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Columbia Japan Music On Demand, On CD-R

Posted by timothy on from the slow-march-of-a-clue dept.

jwlidtnet writes "It seems as if Columbia Records Japan has instituted a series of 'albums on demand' -- written on CDR media (warning: page in Japanese). Granted, most of the items currently offered are Japanese in origin, but this is indicative of a record label that realizes how to embrace *some* aspect of the technological revolution! Various industry types have been espousing this method for years as an antidote to artificial concepts of media supply and demand (e.g. that Big Record Label cannot support small acts as it must press x copies of the album), and as Columbia seems to be offering mostly old catalogue items, this is an encouraging solution to the problem of the control of out-of-print recordings. One final note: of course, a system like this is only as useful as its retailer support, and it appears as if both Tower Records Japan and HMV Japan carry these CDR releases."

3 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Been there done that. by t0qer · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.mykaraokecdg.com/xcart/customer/

    Soundchoice has been offering custom CDG karaoke cd's for about 1.5 years now. Go online, select your tracks, plop in a credit card number and a magical CD comes to your house from this magical guy named the fed ex man.

  2. Re:What about jewel covers, CD art, etc? by CBNobi · · Score: 5, Informative

    From their About/FAQ page (in Japanese, of course):

    "The instruction booklet has been scanned from their original printings and reproduced."

    However..
    "3. Regarding the Instruction Booklets
    Q: Are the designs the same from the original?
    A: The cover, liner notes, labels, etc. have been newly designed for the R-Ban series, respecting the original design."

  3. Translation by CBNobi · · Score: 5, Informative

    Japanese as a first language comes in handy..

    The about/FAQ page of the site:

    Product Specification
    - This product contains audio reproduced from the original CD source to a CD-R, and as a result, the quality remains identical.
    - The labels on the product are newly designed for the R-Ban series.
    - The instruction manuals (covers, liner notes, etc) have been newly designed, based on scanned copies of the originals.
    - The instruction manuals, as a result of the scanning process, may be difficult to read due to errors in font size, printing, etc.

    Warnings
    [usual warnings, same as CD]
    - It is recommended that you use a regular CD Player when playing the R-Ban. Certain models of car stereos and DVD-players may have trouble playing back the media.
    (Copy protection? Meh..)

    FAQ
    1. Regarding purchase
    Q: Can I purchase R-Bans of other titles not available in the catalog?
    A: Not at this time.

    Q: Where can I purchase R-Bans?
    A: Through specialty Internet merchants and music stores that support the R-Ban series.

    Q: How long will it take to receive the media after ordering?
    A: They are created after the order, so it may take up to 2-3 weeks, in addition to other delays.

    2. Regarding sound quality
    Q: Is there any difference from the original CD?
    A: Since the R-Bans are duplicated from the original CD source, there is no difference.

    3. Regarding the instruction manual
    Q: Are the designs the same from the original?
    A: The covers, liner notes, labels, etc. have been newly designed for the R-Ban series, respecting the original design.

    4. Regarding playback
    Q: Is special equipment needed for playback?
    A: It is recommended that you use a regular CD Player when playing the R-Ban. Certain models of car stereos and DVD-players may have trouble playing back the media.

    Q: Are there any precautions for playback?
    [usual CD warnings]