iTunes is good.... but!

[Izzette]

I wonder if you all have this same problem with iTunes as I do..

I love Itunes and how it features a good legal way to download songs and actually supports artists.. The only fault that iTunes has is that, say I live in America which means I can't download songs from Japan's iTunes. What's up with that?

I swear its like the Music industry is trying to force people to only listen to the music in their own country.

This block forces people to either illegally download a song that they could have supported legally on itunes but due to the block were unable too, or means they'll have to spend $12 on a CD single + $6-8 in shipping.... So 1-3 songs on a cd end up costing an outrageous $18...... when they could easily be bought over itunes for $0.99-$2.00.

Why must they stop us from exploring other places music? This doesn't seem very fair. !

[emi♡]

Because maybe they don't have active ways for payment? Or maybe they can't properly filter it.

It's not like theyre trying to punish us.

If it would make them munny they probably would without a doubt.

Perhaps it isn't feasible for other reasons.


And besides, why wouldn't an Industry want it's country to listen to it's music. It IS a business.

[Delirium-Zer0]

There HAVE to be things about making the music available internationally that are cost-prohibitive, otherwise, yeah, it makes no sense.

Seems to me, if I ran a label, I'd want my music to be marketed to as many people worldwide as possible. That way, more people could potentially buy it.

But if it costs too much to negotiate, get US distribution rights, or otherwise give the original versions of recordings to iTunes, then yeah, I can see how it would be difficult to get your stuff international exposure via the iTunes store.

[zoomzoom]

I think it has something to do with rights management and the record labels. Some music is only licensed for the American market, some only for the Japanese. For it to be released outside of the markets, they probably have to sign new contracts and such, so they can rack in the money from the new markets too.

[Kobayashiwoof]

you can just buy a japanese itunes card from jbook or whatever its called. You pay them and they will send you the card, or they will email you the serial number.

[MemorialAddress]

I used to hate this too, but then I got over it. I don't really like buying music from iTunes anyway. I prefer owning the CD

[v3lun420]

Personally, I like physical CD, I never buy by dl-ing them. It's just my quirk. ANyway, my comment won;t have anything to do to ur problem ne?

[Izzette]

I noticed some of you said you would like owning the physical CD. Well thats the same with me, I like to own a physical CD. but I use itunes to sample songs at a cheap price before I go and buy the album/single at full price.

I know it's okay to step out of an element and buy songs by singers you've never listened too. But say they really suck and you've spent $11+ on them. That's like a LOT of money wasted.

I learned about Kanon Wakeshima, Kyoko, Ayaka and many artists by taking the chance of buying their material before hearing it. It's a good thing they were all good or that would be money wasted..

iTunes needs some sort of agreement with all the countries to share music.

If they can market Ayumi, Utada, Ayaka and other big names on iTunes America, then why can't they market say Aoyama Thelma, Nana Kitade, Girl Next Door, and other artists that aren't as big, but deserve just as much exposure?

It seems they have the agreement for some artists, but not all. I hope someday they can get things straight and truly share music everywhere. So many great artists will never be heard of due to the limit of certain music in certain countries.

Even Ayumi for example she just recently broke out in the US very UNDERGROUND success. Before nobody had ever heard of her, now I talk to all my friends and they are aware of who she is. Suddenly word of mouth is getting her better known in the US.. A friend of mine at school said they were teaching about Ayumi at their school. In ayumi's case in America shes gotten here by word of mouth, but many other artists won't have that same privilege, because of no way of knowing who they are to begin with. It has to start somewhere..

OH well lol, I'll stop arguing over iTunes, I doubt things will change anytime soon.

Anyway mostly I just wondered if anyone else had a similar feeling about it as i did. It's good to know that i'm not the only one whose atleast thought about it.