what do you think about downloading ayu's illegal stuff?

[KarenPang]

I don't see any problem in downloading ayumi's stuff online & I do that for all the artistes that I support too

I suppose if my family owns an oil plantation or something , I definitely will buy every single thing my fave artistes release at the drop of the hat as per say but in reality that's not the case

There's more to life than just singles , albums & dvds of an artiste . When you're financially constraint , the priority to utilise $ to take care of a person's basic needs & not wants takes centrestage

[BlackSilence]

it's kinda weird for me when people go I buy because i want the artist to know their music/work is appreaciated, or some fans go bablign about how much of the fans they are because they own every single piece she releases...it's not about how much you own really I mean I would buy the things I love from her in a blink of an eye if I had the money. Her stuff is very expensive to me. I'd love to have the real thing in my hands instead of the digital version, but the thing is CDs, merch and all other stuff is luxury for me and it comes not just for Ayu's stuff...

[setsuka]

I try to buy when she releases new stuff, I own most of her singles since 2008 and albums, and I buy Jpop albums that I love,DVDs rare cases usually b'day money and merch is really never one shirt is good but I don't feel guilt dl'ing music in general XD, they are rich,famous I don't care tbqh

[YUKARI]

I'm absolutely fine with it. I download a lot, but I also own some of her singles and albums and even concert DVDs.

What I believe is that if ayu's stuff was available in my country, I'd definitely go and buy all her stuff in the local store, but since it's so hard to get her stuff, use Tenso, pay shipping, use EMS... tbh I'm not so eager to pay for shipping actually so I think I'll buy some her old stuff next time visiting Japan.

[RayJason]

None of the stores in my city have any of ayu's singles or albums for sale. I live in one of the most known cities in Europe, but still... I downloaded all of her singles, remix-singles, remix albums, original albums, BEST albums and compilation albums both in MP3 and FLAC. When I finished the album and looked at all those files I felt REALLY bad. So bad that I went to the local CD shop and asked them if they were ever planning to sell anything from ayu's discography. Their answer was no because they don't have the right or something.

Okay so that didn't work out, I had no other option that buy it from the internet. (My parents are really careful with buying stuff on the internet for me because they're afraid that the Internet demons will take their money.) Now I have 'FIVE, M, A BEST II -WHITE- and Rule / Sparkle' in my room and I plan on buying her newest album.

I could also buy an itunes 20/30/50€ card to digitally buy ayu's stuff but that's lame, I want it psychically .

With other words I try to support her as I can but I cannot spend all my money on her. I'm kinda obsessed with ayu as I listen to her music almost each day, it makes me feel bad that I'm downloading her music but not bad as in 'I'm a terrible fan, I'm going to hell' or whatever.

[toniayu]

I try to buy everything she does,sometimes it's impossible buy EVERYTHING.I usually don't download anything.I prefer to use sites like youtube/dailymotion to listen music and see videos(i'm referring to other artist).
I like other artist like namie amuro,alan,kumi...but i prefer to support my favorite artists AYU & tomoko kawase. Anyway,as i said,I usually don't download their stuff just use online sites.
Since i learnt how to buy in internet(2009),I have bought everything (except for 50S live S.) she released.And if i can i'll continue until her last day of her carer.
From tommy i only have 2 albums and 1 single,but is because she don't release too much and since i became her fan she only has released 1 single,but i'll continue buying her things until the last day of her carer as well (or until i don't like her).
To sum up,If you LIKE an artist,you MUST support her.When i say LIKE i don't mean like her music,i mean that also you love her style,her life style,her way of being,her way of work...

[rusuke]

Well, I download illegally when I want to discover new artists and even with other artists I already knew.

But when I have extra money, I buy CDs because for me it's really different if I can touch it with my bare hands and stare the booklet.

[channy]

I am not interested in buying or collecting CD's, because my MP3-Player does not care for physical copies. Furthermore I see no logical reasoning in buying digital downloads, either.

Avex earns a lot of money with concerts and merchandise, just like Ayu, and don't forget about commercials etc that are another income especially for Ayu herself. That is already more than enough money. If Ayu wants even more, she may as well apply for more contracts with companies like she did in the past.

If anything, I like to support people that really are in the need of some money.

[Andrenekoi]

I don't like occuping my space with stuff... I'm not all into buying stuff and needing to place it somewhere and taking care of it, so, I love having material on digital format.

I don't mind downloading stuff... If the artist is relevant enough there will always be people interested in buying the releases. Still, albums, dvds and music makes the labels rich, not really the artists, so, I don't feel bad for downloading considering it's not like that would have a big impact on the artist bank account.

Still, j-pop artists in general, and a big amount of artists in most conservative countries in the world still fail to understand the full promotional power of internet and downloads on one's career. You can download all the music and dvd u want, but u can't download the experience of watching ur favorite artist live, and live is something that really gives an artist money... Here in Brazil we have a good amount of top artists who offer their material for free on internet and sell out 15, 20, 30 concerts dates per month easily.

Also, the popularity of an artist or of their music also translates into tie-ins, another way of making a good amount of money even if sales aren't that expressive.

[microphone]

I feel terrible but I can't afford her stuff. I downloaded all of her albums but only purchased two. If only she didn't make good music... (and if I had more spare money!)

[thatstacey]

There are some artists--like Ayu--whose new releases I buy no matter what. Others I download first to see if it's worth the steep importation cost, then delete it if it's not.

My opinions on this have changed a bit over the years. I used to have a very black and white opinion about downloading music. Now I've become a bit more lenient, if only because companies like Avex has made it abundantly clear that they aren't moving into markets outside of Asia. If there's no consistent way to buy it legally, then... there's no consistent way to buy it legally. When artists I like do release material in the US (or in the UK when I lived there), I'll usually go out of my way to buy it to show that there is a demand outside of Asia. Otherwise, I stick to importing what I like and deleting what I don't.

I do still side-eye the self-proclaimed ~biggest fans~ who illegally download her entire discography--especially when they add some inane excuse like they're saving themselves for the Japanese version instead of the much more affordable Korean/HK or even local digital versions available. But I admittedly haven't seen much of that recently.

[channy]

Originally Posted by thatstacey

I do still side-eye the self-proclaimed ~biggest fans~ who illegally download her entire discography

This is so hypocritical and ignorant. Like, do you have to buy something to be a real fan?

I show my "loyalty" by constantly listening to her music. I think this is what truly makes you a big fan of an artist.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by thatstacey

I do still side-eye the self-proclaimed ~biggest fans~ who illegally download her entire discography--especially when they add some inane excuse like they're saving themselves for the Japanese version instead of the much more affordable Korean/HK or even local digital versions available. But I admittedly haven't seen much of that recently.

In all honesty, though... Some people just don't have the disposable income to buy albums and whatnot. :/ In my opinion, you're a fan regardless of whether you buy Ayu's stuff or not.

Me, I prefer to buy Ayu's albums and support her. However, I am guilty of downloading her singles and not buying them. I see no reason to buy a single featuring two songs that will be on the full album I'll buy in a few months time. I do, however, buy singles that are not on her albums (A Song is born with KEIKO, Dream ON).

[thatstacey]

Originally Posted by channy

This is so hypocritical and ignorant. Like, do you have to buy something to be a real fan?

I show my "loyalty" by constantly listening to her music. I think this is what truly makes you a big fan of an artist.

And that's good on you, I suppose. Though I would hope the cherry-picked quotation wasn't ignorant, and I certainly don't think it was especially hypocritical (seeing as I said my view of downloading music was largely swayed by availability). Agree to disagree?

For me, I read the combination of downloading everything while claiming to be holding out for purchasing some sacred ~Japanese version (when other options are available) as less a love for an artist and more a love for discovery. If that's how someone gets off, that's how they get off. Whatever. I just wish they wouldn't bother me about it.

Edit:
Re-reading my post, I suppose this is because I didn't explicitly link the two stipulations: downloading everything while chasing ye old Japanese Version windmill. To clarify, it's less setting some bizarre monetary threshold for fandom and more about the empty promises/threats I've seen thrown around various communities in my time as an Ayu fan (with the looming spectre of the self-fulfilling prophecy--lamenting the lack of local availability while not buying what's available...which, in my experience, usually takes the form of thinly-veiled exoticism and racism that makes the sudden invasion of my fandom especially annoying... which I suppose is the actual problem rather than the downloading.

...That was weirdly cathartic.)

[pommy48]

Even with albums I buy, I still download it online because I don't want to rip it

And if out of an album, I only like 2 songs, I definitely won't waste money on buying it...

If it wasn't for illegal downloading, I wouldn't even discover Ayu lol

[Kanzaki]

Originally Posted by thatstacey

I do still side-eye the self-proclaimed ~biggest fans~ who illegally download her entire discography--especially when they add some inane excuse like they're saving themselves for the Japanese version instead of the much more affordable Korean/HK or even local digital versions available. But I admittedly haven't seen much of that recently.

Depends, imo. If someone said they really worshipped her, but hardly had enough money to eat every month (thus no money for albums), I'd still call that person a huge fan.

[emi♡]

I'm so tired of everyone's self righteousness over what makes a fan.

In my opinion, love is all Ayu would care about from any fan. And actually, I'd think she'd be happy with much less even.

But even so. There's nothing else I see that can make any fan any better than any other.

[adantatu2]

If it wasn't for illegal downloading, I wouldn't even discover Ayu lol

Same here. Thanks to illegal downloading i discovered her music, because you can't even hear a full song or pv in youtube (thanks to our avex friends)

[C+R+E+AYUMI]

I download everything I've already bought just in order not to ruin the original copy, that's it.

[xLuna&1LOVE]

Originally Posted by artcika

it's kinda weird for me when people go I buy because i want the artist to know their music/work is appreaciated, or some fans go bablign about how much of the fans they are because they own every single piece she releases...it's not about how much you own really I mean I would buy the things I love from her in a blink of an eye if I had the money. Her stuff is very expensive to me. I'd love to have the real thing in my hands instead of the digital version, but the thing is CDs, merch and all other stuff is luxury for me and it comes not just for Ayu's stuff...

This.

Sorry, but I do download illegally. But there is a system I taught myself to decrease my downloads. As for Ayumi-stuff, I have bought the few CDs of her discography I love and mostly they were second-hand, a discount or the Hong-Kong version: because I am not able to pay the full price. I import the music from the CD to my iPod. But there are albums and songs which I also do like but I do not own them. I listen to these on the internet and when I have been falling in love with one song again.. yes, I do download it then. For new albums I always hope some legal previews could impress me. Yes: then I try to find a way to get the album. No: just download two or three songs you love.
Really, I would love to own her whole discography as well, but the chance to win the lotery here is a chance of one to some million.