I would agree if she put more effort in them. They often use pre-recorded vocals with off-key notes and shouting, so that they could sound as realistic as possible, so in the end they often sound just as bad as if she sang live. It's not always the case of course. Sometimes her lip-synced audio tracks sound more enjoyable.

By curiosity, do you have example of off-key lipsync performances, it sounds a bit weird to me.

I'm not sure about Ayu, but I know that Shakira used to use that kind of off-key lipsync performance

She recorded a "live vocal" version of the song and then used it instead of original version as playback track

This performance, for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKQa9keVwc8

Both, the music and her vocals sounds "live" but they're not (actually the version is called "TV edit" in the official single).

For example, GAME from CDL 2014-2015. The ending is especially off-key.
https://vimeo.com/115886863

You have to know the lyrics to lip-sync properly

Lip sync for her legacy!

They probably recorded the audio during rehearsals, when she was actually doing the performance, but the post-editing sounds weird because she's singing "live" (with all the flaws and off-key parts), but her voice sounds overprocessed.

I think the leaked mp3s of concerts (i.e. not the DVD) are most helpful here. off the top of my head, talkin' 2 myself from ASIA TOUR 2008 and poker face from A BEST LIVE 2013—I remember comparing leaks from different shows and these performances sound exactly the same (to my ears).

most recently, kanariya from CDL 2016–2017. it was almost clear this was a lip-sync just by comparing her vocals here and its severe hoarseness in Last angel, which was the immediately next song. the camera angles during the performance are suspect too; there were very few close-ups of her face, as if to hide obvious signs of lip-syncing.

The entire section "poker face-Fly high-HONEY" was lip-synced in A Best live, however I didn't want to mention it as an example, because there's only edited version available to the public, so one can't hear that there were off-key notes there. It's hard to back up examples with videos, because the vocals are fixed for DVDs.
As for Kanariya, you're absolutely right.

It's kinda sweet that Ayu and her team know to keep the off key vocals to make it realistic to our ears. They know we love Ayu warts and all.

Well, on the live broadcast this was the most obvious lip sync. Not only because it sounded like her voice had a different mixing, but also because she lip synced the wrong lyrics for Angel's Song while the camera focused her face

The live broadcasted version most likely is avaliable for download somewhere

true; I only knew about them since there were download links available on here from people who attended the concerts at the time. through some deep investigation (and provided the links aren't long dead), anyone curious might still find them.

now you got me curious if the live broadcast is still here somewhere :laugh

^There was 2 big lip sync fucking ups on that concert, the Angel's Song one where she lip syncs the wrong lyrics and a Over one where her hands are down, microphone in hands, and you clearly hears her voice going all "it's ooooveeeeeeeer"

The one I remember is when Ayu didn't say anything, but on the background audio track was playing where she was introducing Yocchan. Am I remembering it right? I think it was the same infamous PCDL.

Still no lottery �� This is getting ridiculous.

Yeah I am getting impatient.

I am pretty sure it was live, we could hear hear breathe through the performances. We could argue on it since none of us knows the truth for sure and there would be room for doubts on both sides, but personally I believe those off key vocals are live.

Didn't she talk about GAME performance at one of the line lives? Audience heard how her partners talk with each other while doing tricks, so ayu decided to use recorded track. Do you remember something like that?

Do you think artists can't record a vocal track with such breathing and noise from the microphone? It's another trick to make you think it's live. I chose this performance for a reason: I attended all 3 shows that CDL, recorded them, played them together in a sound editing program, and the vocals for GAME were exactly the same every night. It's up to you to believe me or not.
I don't remember that. I'd be very surprised if she confessed like that, because most of her Japanese fans believe that she never ever lip-syncs.

Cant wait for the lottery to happen soon. At the same time, hoping the real band will come back for this CDL. I need yochan!!