The global virtual-streamer market is sustaining double-digit growth, and one of Japan’s two leading agencies has resumed its search for the next generation of talent. Market research firm Global Growth Insights projects the global virtual-streamer live-streaming platform market will grow from about 256 trillion KRW (about $192 billion, using 1 KRW = 0.00075 USD) in 2024 to about $491 billion by 2034, and estimates roughly 40% of that market will be generated in the Asia–Pacific region.
ANYCOLOR, operator of Japan’s Nijisanji (にじさんじ), opened new auditions for its talent-development program VTA (Virtual Talent Academy) on May 15, 2026. The company is running three simultaneous tracks — a Skilled Vocal Audition, a Nijisanji VTA Idol Audition, and a Nijisanji VTA Ichigei Toppa (one-skill breakthrough) Audition — with applications accepted through noon on June 5.
Applicants must be able to attend selection rounds and the post-selection training program held in Tokyo or Osaka. There are no age or experience restrictions, though minors must supply parental consent. Selection will proceed through document screening and multiple interview rounds, concluding with a final interview in Tokyo. The Skilled Vocal track explicitly allows successful applicants to debut outside the Nijisanji project, so its debut path may differ from the other two tracks.
VTA launched in earnest in March 2022, when three first-generation members debuted as the unit Ranunculus. VOLTACTION followed as the second generation that July, and subsequent units including Idios, Speciale and 3SKM have also emerged from VTA. ANYCOLOR, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime (ticker 5032), has built its business around the Nijisanji intellectual property since its founding in May 2017.
The revival of Nijisanji’s in-house training track is notable amid intensified competition for talent with rival Cover Corp’s Hololive. In Global Growth Insights’ ranking of top VTuber companies, ANYCOLOR reported about ₩124 billion (about $93 million) in the most recent fiscal year, putting it at the top globally; Cover reported about ₩96.5 billion (about $72.4 million). Both companies’ moves to strengthen their own development systems suggest the industry is shifting from one-off casting to long-term IP management and sustained talent cultivation.
By subdividing this year’s auditions into vocal, idol and specialty categories, ANYCOLOR appears to be broadening its applicant pool by offering clearer debut concepts. Japanese outlet MoguraVR, citing a consumer-awareness survey from Yano Research Institute, reported that both the Nijisanji project and Hololive Production are recognized by more than 90% of virtual-streamer fans. In a market where that awareness gap has largely solidified, observers will watch the audition outcomes to judge what kind of talent ANYCOLOR’s training pipeline ultimately delivers at the next set of debut announcements.
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