Ayu removed from US iTunes...

[ExodusUK]

I'm guessing Avex doesn't like iTunes Match...

When Apple matches your songs with its catalogue it will automatically upgrade them to 256 kilobits per second, even if your original was in a lower quality. If you have a lot of old MP3s that are encoded at 128kbps, or perhaps lower, then iTunes Match is a quick and cheap way to upgrade.

[AyumiAi]

interesting...

[Mintkisses]

[Evolution7/4]

All J-pop has been removed and this is the second time it has happened recently (the first time is when iTunes plus came out and all songs switched from 128 to 256kbps). Probably some negotions need to be handeled internationally. If it's like last time all the music will return in a few months.

[ohsixthirty]

Originally Posted by Evolution7/4

All J-pop has been removed and this is the second time it has happened recently (the first time is when iTunes plus came out and all songs switched from 128 to 256kbps). Probably some negotions need to be handeled internationally. If it's like last time all the music will return in a few months.

exactly! i'm sure it will be back. but at the same time, i doubt japanese record labels are THAT worried about getting it back into international iTunes quickly.

[*hearT_Place*]

It irritates me that avex keeps doing this (because it's only avex that took their music down, both this time and last time). iTunes is the primary way I buy their stuff (As much as I love Ayu, I can't afford a $40.00 CD and no casual-fan is going to even be tempted to spend that much on a CD). It sucks that the Japanese music industry as a whole hasn't embraced promoting over the internet the way, say, KPOP has. Many, many a KPOP artist has a youtube page (or are part of their record label's youtube page)...with all of their (FULL) PVs, and their music is often available through international iTunes stores the same day it comes out in Korea.

Bleh. I hope avex puts their music back up soon.

[ayurocks20]

her music is still available on the australian one?? yayy!

[sesshy]

That's what annoys me the most. I don't listen to k-pop, but I wish the Japanese music industry could start adding music onto itunes (I can't afford the price for singles/albums.) and add full PVs on Youtube like they do. International peeps want to hear more of their music.

And I can say same with Sony. All my favorite artists under them but I guess they don't like itunes.

[JackieRos]

I remember this happened before. Didn't even know they had put it back.

[C+R+E+AYUMI]

I'm curious about teh reason..a new marketing technique? LOL

[Bigtop]

I'm not sure. Obviously I'm not using iTunes Match, but especially the fact that we Americans speak English and the Japanese speak their Japanese, and unlike the Americans where it's just simple usage of Roman letters, the Japanese have thousands of characters to deal with...

But I'm not sure why...

[Tony G]

The Japanese iTunes store is one of the only stores in the world to have not switched to 'iTunes Plus'. This is, higher quality 256kbps AAC music without DRM protection. The Japanese store is still on DRM-protected 128kbps purchases.

Clearly avex don't like giving away a higher quality product without DRM protection because it makes distributing it illegally much easier. Although, someone should tell them that DRM-protection is not going to prevent copyright infringement as its very easy to get around. This is why most of the online music world is DRM-free.

Avex has this ridiculous strategy to share absolutely nothing (ie. full PVs on YouTube, short version videos on TV) and do everything and anything possible to prevent copyright infringement, even going to such lengths as to take Ayu's music off the biggest iTunes store in the world. One word - idiots. They cannot stop it. They should embrace the power of YouTube and iTunes worldwide to generate sales.

This will only drive US customers to download her music illegally. Well done, avex.

[Bad Wolf]

^ Agreed completely.

[emi♡]

I think it's fine. tbh they probably don't make that much of a profit off US or international purchases anyway

Avex however has to be fully aware of the advantages of downloads, as, downloads are probably more popular in Japan than here :/ But with iTunes, idk.

It seems to me that they like their system, and that the one Apple provides isn't flexible enough for what they want, and they probably can't come to an adequate contract.

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

Avex is retarded, no shock there.

[Bad Wolf]

Originally Posted by Pieces_of_SEVEN

Avex is retarded, no shock there.

tell us how you really feel

[femtrooper]

Weird!!! They took her down from Canada's iTunes too...now you can only get her pv's on Canada's iTunes, but not her music. LAME! XD

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by Tony G

The Japanese iTunes store is one of the only stores in the world to have not switched to 'iTunes Plus'. This is, higher quality 256kbps AAC music without DRM protection. The Japanese store is still on DRM-protected 128kbps purchases.

Clearly avex don't like giving away a higher quality product without DRM protection because it makes distributing it illegally much easier. Although, someone should tell them that DRM-protection is not going to prevent copyright infringement as its very easy to get around. This is why most of the online music world is DRM-free.

Avex has this ridiculous strategy to share absolutely nothing (ie. full PVs on YouTube, short version videos on TV) and do everything and anything possible to prevent copyright infringement, even going to such lengths as to take Ayu's music off the biggest iTunes store in the world. One word - idiots. They cannot stop it. They should embrace the power of YouTube and iTunes worldwide to generate sales.

This will only drive US customers to download her music illegally. Well done, avex.

Okay, now I've got a full meaning of this... That may be the reason why it's removed...

[thatstacey]

Originally Posted by Evolution7/4

All J-pop has been removed and this is the second time it has happened recently (the first time is when iTunes plus came out and all songs switched from 128 to 256kbps). Probably some negotions need to be handeled internationally. If it's like last time all the music will return in a few months.

I don't think it's all the J-pop, but definitely all the Avex (or most of it, there seems to be one Koda Kumi single that survived the transition, though I haven't tried purchasing it to know if it's a broken link)

I'm also hoping it's some extended negotiation and they'll show up in a few months like after the iTunes Plus switch. I'm trying to be patient, but it'd be nice if Avex kept us abreast about these things. It's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy that they won't make headway in Western digital markets when they don't communicate releases/disruption in releases with fans...

[*hearT_Place*]

Originally Posted by Tony G

The Japanese iTunes store is one of the only stores in the world to have not switched to 'iTunes Plus'. This is, higher quality 256kbps AAC music without DRM protection. The Japanese store is still on DRM-protected 128kbps purchases.

Clearly avex don't like giving away a higher quality product without DRM protection because it makes distributing it illegally much easier. Although, someone should tell them that DRM-protection is not going to prevent copyright infringement as its very easy to get around. This is why most of the online music world is DRM-free.

Avex has this ridiculous strategy to share absolutely nothing (ie. full PVs on YouTube, short version videos on TV) and do everything and anything possible to prevent copyright infringement, even going to such lengths as to take Ayu's music off the biggest iTunes store in the world. One word - idiots. They cannot stop it. They should embrace the power of YouTube and iTunes worldwide to generate sales.

This will only drive US customers to download her music illegally. Well done, avex.

That about sums it up.