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iTunes Japan in August?

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A Reuters story claims that Apple will launch iTunes for Japan in August.

Major Japanese record companies, including Columbia Music Entertainment Inc., Avex Group Holdings Inc. and Toshiba-EMI Ltd., have agreed to provide songs for the service, the paper said.
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Apparently Sony Music Entertainment has yet to agree to the terms. According to the article the price per song is going to be about 150 yen ($1.40). Apple had previously planned to release iTunes Japan in 2004 but the service release has seen delays.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2005/06/07/itunes-japan-in-august/
International iTunes stores are great, but there is no reason why you can't import...that is a bit ridiculous.
 
Pricey

I hope that the price point is set a little lower as the Yen is strong against the dollar. I dont see why they cant offer it lower as you can rent CD's in video shops and they sell MD discs at the counter to encourage people to store music on them thus overlooking the fact that people are 'stealing' or long term borrowing the music. Its good to hear that there is a tentative date set but like iTMS Australia, ill believe it when I see it!!!

Macmarino
 
MacMarino said:
Its good to hear that there is a tentative date set but like iTMS Australia, ill believe it when I see it!!!

Macmarino
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That brings up a good point... when is that happening 😛
 
MacMarino said:
SNIP
. Its good to hear that there is a tentative date set but like iTMS Australia, ill believe it when I see it!!!

Macmarino
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Ah yes, ITMS downunder...not...
 
One more country is one country more that can enjoy the full features of their pod... now for Aus and SA.. and then i can sleep at night. ehhehe 😀
 
finally.
150Jpy is a good price point both for us consumers in Japan and for AAPL.
however, the selection that is available in the usa has to be available, or it wont be enough. sony would be nice, but just as long as the indies and other usa signed companies are included will mean it is a success.
 
JackBauer24 said:
What about AUSTRALIA? 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡
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it is kind of ridiculous that you guys don't have an ITMS yet. Even the now under arrest Russel Crowe told of an ITMS for Australia months ago. I bet it is something with the record companies...
 
MacMarino said:
I hope that the price point is set a little lower as the Yen is strong against the dollar.
Macmarino
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Har har, yeah but they'll have a 10 for 1500 yen deal.
(sorry, inside joke for life in Japan)

-Wyrm
 
Hmmph...

Maybe I should move to Japan. I doubt we'll ever see an iTMS here despite the ever-increasing iPod presence. Oh, well. CDs are only 12 or 13 bucks anyways.

Squire
 
As stated above, isn't Apple getting a little ahead of itself with this announcement? There is still no iTMS Oz last time I checked and that was rumored a while ago as well.

Regardless, this is good news - hopefully this will be the start of other Asian iTMS for people like my good friend Squire. 😎
 
Squire said:
Hmmph...

Maybe I should move to Japan. I doubt we'll ever see an iTMS here despite the ever-increasing iPod presence. Oh, well. CDs are only 12 or 13 bucks anyways.

Squire
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Hey, this is the second time or more that they have said this about Japan. I keep telling everyone that until the Japanese corporations have a chance to dominate the market here in Japan, before that you will never see a Apple iTunes store in Japan. It happened with portable telephones it's happened with almost every product I have seen. Motorola dominated the portable telephone market not too long ago, they tried in vane for over 10 years to enter the Japanese market. Motorola was stopped at every corner by the Japanese government, of course that means there was also pressure on the Japanese government by big business here, that's just the way it works over here period. On a side note, Motorola was allowed finally to enter the market, but by that time it was already saturated with Japanese made portable telephones. From what I have heard, Koreas worse yet. I do not disagree with this entirely (However some countries do go overboard on this protectionism), as it does protect ones homefield advantage somewhat.
In short, I'll believe all this when I see it.

Brian
 
I can't wait until all the anime folk complain about not being able to buy those cheezy jpop songs. That's going to be funny. Maybe I should start complaining because I really want that Katamari Damacy soundtrack for some odd reason.

Fishes,
narco.
 
Eastend said:
Hey, this is the second time or more that they have said this about Japan. I keep telling everyone that until the Japanese corporations have a chance to dominate the market here in Japan, before that you will never see a Apple iTunes store in Japan. ...
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Exactly. The Japanese would never let some foreign company dominate something so big. No, Sony and the gang have to get their fingers in it first, along with the government and all that.

Welcome to the Japanese economy. They export everything yet they hardly allow any imports. It's been like that for years (Japanese rice is like 7 times more expensive than foreign rice, yet the Japanese still fork over for it. Worse yet, they believe that American rice sucks even though none of them have even tried it.)



A little OT: here's a good, albeit depressing, read: link
 
Eastend said:
From what I have heard, Koreas worse yet. I do not disagree with this entirely (However some countries do go overboard on this protectionism), as it does protect ones homefield advantage somewhat.
In short, I'll believe all this when I see it.
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So true, Brian, so true. It'll never happen. I'd be happy with an Apple Store, though.


~Shard~ said:
Regardless, this is good news - hopefully this will be the start of other Asian iTMS for people like my good friend Squire. 😎
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Your good friend Squire who is such a genius at predicting WWDC outcomes. 🙄

Squire
 
Seeing as how Apple seems to always be going with small (but strong) steps (iPod->iTMS, 68K->PPC->Pentium), my guess is that they're simply setting up all the iTMS all around the world as a "first step".

The second step, IMO, will be to finally sit down with all the labels from all around the world (not that there's that many anyway, if you put all Sony labels together, etc) and try to open up a single world-wide iTMS.

However, the biggest hurdle for such a thing to happen will be the different taxes and not the music labels, if you ask me.
 
narco said:
I can't wait until all the anime folk complain about not being able to buy those cheezy jpop songs. That's going to be funny. Maybe I should start complaining because I really want that Katamari Damacy soundtrack for some odd reason.

Fishes,
narco.
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Oh yeah, because rap and hip-hop are so much better. 🙄

Edit: not saying you like rap or hip-hop, but just a general comment about rap and hip-hop being over-hyped at the moment, kinda like disco in the 70's.
 
5300cs said:
Exactly. The Japanese would never let some foreign company dominate something so big. No, Sony and the gang have to get their fingers in it first, along with the government and all that.

Welcome to the Japanese economy. They export everything yet they hardly allow any imports. It's been like that for years (Japanese rice is like 7 times more expensive than foreign rice, yet the Japanese still fork over for it. Worse yet, they believe that American rice sucks even though none of them have even tried it.)



A little OT: here's a good, albeit depressing, read: link
Click to expand...

You are right, but be careful. I think in the food department they want to be self sufficient, cannot say I blame them, if they should get in to a disagreement with some country everyone dies because they cannot eat. Even the good old USA has reserves of Wheat (The Japanese government has reserves of Rice) and other foods, also oil (almost every country does).. The part about the Rice is also not quite true, I do know lots of people here who have tried Fuji Rose Rice from the states, all agree it's top notch, it is getting better over here, hey a Macs just a little more than in the states, heck it's Apples number 2 market after the states.

Brian
 
Yvan256 said:
Oh yeah, because rap and hip-hop are so much better. 🙄

Edit: not saying you like rap or hip-hop, but just a general comment about rap and hip-hop being over-hyped at the moment, kinda like disco in the 70's.
Click to expand...

I like all types of music, including (good) hip hop. I can get down to some Aceyalone, Saul Williams, Kool Keith, Hieroglyphics, even some N.W.A. Ain't no shame in that game. 🙂

Fishes,
narco.
 
Yvan256 said:
Seeing as how Apple seems to always be going with small (but strong) steps (iPod->iTMS, 68K->PPC->Pentium), my guess is that they're simply setting up all the iTMS all around the world as a "first step".

The second step, IMO, will be to finally sit down with all the labels from all around the world (not that there's that many anyway, if you put all Sony labels together, etc) and try to open up a single world-wide iTMS.

However, the biggest hurdle for such a thing to happen will be the different taxes and not the music labels, if you ask me.
Click to expand...
There are probably a lot of things that I do agree with you on, but a single iTMS is never going to happen and it is not taxes that will stop it, it's called greed and that will stop it, you can take it to the bank and bank on it.

Brian
 
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