← all stories
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment Japan is expanding through label signings, a virtual talent project that is winding down, and a capital alliance that makes it the largest shareholder of GungHo Online Entertainment. Atsuhiro Iwakami, previously president of Aniplex, is set to become its next president and CEO in April 2026.
Synthesized from 10
Yomimono stories · updated
Oct 4
Sony Music's recent moves split between its music labels and its broader entertainment business. On the label side, Eve moved from Toy's Factory to Echoes, releasing the ending theme for the first cour of The Apothecary Diaries Season 3. Echoes also announced LAYRA, a singer with a virtual and real presence, with a live show running from October 10 to November 15, 2026, at MoN Takanawa. Both moves extend a roster that already includes YOASOBI and Tatsuya Kitani.
The VEE virtual talent project is closing its current operational structure on September 30, 2026. Sony Music said continuing as a sustainable business was difficult and placed the failure on management rather than the talents. Of 21 affiliated talents, 20 will continue, keeping their names, characters, channels, and accounts; Hoshihoshi Airu graduated on September 16, and the VEELLAGE fan community and official shop close on September 30 and November 30. A game in development, Gun Girl Go, was canceled. The project launched in 2021 with the message "VTubers are human too."
The largest structural change is the GungHo alliance. Sony Music Entertainment Japan will acquire 12,006,500 GungHo shares from SON Financial for about 28.6 billion yen, pending regulatory approval, making it the largest shareholder with a 23.29% voting stake. The two companies plan joint development and operation of smartphone, console, and PC games and new projects using Sony Music Group IP. GungHo keeps its Tokyo Stock Exchange listing.
The leadership change frames these moves. Aniplex president Atsuhiro Iwakami becomes president and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment Japan in April 2026, the first executive from a video production background to lead the company. More than half of Sony Music's sales in Japan now come from non-music sources, including Aniplex.
Key facts
- Incoming president and CEO
- Atsuhiro Iwakami, president of Aniplex, becomes president and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment Japan effective April 2026 ↗
- VEE shutdown
- VEE ends its current operational structure on September 30, 2026; 20 of 21 talents continue with names, characters, channels, and accounts carried over in principle ↗
- GungHo stake
- Sony Music Entertainment will acquire 12,006,500 GungHo shares from SON Financial for about 28.6 billion yen, a 23.29% voting rights stake ↗
- Echoes signings
- Eve moved from Toy's Factory to Echoes and is releasing "AIYOU," the ending theme for the first cour of The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 ↗
- LAYRA debut
- Echoes label announced LAYRA, a singer with music by TeddyLoid, character design by Mika Pikazo, and production by Hiro-chan <As> ↗
- VEE cancellation
- The game "Gun Girl Go," under development for VEE, has been canceled ↗
Timeline
- Oct 3, 2026 Eve Moves to Sony's Echoes Label, Will Sing The Apothecary Diaries ED
- Sep 16, 2026 Airu Hinahoshi Birthday Goods Go on Order Sale at VEE Official Shop
- Sep 6, 2026 VERSEⁿ Member Kagase Uno Launches Crowdfunding-Backed Song
- Sep 1, 2026 Sony Music Japan to Become GungHo's Largest Shareholder in Business Alliance
- Aug 31, 2026 Sony Music VTuber Project VEE to End Operations on September 30
- Aug 29, 2026 Sony Music to Become GungHo's Largest Shareholder
- Aug 22, 2026 VEE Talents Anew Uparu and Luminous Sweet Get 4th Anniversary Diorama Stands
- Aug 15, 2026 Singer LAYRA Debuts With TeddyLoid Song, Belle Live Show
- Jul 15, 2026 VEE Talents Anew Uparu and Maoh Tulsi Collaborate on Murder Mystery Kinpu no Harmonia
- May 31, 2026 Aniplex President Iwakami to Become Sony Music CEO in April
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
All coverage
Oct 3
Singer-songwriter Eve has announced his move from Toy's Factory to Echoes, the Sony Music label that is also home to YOASOBI and Tatsuya Kitani. His first release after the transfer is "AIYOU," the ending theme for the first cour of The Apothecary Diaries Season 3. The song goes to streaming services at midnight on October 2, ahead of the anime's first broadcast that same day at 11:00 PM on Nippon TV's 30-station FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT block. Yorushika handles the opening theme. Season 3 shifts the story from the inner palace to the city streets, with the first cour running from October 2026 and the second from April 2027. The second promotional video centers on Jinshi, now back in his position as the Emperor's younger brother, facing a calamity and a mysterious celestial maiden, and was released alongside the theme announcement.
Sep 16
Sony Music Entertainment opened order sales on the VEE Official Shop for Airu Hinahoshi's 2026 birthday goods on September 16, the day she marks her birthday. The lineup uses newly drawn illustrations by Kemuri Nakamori and includes an acrylic panel, an acrylic stand, and a set of two can badges, sold both as a set and individually. Orders close September 30, with shipping from mid-December 2026.
Sep 6
Kagase Uno of VTuber project VERSEⁿ has begun digital distribution of her first original song, "U☆World＊Order," as of Sunday, September 6, 2026. The track was produced through a 2023 crowdfunding campaign, with lyrics, composition, and arrangement by composer Asuka Ogura. A second song from the project, "Ippou Sonokoro Pedia!," was distributed earlier. The music video was already released in advance.
Sep 1
GungHo Online Entertainment announced a capital and business alliance with Sony Music Entertainment Japan. SME will acquire 12,006,500 GungHo shares from SON Financial LLC for about 28.6 billion yen (roughly US$179 million) in an off-market transaction. Pending regulatory approval, SME becomes GungHo's largest shareholder and an affiliated company. The two will explore joint development and operation of smartphone, console, and PC games, plus new projects using SME Group IP. GungHo keeps its Tokyo Stock Exchange listing.
Aug 31
Sony Music Entertainment announced on August 31 that its virtual talent project VEE will end its current operational structure as of Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The company said it determined that continuing operations as a sustainable business while maintaining the current framework is difficult, and it attributed the failure to establish that framework to management, not the talents. Of the 21 affiliated talents, 20 will continue their activities, with their activity names, characters, YouTube channels, and social media accounts carried over in principle. The transition will follow each talent's choice, such as going independent or joining a new agency. The one exception is Hoshihoshi Airu, whose graduation stream is scheduled for September 16 at 21:00. The fan community VEELLAGE will end service on September 30 at 23:59, with no refunds or compensation planned. Sales at the official shop end on November 30. The game "Gun Girl Go," which was under development, has been canceled. VEE, which launched in 2021, had promoted the message "VTubers are human too" and treated talents' activity names and characters as their own property. The official YouTube channel and SNS accounts will remain public as archives for the time being.
Aug 29
Sony Music Entertainment and GungHo Online Entertainment announced a capital and business alliance on August 28. SME will acquire all 12,006,500 common shares held by SON Financial LLC, GungHo's current largest shareholder, at 2,385 yen per share for about 28.6 billion yen. The transfer, scheduled for December 30, 2026, gives SME a 23.29% voting rights stake, making it GungHo's largest shareholder. The companies plan to combine GungHo's game development with Sony Music Group's entertainment expertise.
Aug 22
Sony Music Entertainment began order-based sales of 4th Anniversary Goods for VEE virtual talents Anew Uparu and Luminous Sweet at the VEE Official Shop. Each acrylic diorama stand, priced at 4,500 yen, includes a bonus sticker using new illustration by Kutori Panya. Orders run through September 6.
Aug 15
Sony Music Entertainment's Echoes label announced the debut of LAYRA, a singer who moves between virtual and real worlds. Part of the new song "Watashi wa LAYRA" by TeddyLoid was released. LAYRA is produced by Hiro-chan <As>, who worked on the singer Bell in the animated film Belle. Character design is by Mika Pikazo, and music is by TeddyLoid. LAYRA's first stage is the immersive live "Belle - PROJECT LAYRA -" at MoN Takanawa from October 10 to November 15, 2026, with five performers.
Jul 15
Sony Music's VEE project talents Anew Uparu and Maoh Tulsi have provided a collaboration song and made cameo appearances as character models for Ibarayugi's murder mystery work Kinpu no Harmonia, released July 15. The song Soul Unbound has two versions, each showing the talents' individuality. The cross-genre collaboration blends VEE talents into the narrative from both musical and story aspects.
May 31
Aniplex president Atsuhiro Iwakami will become the next president and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, effective April 2026, as reported by the Nikkei and covered by Animenomics. Iwakami, who has led Aniplex for ten years, will be the first executive with a video production background to head the Japanese music giant. The appointment reflects the growing influence of Aniplex within Sony Music Group, as more than half of Sony Music's sales in Japan now come from non-music sources, including Aniplex. Aniplex produced both "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle," the highest-grossing anime film globally, and "Kokuho," Japan's highest-grossing live-action film. External revenue from Sony Music's visual media and platform business, which includes Aniplex, rose 42.8 percent in the nine months ended December 2025 compared to the same period last year. Prior to leading Aniplex, Iwakami worked on productions such as the "Monogatari" series, "Puella Magi Madoka Magica," and "Sword Art Online," and produced the mobile game "Fate/Grand Order" and the "Demon Slayer" anime adaptation.