decline of the Japanese music industry

[Taro Toporific]

Ok, ok, I know this is "dangerous" topic but it's the ONLY serious cross-cultural study I've seen in a while. Via Smartmobs.com (http://www.smartmobs.com/archives/003535.html)

Japan and US: two cultures of piracy
Smartmobs.com / July 19, 2004 (http://www.smartmobs.com/archives/003535.html)
MIT professor Ian Condry has analysed [see PDF] (http://web.mit.edu/condry/www/pubs/Condry-CultMusPiracy5-04.pdf) the “cultures of piracy” shaping the music industries in Japan and in the US, two countries inclined to blame declines in sales on music sharing among young people.
The internet plays almost no role in the decline of the Japanese music industry, which has been ascribed to sharing via mobile phones and cd burners. More people have recorded music than purchased it. In Japan, a new album sell for some $25 or more but is available for rental for a fraction of the price within a week or two of its issue. Music copying is so common that many refer to a newly purchased album not as a cd (shii dee) but as the “master,” (masutaa). ....

[Socratesabroad]

OK, perhaps I am avoiding work but I did actually read Condry's whole paper (lots of typos, though, so it isn't ready for official publication yet). It's a bit dated since he mentions that none of the P2P networks have come under legal fire in Japan (pre-Winny obviously).

Ian Condry, Assistant Prof., Foreign Languages and Literatures, M.I.T., is a bit of an academic lightweight:

Yale University Ph. D
Yale University M.Phil.
Harvard College B.A.
Title Of Doctoral Thesis: Japanese Rap Music: An Ethnography of Globalization in Popular Culture
[Yeah, I snickered at the title of his thesis, too. :wink:]


The lawsuits against consumers, pending legislation in Congress aimed
at online piracy, and education campaigns in schools all share a commitment to'protecting property' as the basis for a healthy business. But I know many people who have used p2p downloads to develop new love affairs with music. Some re****** old flames, some have flings with new acquaintances, others confirm in advance that a relationship will last. The RIAA wants to teach us that if you didn't pay for it, it isn't love.

He does have a good point - the recording industry should go on a 'hearts and minds' campaign to bond downloaders with musicians rather than suing them - i.e., listeners'd have more reservations about stealing from someone they know.

[Mulboyne]

Condry's paper is a good read. The Chosaq website has a piece which takes issue with a few of his statements.
Comments on Ian Condry's paper on music piracy in Japan and the U.S. (http://akira.arts.kuleuven.ac.be/andreas/blog/archives/2004/07/ian_condrys_paper_on_music_piracy_in_japan_and_the _us.html)
...the Japanese record industry asserted already in 2002 (if not earlier) that there is a link between online file swapping and the industry's sales fallback.
...It is worth noting... that the RIAJ also issued statements...in 2002 about how the then popular filesharing software Filerogue was having a negative effect on record sales.
...in my opinion, the Japanese record companies are already far beyond the stage of experimenting with CCCDs. Akio Nakamata even suggests that there is a link between the rise of such CCCDs and the recent move to a right of import for recordings.

I tend to agree. Condry may be right about how record companies ought to react but he gives the Japanese record industry too much credit for not going after filesharing.
The point about restrictions on import CDs still doesn't get much coverage. It is seen as just a move against parallel imports but the issues are much wider than that.
FG thread: Gov't says 'Don't buy that legal J-Pop CD' (also includes interesting diversions by Mr *****) (http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5716&highlight=import)

[Taro Toporific]

FG thread: Gov't says 'Don't buy that legal J-Pop CD' (also includes interesting diversions by Mr *****) (http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5716&highlight=import)

Yep, that had some a good "diversions"...
God dammit, I want a response to my post about the ban on imported CDs but if it takes a picture of new-halfs to keep the topic fresh, then so be it:

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forum/album_mod/upload/2740e599a4d409e7497f3d27dc0361b2.jpg

[Mulboyne]

Busted. But no harm in trying again
http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forum/album_mod/upload/imagedeleted.jpg
Trying to protect the innocent. Apologies to all for the clumsy effect

[Socratesabroad]

Just got a note from Prof. Condry (yeah, I was surprised he'd write back as well) and apparently he is aware of the Winny issues, so I imagine there will be several revisions to his paper before publication.

Wish him the best of luck!

[Taro Toporific]

Just got a note from Prof. Condry...Wish him the best of luck!

I wish I knew more about the Japanese angle to this issue but the fact is I have NEVER even bought one piece of J-music in my life (either it's given to me or I appropriate it). However, there's one strange stat about Japan I know: More sheet music of musical scores than any other country on the planet (even though the majority of sheet music used is copied).

[Mulboyne]

Good on you for getting in touch with him. It's a bit of a thankless task trying to sketch an industry that changes so quickly.
I was reminded, when reading his data about Japan as the second largest music market in the world, that Q Magazine (http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music) recently put together a list of the "100 Most Powerful People in Music".
http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forum/album_mod/upload/38da52db06bd0d90c4dd1e44faea50fa.jpg
That site doesn't have the list but you can see it HERE (http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=29918)
Despite the growth of the business in Asia, the dominance of electronics manufacturing in the region, the ownership of media properties by Asian companies and the existence of instrument makers like Yamaha, Kawai and Roland, the only Asian name to make the list is Yoko Ono.
Score another one for parochialism

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forum/album_mod/upload/38da52db06bd0d90c4dd1e44faea50fa.jpg
That site doesn't have the list but you can see it HERE (http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=29918)
Typical British rock press navel stare. What a CROCK.

Chris Martin the 10th most powerful. :rofl:
Tim Westwood! Would anyone outside the UK know him?
Like you said, parochialism.

[Faded]

unfortunately the REAL most powerful "person" in music is MTV (who is inturn controlled by the 12-15 yr old girl -hence the continual respawning of boy bands and blonde lip-synchers :puke: )
at least in US pop culture's mind. Never forget how they "discovered" the Chili Peppers w/ bloodsugarsexmagik.

funny how a decade can cease to exist before MTV

[Mulboyne]

Typical British rock press navel stare. What a CROCK.
I'm British but I have to agree. The Chris Martin entry is sheer relief that a UK rock act is finally selling in the US after many barren years. I don't think Q quite worked out the difference between power, influence and profile.

Interested to see a Steve McClure article which looks at Japanese artists trying to find ways into the US.
'Puffy' animates Japanese pop (http://www.iht.com/articles/530650.html)
T.M. Revolution...performed in front of 5,000 hard-core anime fans at last year's Otakon animation convention in Baltimore.
"There were 5,000 screaming American kids singing the words of the song in Japanese," says Archie Meguro..."We want to use anime as a hook...We feel this is a way to get into the U.S. market."
In May this year, T.M. Revolution performed live at the Pacific Media Expo in Anaheim, California. Also appearing was female J-pop vocalist Nami Tamaki, whose song "Believe" is featured on the "Gundam Seed" television series soundtrack
And on July 31, one of Japan's best-known rock bands, L'Arc-en-Ciel, is performing at this year's edition of Otakon, which is again being held in Baltimore. They are hoping for a packed house.
This actually is a version of what Condry recommends in his paper - building relationships with fans. The comic book and cult TV business worked this out years ago so now the music industry has to do the same thing.