Audio Plugin & Effect in Japan
Japan — Music. Niche: Audio Plugin & Effect.
Data from the week of 19 Oct 2026, refreshed every two weeks.
Our call
this week
Score 40/100 · why few pass 70
We have not checked this against App Store search in Japan yet, so we won’t call it. Checks run every day, highest-scoring openings first.
At a glance
- Demand
- Medium, neither for nor against you
- 566 ratings here · 1,688 in the US and UK
- Revenue
- Low, against you
- 1 paid apps
- Competition
- Low, in your favour
- 1 established in Japan
- Leading apps
- Strong, against you
- 4.5★ average
How the score of 40 is made
score out of 100
- Demand54
1,688 ratings in the US and UK, 566 in Japan
- Revenue5
0 of the top 3 on a top-grossing chart in the last 30 days; 1 paid
- Room locally88
1 established app in Japan (75+ ratings, scaled to the market’s size)
- Language gap2
Not checked in local search yet — counted as neutral (50) at most
- Incumbent weakness28
4.5 stars on average in Japan; 1 of 3 not updated in a year
- AI gap30
3 of the top 3 not built around AI
- Momentum—
History building since 19 Oct 2026 — counted as neutral (50) for now
Why this is an opening
Incumbents in Japan show signs of aging, with 50 percent of qualifying apps considered stale and 1 stale title among them. All 3 top titles are non-native, leaving room for a dedicated local entrant. With a weighted rating of 4.5 in the market, user expectations for quality remain high.
What people in Japan see
Not yet checked against local App Store search. Checks run every day, highest-scoring openings first.
How strong the competition is
The leading apps in this niche
The niche’s apps available in Japan, ranked by their share of ratings here and in the United States and United Kingdom; stars in Japan where it has them.
| App | Ratings in Japan | Ratings US + UK | Stars | Japanese | Last update | AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KORG Module | 558 | 899 | 4.5 | Yes | Sept 2026 | No AI |
| Mersenne - AUv3 Plug-in Synth | 8 | 34 | 4.5 | No | Sept 2025 | No AI |
| Audiobus: Mixer for Music AppsNot in this store | 0 | 755 | 4.5 | Yes | Jan 2025 | No AI |
MembersSee all competitors, complaint themes and history.
What users complain about
Too few low-star reviews to group into complaints yet.
If you build it
The smallest app that answers what users complain about and what the leaders leave out. Each feature says where it comes from.
- What apps here chargethe leading apps' in-app prices, once we have read themMembers
What would kill this
MembersUp to three things that would end this opening, each tied to the data.
The same niche in other markets
- This market
- Other markets
✓ checked against local App Store search. Other markets are named for members.
Show as a table
| Market | Score | Checked against local search |
|---|---|---|
| Members | 46 | Not yet |
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| Japan | 40 | Not yet |
| Members | 40 | Not yet |
| Members | 40 | Not yet |
| Members | 38 | Not yet |
Every competitor, complaint and market, and the build plan, for every opening.
Get 30 days — €19or €9/monthScored 2026-10-27 with score version 5. How the score works. Store data only: we do not estimate revenue or downloads.