User:Hawke/Japanese label codes 101: Difference between revisions

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==Explanation==

System of catalog numbers on Japanese releases is organized for all releases since June 1989. Upon RIAJ's guidance RIS502, so called 'standardized commodity code' was introduced. This code consists of 4 letters in Latin alphabet and 4-5 Roman numbers (serial number). The 4 letters consist of:

position 1-2 label code
position 3 media type
position 4 non-standardized code for internal purposes

So the usual example form is ABCD-10001. Hyphen is optional between the code and serial #. The label code is mandatory for all members of RIAJ, and is being assigned by the organization. The codes were being assigned to non-members as well, but since December 2005, this policy was abandoned (non-members can't get official label code, though the previously assigned exceptions were not abolished).

Further notes:
* label codes can be shared (usually each company uses it just for one type of media, while the other one for another type)
* one main company can have more than one code (usually used for different sub-labels)
* there are several exceptions to ABCD-10001 form, but these are well documented
* RIAJ non-members (indie labels, foreign labels etc) don't have to obey this standard, but they are usually asked to avoid duplicating the existing commodity codes whenever possible

*Sources: system, code list
Media codes (3rd position)

A - DVD-Audio
B - DVD-Video
C - 12cm CD
D - 8cm CD
E - not assigned
F - CD-V
G - SACD
H - HD DVD
I - Video CD, CD-i
J - LP (for all 30cm vinyls regardless of RPM), partially for UMD discs for PSP
K - EP(for all 17cm vinyls regardless of RPM)
L - 30cm LD
M - 20cm LD
N - CD-G
O - not assigned
P - Playstation games
Q - not assigned
R - CD-ROM
S - casette tape (singles)
T - casette tape (albums)
U - UMD video (2006~), Beta video tape (currently not used)
V - VHS video tape
W - DVD music(2004~), 8mm video tape (currently not used)
X - Blu-ray Disc (2006~), DCC (currently not used)
Y - MD
Z - 2 and more formats(12cmCD+8cmCD, some CD+DVD, CD+photobook etc)
Label codes formatting

When 2 or more labels are connected with a slash, it means they are related in some way. It can be a label/sub-label relation, label/distributor or eventually two different names for the same label.

The arrow mark means the label either changed the name to or merged with the following one, or ceased to exist and the entire catalog with the original label code is being maintained by the other company now.
Label codes A

AA - MusicGate.com/Aozora Records
AB - Absord Music Japan
AC - Asmik Ace Entertainment
AD - Sony Music (ADCA-1 is the only release)
AE - Geneon Entertainment (DVD only)
- AtMark/BounDEE Inc. (CD only)
AF - Amuse Soft Entertainment (DVD only)
- Aaron Field (CD only)
- Animate Films
AG - Agent Con-Sipio (until 04/2000) -> Pony Canyon
- Pryaid Records (from 11/2000) -> BounDEE Inc.
AH - Artist House
AI - Sony Music Associated Records
AJ - Astronautes Star/Toshiba EMI -> Bonin/EMI Music Japan
AK - Avex Marketing (distribution for Five Ace, KNS Entertainment, Purple Hills Record etc.)
AL - Alfa Records (until 10/1998)
- Asmik Ace Entertainment
AM - Moon Records
AN - Animate
AO - Amemura O-Town Record (until 03/1997)
AP - Apollon International (until 2000)
AQ - Aqua Label
AR - Antinos Records
AS - Amuse Soft Entertainment
AT - Frontier Works
AU - Augusta Records
AV - Avex Group (4th letter indictates sub-label)
AW - Animebank
AX - Axec
AY - Ayers
AZ - Aer-born
- A'zip Music
Label codes B

BA - Bad News Records/Three D System
- 心歌レコード (not used anymore)
BB - Beam Entertainment -> Hapinet Pictures
- Bella Beaux Entertainment
BC - Bandai Visual
BD - B.I.C. Records
BE - Bandai Visual
BF - Faithful./Barrier Free/Faith Records
BG - B-Gram Records/Polydor Records
BH - BMG Japan (until 06/2009) -> Ariola Japan
BI - Beam Entertainment -> Hapinet Pictures
BJ - B-Jin/Zain Records (until 02/1993) -> B-Gram Records
BL - VAP (until 08/1998) -> Pony Canyon
BM - Vermillion Records/Being
BN - Bad News Ongaku Shuppan
BR - Broccoli
BS - Be Smile
BT - Tearbridge Records/Pryaid Records (not used anymore)
BU - Burger Inn Records
BV - BMG Victor -> BMG Funhouse -> BMG Japan -> Ariola Japan
BW - Blow Wind Records
BX - Bella Beaux Entertainment/Daiki Sound
BZ - Bellwood
Label codes C

CA - Canary Productions/Nippon Columbia
CC - cocoronetworks (not used anymore)
CE - Century Records
CF - Culture of Asia
CH - Chapter One
CJ - Suleputer (DVD only)
CK - BounDEE Inc.
CL - Azumaya Oomei Kensetsu
CM - Cosmos Records
CO - Nippon Columbia
CP - Culture Publishers/Project-T
CR - Nippon Crown
CS - CBS / Sony Records -> SME Records (currently using MH/SR codes)
CT - Cutting Edge/Avex Trax
CV - Hot On Records
CX - Happinet Corporation (DVD only)
- Nippon Columbia (CD only, currently using CO code)
CY - Cyclone (split up)
Label codes D

DA - Kadokawa Daiei Movies (DVD only)
DC - Danger Crue Records
DD - BounDEE Inc.
DE - Dex Entertainment
DF - DefSTAR Records
DG - labels distributed by Avex Trax (see Exceptions)
DH - DJ Honda Recordings
DI - Digital MediaLab (not used anymore)
DJ - Dream Robot
DK - Music Wagon
DL - Ratspack Records
DM - Nippon Crown (currently fused under CR)
DN - Double Neck Records/Pryaid Records
DO - Dream One (not used anymore)
DP - Datam Polystar
DQ - Sony Music Direct
DR - Dream21
DS - DEARS
DT - Daytripper
DU - Digital Ultra Project
DX - Daipro-X
DZ - Shochiku
Label codes E, F, G

EI - Epic International
EP - Zetima/Mediterranean Label (ex-One Up Music)
EQ - Maxell
ES - Epic / Sony Records/Epic Records Japan
EU - Dex Entertainment

FA - Fifth Avenue
FB - Free Board Records/King Records
FC - Frontier Works
FD - Sony Family Club
FH - Fun House -> Ariola Japan
FK - Fives Entertainment
FL - For Life Records -> For Life Music Entertainment
FM - Forte Music Entertainment -> Nippon Columbia/Animex
FO - factoryorumok
- Fontec
FR - FOA Records/U-Can Entertainment

GA - Hapinet Pictures (DVD only, not used anymore)
- Gauss Entertainment (merged into TK code)
GB - Beam Entertainment/Happinet Corporation -> Konami Digital Entertainment/King Records
GF - Konami Digital Entertainment/Sony Music Distribution
GN - Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan (ex-Pioneer LDC/Geneon Entertainment)
GR - Gauss Entertainment (merged into TK code)
GZ - GIZA Studio
Label codes H, I, J

HA - Polydor Records (only 'ARCH' CDs until 1999)
- Pryaid Records (since 2000) -> BounDEE Inc.
HB - Mycal Hummingbird -> Warner Music Japan
- HOBiRECORDS
HC - Sohbi Kikaku -> Happinet Corporation
HG - Pryaid Records/Polystar
HK - Hachama Records/UpFront Works
HU - Hats

IK - Pryaid Records/Polystar
IO - Avex io (formerly under Prime Direction)

JA - J Storm
JB - Pure Infinity (since 03/1995)
JD - JSDSS/Softgarage
JE - Johnny's Entertainment
JS - Nippon Soft System -> JSDSS
JV - Japan Audio Visual Network -> Victor [JPN]
Label codes K

KA - Kadokawa Shoten
KC - KSR
KD - Scitron Digital Content -> Happinet Corporation
KE - Koei/Universal Music Japan
KF - 573 Records
KG - Nippon Crown (merged into CR code)
KH - Sol Blade (releases distr. by EMI Music Japan)
KI - King Records
KJ - Octavia Records (currently using OV code)
KK - King International
KL - KSS Records/Geneon Entertainment
KM - Konami Music Entertainment/King Records
KO - Konami Music Entertainment/Sony Music Distribution
KS - Key Sounds Label
- Ki/oon Records
- KSS Records (currently merged with JSDSS)
KT - Kitty Records -> Universal Music Japan
KU - Pryaid Records
KW - Imagica/Hapinet Pictures
KX - Knocker/Sony Music Distribution
KY - Key Sounds Label
- Kuraray Video Soft
KZ - BounDEE Inc.
Label codes L, M

LA - Lantis
LAC - Lantis (main label, distro by King Records (~2008)/Bandai Visual (2009~)
LAS - Lantis (GloryHeaven sublabel/Sony Music Distribution)
LH - On The Run (Lantis/Geneon Entertainment joint)
LK - Japan Home Video
LO - Love&Love Records
LS - Toei

MA - Movic
MD - MIDI
ME - Meldac -> Tokuma Japan Communications
MG - Media Rings (split up)
MH - Sony Music Direct/Sony Music House
MJ - Marvelous Entertainment Inc.
ML - Magic Island
MM - Marine Entertainment
MQ - Maxell
MR - Media Rings (split up)
- Media Remoras -> Pony Canyon
MS - Media Station
MV - MCA Victor -> Universal Victor -> Universal Music Japan
Label codes N, O, P

NA - NEC Avenue -> NEC Interchannel
NE - NEC Interchannel -> I.C. Avenue -> Index Music -> T.Y. Entertainment
- Nest -> Onkyo Entertainment Technologies
NK - King Records
NM - Nose Japan Records
NR - C.Moon/Bandai Visual

OE - Moer
ON - B-Vision
OM - Omagatoki
OO - Double O Records (split-up)
OV - Octavia Records

PA - Panasonic
PC - Pony Canyon
PH - Nippon Phonogram -> Mercury Music Entertainment -> Universal Music Japan
PI - Pioneer LDC -> Geneon Entertainment
PK - Rice Music/Piccolo Town/UpFront Works
PL - Platz/Gakken (split-up)
PN - eXPulse
PO - Universal Gear/Polydor Records -> Universal Music Japan
PQ - HiBoom/Avex Trax
PS - Polystar
PT - Project-T
PY - Muture Communications (ex-Platea, split-up)
Label codes Q, R

QA - Nippon Columbia
QC - Universal Music Japan
QK - Universal Music Japan
QQ - Palm Beach Inc. (split up)
QT - Quattro/Parco/Nippon Columbia
QW - labels distributed by Pony Canyon (see Exceptions)

RB - Rambling Records
RC - Rock Records/Nippon Columbia
RD - BounDEE Inc. (ex-Pryaid Records)
RE - Rentrak Japan
RK - BounDEE Inc. (ex-Pryaid Records)
RO - Pioneer LDC -> Geneon Entertainment
RR - Roadrunner Japan
RS - BounDEE Inc. (ex-Pryaid Records)
RT - BounDEE Inc. (ex-Pryaid Records)
RU - BounDEE Inc. (ex-Pryaid Records)
RV - Riv Star (split-up)
RW - Re-Wind Recordings/Victor [JPN]
RX - Rhythmedia Tribe/Ariola Japan (using BV now)
RY - WEA Japan/Warner Music Japan (using WM now)
RZ - Rhythm Zone/Avex Trax
Label codes S, T

SA - Sanrio
SB - Mycal Hummingbird
SC - Scitron Digital Content -> Happinet Corporation
SD - Strange Days Records
SE - SME Records
SH - Sohbi Kikaku -> Happinet Corporation (not used anymore)
- Shochiku (SHBR-XXXX exception for BluRay discs after 2010)
SI - Sony Music Japan International
SK - Sohbi Kikaku -> Happinet Corporation
SR - Sony Music Records/gr8! Records
SV - Spac/Nippon Enkaphon

TA - New Taurus -> Universal Music Japan
TC - Tricle/Teichiku Records (merged with TE)
- TC Entertainment (DVD only, 3rd&4th letter have exceptional media codes BD/ED)
TD - TDK Core
TE - Teichiku Records
TF - Toy's Factory
TG - T Grand Music -> Teichiku Records
- also used for some indie labels, initally for Sony Music Manufacturing custom-made CDs
TJ - Holiday Japan
TK - Tokuma Japan Communications
TL - Toho
TM - Teichiku Music Corporation (merged with TE code)
TN - Tricycle/Universal Music Japan
TO - Toshiba-EMI -> EMI Music Japan
TP - BounDEE Inc. (ex-Pryaid Records)
TQ - BounDEE Inc.
TR - Traffic
- Two Five
TT - Toshiba-EMI -> EMI Music Japan
TV - Toshiba Eizo Soft (split up)
TY - Futureland/Youmex
Label codes U,V, W

UC - Universal Classic&Jazz
UI - Universal International (foreign production of Universal Sigma, Island, Def Jam Japan)
UM - Universal Sigma (Kitty Mercury/Kitty MME, foreign production of A&M)
UP - Universal J/Nayutawave Records (ex-Polydor, ex-Universal Victor)
US - Usen
UU - Universal J (ex-Universal Victor, merged into UP code since 07/2002)

VA - Videoarts Music
VD - Victor [JPN]
VG - 5pb. Records/Geneon Entertainment
VI - Victor [JPN]
VJ - Virgin Records
VL - Toshiba Eizo Soft (split up)
VN - Northern Music
VO - Visual Ook
VP - VAP
VT - JVC Entertainment/Flying Dog
VZ - Nippon Dento Bunka Shinko Zaidan
V2 - V2 Records

WD - Wonder Entertainment (split-up)
WG - Wing Songs
WL - Wonder Kids (split-up)
WM - WEA Japan/Warner Music Japan
WP - Warner Music Japan (ex-Warner Pioneer)
Label codes X, Y, Z

XA - MCJP
XB - BounDEE Inc.
XE - BounDEE Inc.
XJ - Dawn Entertainment Japan
XL - Xtra Large/Marvelous Entertainment Inc.
XM - Christmas Records (not used anymore)
XN - labels distributed by Avex Trax
XQ - labels distributed by Universal Music Japan (see Exceptions)
XS - Sony Music Entertainment
XT - Nitro Records/Avex Trax
XY - Soundasia EX/Horipro
XZ - King Records

YB - Yume Kukan
YC - Yamaha Music Communications
YE - Suns Entertainment (ex-Yellow Cab)
YF - Sol Blade (releases distr. by King Records)
YI - J-More/Avex Marketing
YK - BounDEE Inc.
YM - Yamaha Music&Business
YN - Avex Trax
YR - R and C Ltd.
YS - BounDEE Inc.
YZ - labels distributed by Crown/Tokuma Japan Communications (see Exceptions)

ZA - Zain Records/Being
ZC - Ozawa Music Office
ZJ - Zomba Records Japan
ZM - Media Factory (uses exceptional media type codes - B for DVD, S for BluRay)
ZO - Avex Trax
ZP - Universal Music Japan
ZQ - labels distributed by Universal Music Japan (see Exceptions)
ZS - BounDEE Inc.
ZW - Avex Trax (DVD only)
ZZ - Aozora Records
Exceptions part I (more or less than 2 letters for label code)

P - Blues Interactions/P-Vine Records (PCD-XXXX)
T - Teichiku Records (some karaoke DVDs, TBK-XXXX)

ANS, ANZ - Aniplex Inc. (DVD only)
FAB - Media Factory (12cm CD only, 4th letter is media type)
HID - Datam Polystar
ICD - I've Sound/Visual Art's (I've's indies labels, no 4th letter)
RAD - Media Factory (4th letter is media type - C for CDs, V for DVDs)
SVW - SPE Visual Works -> Aniplex Inc./Sony Music Distribution
TCA - Takarazuka Creative Arts (4th letter is media type - C for CD, D for DVD, P for CD single)
TFC - Teichiku Records/Daiki Sound (TFC-XXX)
VAL - Victor [JPN]/Daiki Sound (VAL-XXX)
VTS - Toshiba Eizo Soft (split up)
WAC - Walkers Company (split-up)
YTR - Ritz Music/Sony Music Distribution (4th letter is media type - C for CD, D for DVD)

TRAK - Tsubasa Records (CD only)
TRDL - Tsubasa Records (DVD only)
TRUE - Universal J/Daiki Sound
ZTTL - Zuntata/Sony Music Records
Exceptions part II (Distributor codes 1)

DG (Avex Trax distributed)
DG** - 3rd and 4th are usually identifiers (there are exceptions)
- Dwango Music Entertainment (4th letter on DVDs is D)
DGBD - Avex Trax (DVD only)
DGGA - AdMedia (DVD only)

QW (Pony Canyon distributed), 3rd letter is media type, 4th is sub-label code
QW*B - Blue Music Entertainment
QW*D - Boot-Up Records
QW*E - Exit Tunes
QW*F - Formula Recordings
QW*H - Hudson Music Entertainment
QW*T - TN Mix
QW*X - Excel Q

XQ (Universal Music Japan distributed)
XQ** - BounDEE Inc. (identifiers are serial #s - CDs are in 1000's, DVDs are in 2000 range)
Exceptions part II (Distributor codes 2)

YZ (Crown/Tokuma Japan Communications distributed)
YZAB - Absolute Records
YZAE - Asu-One Entertainment
YZAM - Ihatove Winds
YZAS - A-String
YZBB - BB Network (DVD only)
YZBL - Belta Recordss
YZCD - CDA
YZCM - Cross M Records
YZCV - Kamtec (DVD only)
YZDI - DIAA
YZFD - Crown/Tokuma Japan Communications (main label)
YZFE - Treasure of Music
YZGB - Gambit
YZGF - Green Field
YZGT - Brave
YZIM - International Music
YZKZ - Arashi
YZNE - Nippon Enkaphon
YZOC - Octet Records
YZPS - Peace&Smile music
YZSH - Soundholic
YZSO - CRS Songs
YZSS - Singer&Songer Records
YZTN - Oxy Records
YZWG - A-Force Entertainment (Wing Entertainment Group before 07/2010)
YZXL - Exellex
Exceptions part II (Distributor codes 3)

ZQ (Universal Music Japan distributed)
ZQBG - Blue In Green
ZQCC - Cucumber Records
ZQCS - Silent
ZQLK - Link.ID Records
ZQME - Mother Earth/PryAid
ZQML - Magnum Records
ZQMS - Marsa
ZQNE - Next Entertainment
ZQNR - Nakanoshima Records
ZQPR - UM Korea/Pryaid Records
ZQPT - Palmtree
ZQSF - Sky Factory
ZQTB - Tsubasa Records
ZQTK - Take Seven
ZQTR - Top Run X
ZQVT - Torture Ride/Tao Records

Latest revision as of 17:35, 23 May 2014