MUMBAI: Trace and Hulu have announced the launch of three of Trace’s premium music channels, as part of the Hulu channels line-up, currently available to 1.64 million subscribers in Japan, from 9 April 2018 at MIPTV in Cannes. The channels are Trace Urban, Trace Tropical, and Trace Gospel.

Trace chief group commercial officer and CEO International Laurent Dumeau said, “We have been very keen to bring the Trace brand to Japan for the very first time and to deliver music channels to an audience in Japan who are passionate about urban, tropical and gospel music. We have been asked for many years to bring these channels to Japan, and now through our partnership with Hulu in Japan we can deliver.”

Hulu in Japan is an online video subscription service offering over 50,000 films, TV dramas and animation for a fixed monthly price of 933 yen (excluding tax). The lineup includes “Hulu Premiere” offering exclusive first view in Japan, “Hulu Original” created by Hulu in Japan, catch up episodes and live music streaming.

Trace is a global multi-platform media and entertainment company that connects with multicultural audiences through premium afro-urban music and content across 21 pay TV channels, radios, motion picture, online and mobile services in over 160 countries to 200 million viewers and listeners.

Trace Urban is a hip-hop and R&B top-40 music channel. It showcases the best videos from these three music genres as well as interviews, shows and documentaries related to urban artists and culture. Lightning International CEO and Trace Asia MD James Ross, said, “The expansion of the Trace music channels into Japan is a key part of our strategy to make Trace channels available to TV and online audiences throughout the Asia-Pacific region”.

Trace Tropical is the music channel exclusively dedicated to tropical music. It features the videos from Latin America, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean in various music genres (Salsa, Reggae, Reggaeton, Merengue, Bachata, Zouk, Zumba and Soca). Trace Tropical also broadcasts concerts and documentaries on tropical music and cultures.

Trace Gospel is the only channel that presents today’s face of gospel music, which has evolved tremendously and nowadays it is much more than just choirs. Through the best music videos of contemporary, urban, worship and traditional gospel, as well as interviews with upcoming and established artists, features and concerts, Trace Gospel shows the diversity of gospel music.