Visual kei blogspots: reposting or reuploading?

[TheBistroButcher666 228]

I think a decent portion of that could be alleviated by them embracing the digital age though. With as prevalent as itunes and other digital music venues are, they are sorely underused by the Japanese market(especially VK bands), and when they do, they specifically lock out their foreign audience from giving them money most of the time. I think many western acts have already figured out that digital is the way to go(at least parallel with physical-media releases) just because that is how most people listen to their music nowadays. Of course it wouldn't get rid of downloading(nothing ever will, no matter what they try), they might as well at least try an capitalize on some of that. Personally, if a release I'm interested in is available on the US itunes store, then I don't mind tossing a few dollars their way even if it's already been uploaded here.

 

As for the main point of this thread, I think blogspots should be doing neither, honestly. I mean, 99% of VK blogspots serve absolutely NO purpose at all. I can make an exception for ones like Evil en Lucifer because they focused on posting old stuff and most, if not all, of their posts were original and not just reposts. The other blogs, however? All they do is steal possible users from here. There's absolutely nothing that people couldn't get just as easily by spending the 20 seconds and registering for an account here.

I agree, I had done a quick edit to my post after I ranted.

 

It's not just Japanese distributors that lock out foreigners, American and European distributors are just as bad. It's like when I went to Canada and looked at what my friend had available on Netflix, half of it was unavailable because he's in Canada. What the heck why?

[Peace Heavy mk II 7200]

I agree, I had done a quick edit to my post after I ranted.

 

It's not just Japanese distributors that lock out foreigners, American and European distributors are just as bad. It's like when I went to Canada and looked at what my friend had available on Netflix, half of it was unavailable because he's in Canada. What the heck why?

THEY MIGHT HAVE HEALTH CARE BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE NETFLIX

[Nyasagi 259]

There's even no netflix here xD. Neither Amazon, just iTunes, but I heard it's very expensive compared to some local sites that sell digital music, lol. But there isn't much music available, so people just download, it's not illegal here (just keeping files for more than 24h on hd is). I remember there was one site selling Japanese music (I forgot the name of it, but most people should know it) that didn't have such limits, neither the prices were high, but they didn't have a good choice of the bands and apparently no one wanted to buy the digital releases anyway. I don't think they would make enough profit from foreign sales, but not letting people to buy even physical CDs isn't good either. One person will buy using the shopping service, upload it and post online, and why would anyone else bother to buy it in that case? People would more likely buy it if it's easily available... but not in the digital form.

[Biopanda 2675]

There's even no netflix here xD. Neither Amazon, just iTunes, but I heard it's very expensive compared to some local sites that sell digital music, lol. But there isn't much music available, so people just download, it's not illegal here (just keeping files for more than 24h on hd is). I remember there was one site selling Japanese music (I forgot the name of it, but most people should know it) that didn't have such limits, neither the prices were high, but they didn't have a good choice of the bands and apparently no one wanted to buy the digital releases anyway. I don't think they would make enough profit from foreign sales, but not letting people to buy even physical CDs isn't good either. One person will buy using the shopping service, upload it and post online, and why would anyone else bother to buy it in that case? People would more likely buy it if it's easily available... but not in the digital form.

I guess each person is different? I tend to buy digital copies if they're available just due to the price differences alone. I want to say that when I bought the last Magistina Saga cd, a digital copy cost me like... $7? Buying a physical copy probably would have ran me around $30+ after shipping. Also, it's not like digital copies don't exist... there's plenty on itunes japan, but also mora.jp and listen.jp are huge for digital distribution. All three of those block you from purchasing if you don't live in Japan though, and one of them(listen.jp) even used to allow foreign purchases, but recently blocked them. Even if they wouldn't see many purchases, blocking them off like that is just guaranteeing that anyone who would have possibly bought it would most likely revert to piracy instead.

[Guest mitsubana]

There's even no netflix here xD. Neither Amazon, just iTunes, but I heard it's very expensive compared to some local sites that sell digital music, lol. But there isn't much music available, so people just download, it's not illegal here (just keeping files for more than 24h on hd is). I remember there was one site selling Japanese music (I forgot the name of it, but most people should know it) that didn't have such limits, neither the prices were high, but they didn't have a good choice of the bands and apparently no one wanted to buy the digital releases anyway. I don't think they would make enough profit from foreign sales, but not letting people to buy even physical CDs isn't good either. One person will buy using the shopping service, upload it and post online, and why would anyone else bother to buy it in that case? People would more likely buy it if it's easily available... but not in the digital form.

 

Ya, even if digital release were more available to visual kei fans, sure it'd possibly boost profits a little bit but people will still share the music and download it without purchasing. HearJapan was a good example of that. People would buy digital releases of their fave bands then just share them.  Everyone probably remembers the statement the founder of HearJapan released when that was happening to Xodiack's first album. 

 

I feel like it's just easier for most visual kei fans to download without purchasing because fellow fans share so easily and readily. Just how it is. And then there are the fans who purchase what they can.

 

Regarding reuploading/reposting links... I don't have much of an opinion. I don't download music anymore. I guess I could say it's like when I post lyrics of visual kei bands online and people take my lyrics and post them on their own sites. I know it will happen, so I don't ask for credit anymore and just don't care. It's just a hobby of mine. Plus, the original lyrics belong to the bands anyway...not me. I only can take credit for the romanization. 

[TheBistroButcher666 228]

I agree nothing will stop people from sharing. I just really disagree and hate the mentality that people who don't create things expect artists to do it for free. 

 

I do wish there was more discussion about music. I feel like that's one area sorely lacking on MH. The only artist topics that seem to stay afloat is the Dir en grey circlejerks.

 

How many people are listening to KAMIJO's and Jupiter's new release yet there's barely any discussion regarding the actual releases. Except for a few posts in a review thread, it's pretty sad. I guess can always troll the Last.fm page but trying to have a discussion in the shoutbox is a joke.

[Guest mitsubana]

I agree nothing will stop people from sharing. I just really disagree and hate the mentality that people who don't create things expect artists to do it for free. 

 

I do wish there was more discussion about music. I feel like that's one area sorely lacking on MH. The only artist topics that seem to stay afloat is the Dir en grey circlejerks.

 

How many people are listening to KAMIJO's and Jupiter's new release yet there's barely any discussion regarding the actual releases. Except for a few posts in a review thread, it's pretty sad. I guess can always troll the Last.fm page but trying to have a discussion in the shoutbox is a joke.

 

I agree with you 100%. I wish more people thought like you to be honest... I also wish there were more discussion threads about bands and their music. I'll be honest, I'm not the best at reviewing music at times (something I could always improve on, of course), but it would be fun to discuss new releases. The bands I like, though, aren't (or don't seem) popular with fans, though...

[Gaz 1097]

I agree nothing will stop people from sharing. I just really disagree and hate the mentality that people who don't create things expect artists to do it for free. 

 

I do wish there was more discussion about music. I feel like that's one area sorely lacking on MH. The only artist topics that seem to stay afloat is the Dir en grey circlejerks.

 

How many people are listening to KAMIJO's and Jupiter's new release yet there's barely any discussion regarding the actual releases. Except for a few posts in a review thread, it's pretty sad. I guess can always troll the Last.fm page but trying to have a discussion in the shoutbox is a joke.

what are you talking about? kamijew and jewpiter are always well-discussed in the news treads and actually HAVE some reviews. the most of the bands i'm following don't even have a review topic :/

[sai 868]

To be quite honest, I think we're going way off-topic from the original purpose of this thread. To stay on topic: I feel like most blogspots keep potential forum members away, that could actually participate in potential discussion threads (because I do agree with Arithmetica, I do miss the fact that there aren't many people here that I can have a serious music discussion with).

 

Anyway, this thread is about the blogspots. If you feel like continuing this discussion you're very welcome to make a thread about it here, so we do have more stuff to discuss

[orangetarts 249]

Well, I will say that when i first entered the Vkei music scene i was about 12-13 or something and of course I wasnt really able to purchase anything online.

So these blogspots (along with LJ sharing comms like tonarimachi) were how I got everything...and even now I can't always afford to buy everything (that shit is expensive man!!) I learned about so many bands and introduced those bands to more people...doesnt that count as a form of support?

 

I dont know, I guess everyone has a different opinion on the matter and I can understand a lot of the different views expressed here (especially of those who actually buy a good portion of the music they have) but, to me, my main mission is to just spread the love and if they can buy it hooray, if not, at least they're loving the music the band has created.

[LIDL 692]

Personally never really get the fuss over it.

But in a way, I really think blogspot repost can be really helpful.

Especially the active one which will re-upload all broken/dead links very quickly.

Few times I have been helped with these blogs.

Since most links on forums most of the time are rarely checked if it is still working.

Particularly speaking about old releases that nobody cares any more.

[togz 2004]

In my case... I got in to VK at a younger age as well. Now, I buy all the releases of the bands I really like. But before, Clearly I wasn't old enough to have a job and I had parents who limited my internet usage and websites anyway. So if it wasn't for downloads, and those blogspots I wouldn't have even discovered visual kei in the first place. But I think it's nice for them to source where they recieved the download from simply because not everything is uploaded to just one site. There's downloads here that i couldn't find reposted anywhere else and then there's some downloads I could only find on certain blogspots. I don't care for credit to the actual uploader, it's not a difficult thing to do. When I password protect my things it's not because I MYSELF want credit, I just tend to make the password like "monochrome-heaven" or something so if the link is reposted and not reuploaded, at least people have to enter that password and wonder where it came from. idk. I figure it'd just help more people direct to one area. 

 

[Zeus 7997]

I do think visual kei bands should start taking advantage of services such as Bandcamp, Amazon and iTunes to sell their music. On the other hand, I'm not sure if there's prohibitive money or licensing costs in their contracts that prevent most of them from doing so. It would seem very stupid, but recording companies may have an agenda that doesn't gel well with online music retailers.

 

I also want a running estimate of approximately how much money is spent on the glamour side of visual kei. I think that eats up a lot of a band's budget and prevents them from doing other musical activities that they would very much like to do. But of course I'm just freeballing and have no concrete numbers to work with.

[stylelover 1086]

Well selling music digitally is still a big problem in japan, not only for visual kei artists. It keeps getting better and better, but still many major artist dont even have one release at itunes.

Thats all because theres this law that protects cd prices, so its good for companies if people buy the overpriced cds and not the "cheap" digital downloads.

 

But yea it gets better.. but i dont think it will ever be as good as in other countries with itunes/amazon etc.