The activities of "BE:FIRST", which was born from the boy group audition "THE FIRST" that became a big topic last year, are expanding.
After debuting in November last year and winning 40 crowns on various music charts with the debut song "Gifted." Held a FINAL live of "THE FIRST" titled "FIRST FINAL".
There was a lot of excitement, with some being broadcast live on Nippon Television.
Furthermore, from January 31st, the pre-distribution song "Brave Generation" from the 2nd single has been pre-distributed, and the number of video views of the pre-debut song "Shining One" has exceeded 25 million times. It looks like it did.
It seems that it was also at the top of the next trend forecast conducted for the Z generation.
Reference: BE: FIRST, INI... Yuji "These two groups are incredibly popular" in the next trend predictions by Generation Z girls.
"THE FIRST" was also distributed on NTV's Sukkiri and Hulu, so I think there are many people who see it as an extension of the "Nizi Project" that created "NiziU". increase.
However, "THE FIRST" was actually created by Mr. Hidaka, also known as SKY-HI, who launched a company called "BMSG". I started investing 100 million yen for the project.
"BMSG" is billed as "a label that creates an environment where artists can develop their talents in their own way". I think it's a big feature that it's starting.
Reference: Entrepreneur SKY-HI thinks about the Japanese music industry "revival scenario"
As proof of that, whether it's "THE FIRST" or "BE:FIRST", you can see here and there approaches that are unthinkable according to the conventional wisdom of the industry.
It is also characteristic that the entire audition process and performance can still be seen on YouTube. , can be said to be one of them.
In the midst of this, personally, "BE:FIRST" will revolutionize the common sense of how SNS is used in the Japanese music industry. What I secretly expect is the attitude of fans using artist photos.
It didn't become a big topic outside of fans, but in September last year, BE:FIRST actually posted a copyrighted article on its website titled "To everyone who supports BE:FIRST." We have published detailed guidelines on how to handle portraits and portraits.
Reference: To everyone who supports BE:FIRST | BE:FIRST
Among them, this is the most important point.
In other words, using BE:FIRST's photos and group logos as profile images and headers on social media, and posting them on social media for the purpose of supporting them is a special "OK" as long as it does not infringe on publicity rights. clearly declared that it was.
Mr. Hidaka's tweet when he made this declaration is also very impressive.
In the text written in the image, it is clearly stated, ``As long as you don't see anything like unfair money-making, slander, or malicious fabrication, we will basically ignore it, so please keep the hashtags up. It is declared to the effect that "I want it."
As you can see in the image of Mr. Hidaka's tweet, we are actively promoting the use of these fan photos and videos. is K-POP.
In particular, BTS's fans, called ARMYs, are known worldwide for their ability to spread on social media. It is said that this kind of energy is generated by taking such measures.
Reference: Even if the world tour is canceled, the momentum will not stop. BTS's "three media strategies"
On the other hand, in the Japanese music industry so far, the idea that basically even fans can't use things that have copyrights and portrait rights has been mainstream on the Internet. I have continued.
It is a very well-known story that Johnny & Associates has continued to take a strict stance on posting photos, etc. of affiliated artists on the Internet.
After all, until a few years ago, I heard that Johnny's artists had pretty strict restrictions on using their videos and photos on their websites, even for companies that sponsor TV commercials. .
After that, the ban on posting media photos online was finally lifted in January 2018, but Johnny's stance on photos and videos on the internet was so strict that this itself became an article in the media. I understand that.
Reference: Johnny's photos finally lifted online. Ryo Nishikido holds a press conference with a smile
Of course, this attitude is to protect the rights of artists, and Johnny & Associates is gradually changing to a more active attitude toward using SNS in line with the times.
However, now it's clear that word of mouth on SNS is strong, and fans are in a position to support artists' breakthroughs like BTS's ARMY.
On the other hand, there are many analyzes that the Japanese music studio's conventional attitude of prioritizing copyright protection is one of the factors that hinder the overseas expansion of Japanese artists.
Recently, even in the Japanese music industry, there seems to be an increasing number of cases in which they are starting to show a tolerant attitude toward fans' spreading behavior on SNS while watching Korean trends, but among Japanese fans, it seems that It seems that there are still many cases where the attitude is not conveyed, and there are still many cases where the photo posting and spreading acts are discussed among fans.
In that sense, what makes BE:FIRST's declaration so revolutionary is that it's a way for BE:FIRST fans to ask "artist photos." and group logos, etc., on SNS for the purpose of supporting the artist" is clearly stated.
By doing this, BESTY who are fans of BE:FIRST can proudly spread the activities of their favorite artists on SNS.
Actually looking at the posts on SNS, I get the impression that BESTY's account uses official logos and photos more often than fans of other Japanese artists.
For example, what was impressive was the trends in the sharing function of the video distribution app "smash.", which BE:FIRST recently started distributing.
"smash." is an application for smartphones provided by SHOW ROOM with the catch phrase "vertical theater application".
Not only BE:FIRST, you can watch official videos of various artists such as BTS, Hey! Say! JUMP, and Hinatazaka46.
This app has a feature called PICK that allows you to extract and share your favorite video scenes.
This is a function that allows users to easily share official videos by handling copyright processing on the "smash." side. On the 25th, when the distribution of .
I can imagine that BE:FIRST fans are probably taking an active stance toward sharing video materials of these artists, and the recognition that it is okay to share is spreading.
"Support ads" are advertisements posted by fans, and it is a technique that has recently been increasing in Japan, starting with the trend in Korea.
Reference: VTuber and “Osomatsu-san” are also diversifying “support ads”, “I want to sell with my own power”, and “promotion” by fans is evolving
If the BE:FIRST fan's SNS posting and "supporting advertisements" are successful, it will naturally have a considerable impact on other music agencies and the entertainment industry.
I think BE:FIRST's approach is revolutionary in the current Japanese music industry, but in fact, it's already becoming commonplace in the global music industry.
Last year, YOASOBI allowed the capture of online live footage and implemented an initiative to have fans write reports. As the number of fans who have done so increases, the way Japanese music fans cheer should gradually change.
Reference: Learning from YOASOBI, who mobilized 280,000 people for live distribution, how to spread new music in the Internet age
Currently, on Japanese SNS, due to the fact that the office's guidance on copyright protection is very pervasive, people who are not the copyright holders can post "photos and videos of other fans." Is it okay for copyright?", but I feel that there is a good chance that this atmosphere will change with the increase in official activities of artists such as BE:FIRST and YOASOBI. .
Actually, when I watch videos of the members of BE:FIRST, it is very impressive that there are many comments that are conscious of BESTY, the fans who support them.
It may be said that communicating with fans on SNS is unique to the normal generation.
In order for the works of Japanese artists to spread overseas, there is no doubt that the first point will be the transmission of Japanese fans on SNS.
I have a feeling that the future activities of BE:FIRST and BESTY will be the key to that.