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Japanese Companies Set to Compete with iTunes

Posted by Hemos on from the the-battle-for-the-moolah dept.

psiph writes "'Japan's two major online music distributors said [Thursday] they have agreed to tie up to push the distribution business... The tie-up accord was reached in the wake of the Aug. 4 launch of Apple's Latest News about Apple iTunes in Japan.'"

12 of 28 comments (clear)

  1. Re:nothing like the... by madaxe42 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Except for the arrival of a 600 pound gorilla.

  2. iTunes Japan Failing Engrish Quota by vertinox · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sony later described the main reason they decided to compete was because the iTunes slogans had a sensible grasp of the English language and would not fly with the Japanese public. Sony PR Manager was quoted saying their slogan would be "Music Sample Download in You!"

    --
    "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
    -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
    1. Re:iTunes Japan Failing Engrish Quota by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 2, Informative

      I would think that this should have been moderated "funny" not "informative".

    2. Re:iTunes Japan Failing Engrish Quota by vertinox · · Score: 3, Funny

      I was about to say myself. It's one thing to get modded Troll or Flamebait when trying to be funny... And interesting I could understand... But informative just makes me scratch my head and wonder if someone believed what I said to be real life and not comedy.

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
  3. why are they by VolciMaster · · Score: 4, Funny

    tying up accords? Didn't know Honda had anything to do with music sales...

    --
    antipaucity
    1. Re:why are they by twotommylong · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You obviously haven't seen japanese Pr0N. They love to tie up everything...

  4. Re:nothing like the... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Except for maybe the arrival of Godzilla.

  5. eh by larry+bagina · · Score: 3, Informative
    sophisticated purveyors of music know that the Japanese release of many US albums contain additional tracks. It would be nice to get ahold of them individually, but it looks like these companies are only selling in sony's (retarded) ATRAC format and something else that looks even more obscure and attrocious, DRM wise. Too bad - they fail it.

    Guess I'll just have to keep buying import CDs (wink wink)

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  6. Twice the price, twice the DRM by camperslo · · Score: 3, Funny

    All Sony needs to do now is leverage their video expertise into audio. I'm thinking they'll do something along the lines of an audible FBI warning and promos playing before the start of every song...

  7. Not quite correct. by jcr · · Score: 2, Insightful

    These companies are no longer Japan's major online music distributors. They are now a pair of rather distant also-rans, like Real and Napster in the US.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  8. Number of comments on story correlates strongly... by javaxman · · Score: 3, Interesting
    to the ability of anyone to care about these companies selling music online. They're about to make as much money as Napster.

    I'm no iTMS user, but it's pretty obvious that if these companies had any clue whatsoever, they'd have been selling tons of song online for years in Japan, building a solid user base and market dominance without competition. Suddenly, now that they have Apple to compete with, they're finally 'working' on it? Given the overwhelming popularity of the iPod in Japan, why not save their investor's money and focus on something that won't be a complete waste of money ?

  9. Re:Number of comments on story correlates strongly by Durf · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You can replace "iTMS user" and "song[s] online" with "CD listener" and "music discs," or hey, even "rice eater" and "grain." This has always been a place where domestic players enjoy a stranglehold on the consumer until that day when the market cracks open and they get spanked by a foreign competitor.

    The consumers like this process, for the most part. Except in the case of rice . . . Most people prefer to spend 10 times as much on something grown in Niigata rather than settle for California-grown stuff (even if it's the same strain). This was only true for individual consumers, though; companies buying rice for use in products are happy to get the savings. Open a pack of rice crackers and you'll be eating rice from Thailand or Australia, usually.

    Anyway. Most players in the Japanese online music market are clueless. Yahoo.co.jp just launched its music streaming service to much fanfare, but the downloadable tracks it sells still go for 350 yen . . . and they don't work on Macs or iPods. Yeah, that'll fly.