, and artist development. Live entertainment is an important part of the company’s identity rather than a peripheral activity. The business supports concerts and events that connect recorded music with performers, anime and game franchises, and fan communities. In March 2024, Bandai Namco Music Live announced plans for Shibuya Lovez, a 2,000-seat concert hall in Shibuya. Bandai Namco Base is identified as the operator, and the venue was scheduled to open in spring 2026. The project indicates an effort to strengthen the group’s dedicated infrastructure for concerts and music events. The company therefore occupies a specialized position within Bandai Namco: it is not the group’s general film or animation studio, nor a conventional standalone record company. Instead, it develops and commercializes music and live experiences that can function independently while also supporting the wider Bandai Namco ecosystem of anime, games, characters, and entertainment franchises. Its scope includes label management, releases, artist relationships, event production, and the development of venues and distribution relationships. The company’s historical connection to Bandai Visual and Lantis also gives it continuity with Bandai Namco’s earlier anime-video and music businesses, while its post-2022 identity places music and live entertainment at the center of its operations.

Bandai Namco Music Live traces its corporate history to AE Planning Inc., established in 1983. The business later became associated with Bandai Visual, a company involved in video content including animation, films, and dramas, and with Lantis, a music label known for releases connected with anime and related entertainment properties. These predecessor activities established the combination of media production, music publishing, recorded releases, and franchise-oriented entertainment that would characterize the later organization. In February 2018, Bandai Namco Holdings announced that Bandai Visual and its subsidiary Lantis would merge. The transaction took effect on April 1, 2018, creating Bandai Namco Arts. The new company continued the businesses of the two predecessor organizations while placing their activities under a more integrated corporate structure. Bandai Namco Arts consequently handled both video-related operations and music operations, including anime production and distribution as well as music production and distribution. The group announced another major reorganization in October 2021. Under the planned structure, Sunrise would lead a newly combined visual-content company incorporating Sunrise, video-content operations from Bandai Namco Arts, and Bandai Namco Rights Marketing. Bandai Namco Arts, by contrast, would become the core of a music and live-events company incorporating its music activities, Bandai Namco Live Creative, and Sunrise Music. This division was intended to give visual content and music/live entertainment clearer strategic identities within Bandai Namco Group. In 2022, the anime division was spun off into Bandai Namco Filmworks. Following that separation, the remaining music-focused company changed its name from Bandai Namco Arts to Bandai Namco Music Live. The new name described the company’s revised scope: music production and distribution, artist management, and live entertainment rather than general anime-video production. The company retained and developed several music labels, including Lantis, Kiramune, Sunrise Music, Purple One Star, MoooD Records, UNIERA, and GloryHeaven. The label portfolio covers multiple segments. Lantis serves as the principal label. Kiramune is associated with male voice-actor artists, while Sunrise Music connects music activity with Sunrise and Bandai Namco Pictures properties and uses The Orchard for distribution according to the referenced material. Purple One Star was established in cooperation with bluesofa. MoooD Records emphasizes commercially successful music with an international perspective, UNIERA is directed toward distinctive artists and talent, and GloryHeaven is linked with Sony Music Solutions. These operations allow Bandai Namco Music Live to work across anime songs, franchise releases, artist recordings, and broader popular music. The company also maintains a live-entertainment orientation. Its activities include concerts and events that bring together artists, recorded music, and Bandai Namco-linked intellectual properties. In March 2024, it announced Shibuya Lovez, a planned 2,000-seat concert hall in Shibuya. Bandai Namco Base was named as the operator, and the venue was scheduled to open in spring 2026. The planned venue represents an investment in physical infrastructure for the company’s concert and event business. In February 2026, an announcement stated that Bandai Namco Music Live would absorb Sotsu Music Publishing, the music subsidiary of Sotsu, with the organizational change scheduled for April 1 of that year. This planned integration would further consolidate music-related capabilities within the Bandai Namco Group. Overall, Bandai Namco Music Live represents the music and live-entertainment successor to a business that evolved from a broader anime and video-content operation. Its history reflects Bandai Namco’s continuing effort to organize recorded music, artist activities, franchise rights, and live experiences as interconnected but distinct parts of its entertainment portfolio.

• 2026

  Planned absorption of Sotsu Music Publishing

  [1]Bandai Namco Music Liveen.wikipedia.org

  Bandai Namco Music Live was announced as the successor organization for Sotsu’s music subsidiary, with the change planned for April 1, 2026.

• 2024

  Shibuya Lovez is announced

  [1]Bandai Namco Music Liveen.wikipedia.org

  The company announced a planned 2,000-seat concert hall in Shibuya, to be operated by Bandai Namco Base and scheduled for spring 2026.

• 2022

  The company is renamed Bandai Namco Music Live

  [1]Bandai Namco Music Liveen.wikipedia.org

  After the anime division moved to Bandai Namco Filmworks, the remaining company adopted its current name and focused on music and live entertainment.

• 2021

  Bandai Namco announces a visual and music business reorganization

  [1]Bandai Namco Music Liveen.wikipedia.org

  The planned structure separated visual content from music and live events, assigning the latter to a business built around Bandai Namco Arts, Bandai Namco Live Creative, and Sunrise Music.

• 2018

  Bandai Visual and Lantis merge into Bandai Namco Arts

  [1]Bandai Namco Music Liveen.wikipedia.org

  Bandai Visual and its subsidiary Lantis were combined under Bandai Namco Arts, effective April 1, creating an integrated company for visual-content and music activities.

• 1983

  AE Planning is established

  [1]Bandai Namco Music Liveen.wikipedia.org

  The company’s corporate lineage begins with the formation of AE Planning Inc.

A specialist music and live-entertainment company within Bandai Namco Group, combining record-label operations, artist management, franchise-linked music, and concert production.

• Music label

  Lantis

  Lantis is the company’s principal music label and one of the central parts of its recorded-music business. Its role is associated with music releases connected to anime, games, characters, and other Japanese entertainment properties.

• Voice-actor music label

  Kiramune

  Kiramune is a label focused on male voice-actor artists. It extends the company’s activities beyond soundtrack production into artist releases, performer development, and music-led fan engagement.

• Franchise-linked music label

  Sunrise Music

  Sunrise Music is associated with Sunrise and Bandai Namco Pictures properties. The label supports music tied to visual and franchise content and is distributed by The Orchard according to the referenced material.

• Music label

  Purple One Star

  Purple One Star is a music label established in collaboration with bluesofa. It forms part of Bandai Namco Music Live’s broader portfolio of labels and artist-oriented music initiatives.

• Music label

  MoooD Records

  MoooD Records is positioned around developing commercially successful music with a global perspective. It gives the company a label platform oriented toward broader audience reach beyond narrowly defined franchise releases.

• Artist label

  UNIERA

  UNIERA is an initiative intended to bring forward distinctive or unusual talent. It complements the company’s larger labels by providing a platform for artist discovery and differentiated creative positioning.

• Music label

  GloryHeaven

  GloryHeaven is a music label associated with Sony Music Solutions. It is part of the company’s network of labels and distribution relationships.

• Concert venue · 2026

  Shibuya Lovez

  Shibuya Lovez is a planned 2,000-seat concert hall in Shibuya announced by Bandai Namco Music Live in 2024. Bandai Namco Base was identified as its operator, with opening scheduled for spring 2026.

• 2026

  Absorb Sotsu Music PublishingM&A

  Background

  Bandai Namco Group announced a planned consolidation involving Sotsu’s music subsidiary.

  Action taken

  Bandai Namco Music Live was announced as the organization that would absorb Sotsu Music Publishing, with the change planned for April 1, 2026.

  Aftermath

  The referenced material does not provide details on the completed integration, financial terms, or operational effects.

  Source

• 2024

  Develop Shibuya Lovez concert hallOther

  Background

  The company sought to expand its physical infrastructure for concerts and live entertainment.

  Action taken

  Bandai Namco Music Live announced a 2,000-seat concert hall in Shibuya, with Bandai Namco Base as operator.

  Aftermath

  The venue was scheduled to open in spring 2026; the referenced material does not confirm its opening or operating results.

  Source

• 2021

  Separate visual content from music and live entertainmentStrategy

  Background

  Bandai Namco Holdings reorganized its entertainment businesses to give visual content and music/live activities clearer organizational identities.

  Action taken

  The group planned a visual-content company around Sunrise and moved Bandai Namco Arts’ music activities into a music and live-events company incorporating Bandai Namco Live Creative and Sunrise Music.

  Aftermath

  The visual business became Bandai Namco Filmworks, while the music-focused company adopted the Bandai Namco Music Live name in 2022.

  Source

• 2018

  Merge Bandai Visual and LantisM&A

  Background

  Bandai Namco Holdings sought to bring Bandai Visual and its subsidiary Lantis into a more integrated company while continuing their existing visual-content and music activities.

  Action taken

  The two businesses were combined to form Bandai Namco Arts, effective April 1, 2018.

  Aftermath

  The merger created a single organization spanning video content and music before a later reorganization separated the visual and music businesses.

  Source

1. 1Bandai Namco Music Liveen.wikipedia.org