does anime make money

by Brandi Haag 9 min read
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Anime brings in more than $19 billion a year. Its artists are earning barely enough to survive.Jul 2, 2019

Full Answer

Is the anime industry in Japan making money?

Japanese anime industry is earning more money than ever, almost half of it from outside Japan Casey Baseel Dec 17, 2019

How much does it cost to make an anime?

According to Masamune Sakaki, a CG creator in the anime industry, an average 13-episode anime season costs around 250 million yen (or $2 million). He also made it clear that most anime can't recoup this expense, and the industry rests on the windfall of a few big hits.

Is it possible to make money by watching anime on Netflix?

But while others may view this as a dream job that could haul in tons of money while constantly watching anime for up to 3 days, it’s also a taxing job. Netflix taggers may be handsomely compensated, but they’re only hired periodically.

Is it worth it to watch anime if you have a job?

They may require more effort than just relaxing and staying at home, but it’s well worth the effort to do it while the opportunity arises; it gives you a fulfilling purpose. But most importantly, you dive deep into anime shows you never thought could have loved if it weren’t for your job.

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How much money does a anime make?

Salary Ranges for Anime Artists The salaries of Anime Artists in the US range from $36,930 to $113,600 , with a median salary of $63,970 . The middle 60% of Anime Artists makes $63,970, with the top 80% making $113,600.

How does an anime earn money?

Animes pay the channel to air the show and earns nothing in return. In other words, Anime on TV and websites is an advertisement of its merchandise. That's one of the reasons why anime isn't that big(at least in my opinion).

How much does Netflix pay for anime?

Animators were paid bottom rate on a recent Japanese production for Netflix, according to Ippei Ichii. The animator and storyboard artist took to Twitter to condemn the streaming giant, claiming that artists working on a Netflix show at Tokyo studio Mappa were paid as little as 3,800 (USD$34) per cut.

How much has Naruto earned?

$10 billionThe Naruto franchise has grossed more than $10 billion since its creation.

How much of anime revenue comes from outside Japan?

That figure indicates that 46 percent of revenue came from outside Japan, making the overseas market nearly as important as the Japanese one for the anime industry. However, while the anime industry may be bigger than ever, the reports figures don’t necessarily mean it’s healthier than ever.

Is there a growing demand for anime?

Still, the Association of Japanese Animators’ study shows that there’s a growing demand for anime around the world, so hopefully companies can find a way to secure their financial security without working their employees to death.

Is anime more popular than it is now?

Annual study shows sixth straight year of revenue growth and historical first in media format preference. Anime has never been more popular than it is right now, and that goes for both inside Japan as well as abroad.

How much do Netflix taggers make?

But since a big company like Netflix generates approximately ‘$20.16 billion revenues per year’ , it’s reasonable to assume part-time taggers earn hundreds of dollars per week, or a 5-digit salary per year while watching at least 20 hours of television content.

How long does it take to set up a Patreon account?

Setting up Patreon membership levels takes 1-2 hours, then, another 1-2 hours in customizing and personalizing your Patreon homepage to attract users; but your Patreon advertisement is also dependent on other sites like how your blog attracts readers or how your YouTube attracts viewers.

Is affiliate marketing good for anime?

Affiliate marketing should not be underrated. It is a powerful strategy to get you to watch anime while you earn commission fees on the side. Although difficult at the beginning, you’ll get the ball rolling in no time once you establish a sizable target audience that keeps returning to your anime reviews!

Animators

These people are the lifeblood of a great show, yet their pay is actually pretty awful. A 2013 survey (only available in Japanese) showed that the average animator salary was around 1.1 million yen or $10,000 US dollars a year.

Voice Actors

The stars of the show, voice actors bring your favourite characters to life. Yet, for the first three years of their careers, they earn very little. Rank 15 voice actors make around ¥15,000 ($130) per episode, with agents and the taxman also taking a cut.

Directors

The director is the person who projects their vision of what a show should be, and makes it a reality. So how much do they earn? Well, that depends. According to the Shirobako team, the average salary is around $42,000 a year, but the JACA’s 2015 survey reported that it’s actually closer to $60k a year.

The Verdict

Anime is a brutal industry to work in. It takes real dedication and passion to avoid burnout, which could be why 80% of animators quit in the first three years. Most people don’t realize just how much work goes into making even a single episode of any given anime, and when the truth hits, it hits hard.

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Production Committees

Animation Costs

  • Most anime studios are contractors. Meaning, the production committee puts together a budget and hires a studio to work on the anime. Typically a studio doesn’t get to choose the anime they work on but are paid upfront for the work. A late night anime can cost $5 million USD to produce, and that money has to be stretched to pay everyone working on ...
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The Importance of Discs

  • Home video is still vital for animation studios. Production committees and studios will rarely if ever comment on revenue splits, but it’s been implied that home video is extremely important for an anime studio’s bottom line. Discs sales have also been falling in Japan every year since 2005, meaning that this revenue stream is drying up. This is one of the reasons anime is so expensive …
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The Importance of International Licensing

  • It tends to clash with the “international fans don’t matter” narrative people love to peddle, but international licensing has become the life-bloodof anime. In 2015, licensing was the second largest revenue stream for the industry. This includes legal streamingand purchasing localized home video releases. Licensors don’t report the revenue splits (and they have no reason to), but …
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The Effect of Piracy

  • Piracy isn’t a zero-sum issue that can be easily solved. In fact, various academic studios from independent agencies have found that piracy has a minuscule effect on sales numbers for most industries since not all revenue streams can be pirated. However, academics do agree that piracy hurts home video sales, which is what studios rely on. The availability of pirated streams …
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Anime Industry Growth, But Lack of Studio Profits

  • How is that the anime industry posted a record 2 trillion yen revenue line, but anime studios are struggling to pay their artists? It’s because the actual anime itself isn’t profitable. The industries three largest revenue streams are merchandising, international licensing, and anime-themed pachinko machines. The three lowest revenue streams are Japanesehome video, Japanese digit…
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