Re: The (super-high) cost of Japanese CDs...

[fitear1590 2414]

I just ordered my first Korean CDs the other day (the band "Nemesis," surprise surprise) and I was shocked to find out that Korean CD prices are pretty much the same price as American (around $15 for an album)... I felt rich for a second! Or rather, I always feel poor, since I order lots of Japanese CDs...

For some reason, I expected the inflated Japanese prices would also be found in some other Asian countries, particularly in Korea. Apparently not.

Which leads me to some questions:

-Are there any other countries with relatively inflated CD prices, in Asia or elswhere?

-Why does Japan actually have such high CD prices (around $35 and up, considering the shitty exchange rate) and how can it sustain this?

-With the influx of k-pop in Japan, and Korean groups also doing Japanese releases, can Japan really compete in the CD market?

Let's look at 2 examples, using Yesasia pricing:

Shinee - Sherlock.

The Korean version is a 7-track mini-album with "5 24-page member artbooks, a 20-page lyric booklet, one sticker, and a randomly selected photo card" for $17.99. Comparatively, the Japanese version is a 2-track single, with a "poster photo booklet and a trading card." With the Korean version, you're essentially getting 5 photobooks (holy shit, btw) and 5 more songs for around the same price.

Girls' Generation - The Boys

The Korean version is $25.99 for a 15-track CD and DVD. The Japanese version is $54.49 for the same thing, plus a 36 page photobook. I guess the photobook is supposed to justify the more-than-doubled price.

-I remember reading once that Japan will often include exclusive bonus tracks on Japanese versions of American/European releases to help justify the price. (But that makes me wonder how they justify the already high prices of their domestically released prices...)

Basically, this sucks and makes me wish all the bands I like did Korean releases, haha.

Feel free to join in the gripe-fest, or please chime in if you have any insights on the matter.

[Slsr 207]

Well yeah I've made this argument in past but I'll use it again ... Honestly Euro (and dollar too I guess, even if not as quickly as of late, more like bit by bit during recent years) used to be much stronger when compared to yen, so actually in past less money was needed to buy something from there, so I think in a way it's questionable to say prices there are that high (even if they probably were higher than in Korea beforehand too but at least a lot closer to our prices than now, like I'd understand a shit about these things though), it just seems so since value of our money has gone down whereas value of yen has gone up, whereas with won value about same now than when comparing to dollar 9 years back...

[sai 868]

-Are there any other countries with relatively inflated CD prices, in Asia or elsewhere?

I personally think that's mainly Japan when it comes to Asia. Taiwan can be a bit more expensive than for example Korea or Singapore, but it doesn't come close to the high CD prices that Japan knows. I can't speak of other world countries, but I know that here in the Netherlands, when a CD is new, people usually pay 17 or 18 euros for it, which is approximately 23 dollars for a full album. For five dollars more, you have a Japanese album. That's mostly due too the economic crisis though. If only they'd make the new CD prices cheaper, then so many people wouldn't refrain from buying the CD eventually.

-Why does Japan actually have such high CD prices (around $35 and up, considering the shitty exchange rate) and how can it sustain this?

What I heard is that in Japan pretty much everything except for what is necessary to live is taxed with a ridiculously high number. I think they just have one height of tax percentage, while here in the Netherlands we have three: 0%, 6% and 19%. So it's probably the high amount of tax.

-With the influx of k-pop in Japan, and Korean groups also doing Japanese releases, can Japan really compete in the CD market?

Well seeing as the Japanese are used to their CD prices, I don't think they'll order Korean versions of the same albums online if they can get the Japanese versions in a shop. I personally would order online, but I think it's just that the Japanese are used to these prices.

Also some Japanese bands actually do have Korean versions of their CD's, which are around 15 dollars cheaper compared to the Japanese version.

[The Libertine 2]

well.. it's not even like most japanese buy the cd's!! They admonish me for the idea of downloading anything at all. But they have 0 problem to go to the cd rental shops and then just copy the music and return it. Since it's quite cheap to do this (and they even sell blank cd's at these stores) many people do.

Also, yes korean/taiwanese cd's for the win! Love my trips to Taiwan or Korea to buy music and dvds. : )

[fitear1590 2414]

Ahh, CD rental. That would be great for overseas fans too, but I think international CD rental would be pretty much implausible, haha.

It's nice to know that at least there's an alternative for Japanese fans though. A nice solution for the exorbitant price of buying CDs.

[Kaye 296]

I remember buying CDs here in Belgium that were European releases of American CDs and costing about 200% and more of what they did in America itself. A CD costing €10 there, was €23 here...

Korean CDs are incredibly cheap to me especially for what you end up with in the end. European releases of Japanese CDs are somewhat alright too, because if I'd buy them online, I'd lose a lot more money than the €15/20 I'd pay now.

I honestly really don't get how Japan survives on those prices though, being one of the biggest music industries in the world :s

[Nyasagi 259]

What I heard is that in Japan pretty much everything except for what is necessary to live is taxed with a ridiculously high number. I think they just have one height of tax percentage, while here in the Netherlands we have three: 0%, 6% and 19%. So it's probably the high amount of tax.

Go to cdjapan and look at the tax. It's 5%. It's very low. Here it's 23%.

[greeeeen 49]

This is mainly one of the reasons why I prefer buying digital releases (most of it is relatively cheaper), instead of physical releases of the music I listen to. Sadly, often I find buying a digital version means I won't get a special bonus track(s) that's only attainable in the CD. D;

Compared to Korean and Taiwanese CD, of course Japanese CD is really expensive. Indeed, special packaging, bonuses, whatever. But what makes the price ridiculously inflated to me is the shipping fee. lol~ It's not that I buy CDs that often nowadays. Because, yeah, I'm working part-time and I practically can't afford to purchase everything I want.

[Caution 0]

The only Japanese CDs I've bought brand new from a store are Rendez Blue and Emerald from Vrain. They were 1500 and 2000 yen instead of 2000 or 2500 and 3000+ like most other CDs. It was still about $40 for both CDs and EMS shipping (I couldn't use SAL or other cheap shipping). This was in early 2008 before everything really went down the crapper. 3000 yen CDs were like $26 in 2003 or 2004 or something. It was way too much then and $37 is way too much now. Luckily I don't listen to much new music. Most of my collection is from eBay. I do own one Korean version of a Japanese album. I was thinking of buying more but Annyoung closed down before I could.

[Number Girl 48]

I've always heard - from a couple of people who have lived/been to Japan - the argument that Japanese people have significantly more disposable income and thus the prices are adjusted higher. Also, that high prices don't just apply to music, but other items too.

Anyway, Chinese/Korean releases are a life saver- it is nice to be able to buy special/Limited versions with DVD's or posters and all without feeling like you were robbed. I now only buy B'z CD's when the Hong Kong versions come out or on Ebay.

[Guest Magatsu]

easy reason.

if a price is high, people will buy it anyway if they really want to have it.

So why making the price lower?

But also Indie artist are saying that to produce a CD, it's not cheap at all. Studio prices are expensive and booklet prices too.

So that they need to make the price so damn high, if they ever want to have their money back.

._."

[Guest mitsubana]

I always figured Japanese CDs were more expensive because the cost of living in Japan is higher. But I could be wrong...

[TheBistroButcher666 228]

Pretty much this.

 

Just Google articles on the cost of living in Japan and you'll see that it's not just CDs, it's just about everything.

 

Basically take a country with low natural resources and a population of around 127 million (just 20 million under Russia!) and cram it all in a landmass roughly the size of the state of California. More people, limited space and resources and high demand will make prices go up. It's like  the US state of Hawaii, everything cost more because everything has to be imported. I know Japan makes various products domestically but a lot of the raw materials has to be imported from outside the country so I imagine that causes prices to inflate.

 

There's a lot of factors but just take the reasons above and it gives you an idea of why the prices can be so wack to some of us.

 

I know people whine, why don't they lower the costs of CDs especially indie bands. Look, their focus is their Japanese market not their foreign fans. Adjusting prices to appease foreign fans just doesn't make sense if they're not going to sell the CDs in that foreign market. Why would a US producer reduce the cost of CDs in the US market just because CDs are cheaper say over in Bangladesh or some other country. It's just not going to happen and just hope your local currency becomes stronger than the yen because it's just economics man.

[Guest mitsubana]

Pretty much this.

 

Just Google articles on the cost of living in Japan and you'll see that it's not just CDs, it's just about everything.

 

Basically take a country with low natural resources and a population of around 127 million (just 20 million under Russia!) and cram it all in a landmass roughly the size of the state of California. More people, limited space and resources and high demand will make prices go up. It's like  the US state of Hawaii, everything cost more because everything has to be imported. I know Japan makes various products domestically but a lot of the raw materials has to be imported from outside the country so I imagine that causes prices to inflate.

 

There's a lot of factors but just take the reasons above and it gives you an idea of why the prices can be so wack to some of us.

 

I know people whine, why don't they lower the costs of CDs especially indie bands. Look, their focus is their Japanese market not their foreign fans. Adjusting prices to appease foreign fans just doesn't make sense if they're not going to sell the CDs in that foreign market. Why would a US producer reduce the cost of CDs in the US market just because CDs are cheaper say over in Bangladesh or some other country. It's just not going to happen and just hope your local currency becomes stronger than the yen because it's just economics man.

 

This. That's what I was thinking but wasn't for certain. I mean it does suck that Japanese music is expensive, but it isn't a big deal. I still support all my bands.

[evilcoconut 109]

I feel like Japanese regular edition CDs are not outlandishly priced, it's the freaking shipping that puts them up into outlandish territory when all is said and done. I remember when American CDs cost about 20 bucks on average.  Idk when they came down, but I paid that price and didn't like it, but I don't really think it's ridiculous.

[PumpkinPatches 48]

What makes CDs expensive is the 500 versions o the same damn thing and the fact tha. The Japanese music industry is pretty much run on single releases. In addition to the astronomical living costs, import costs, taxes, and such... It makes sense.

Honestly, I don't have a problem spending $12 on a single (this is what I spent on Galeyd's new single) or $32 on a full length album. Most recording studios cost double what they cost in other countries.

Also, comparing it to the Korean music industry is ridiculous because the Korean government has a hand in the running of the music industry (as well as television, movies, books, etc.) so they get an unfair advantage. Less taxes, more loopholes, and the government watching to make sure things go smoothly.

[Kaye 296]

To be honest, CDs in Belgium aren't the cheapest either, though we don't have ridiculous prices as Japan has, we do get close at times. I remember my grandfather buying me an American version of one of LP's albums years back, and he paid like a half there of what it was here. I guess our prices are around $25/30 at times, with only the smaller artists sometimes being any lower (or if you're lucky, there are sales or just cheaper record labels around) but yeah, we have a high tax rate too.

 

Korean albums are so cheap to me. Especially when the pop albums come with huge photobooks and all. An Epik High album cost me $14 or something and it was a book with an additional CD.