iM@S - Now on iTunes in Japan!

[Yodudes0]

Sometimes I like to go on my Japanese iTunes account and go to anime music and see what's new. Today I noticed iM@S music, which was never there before. So if you want to buy iM@S music with a Japanese iTunes account, it's now possible.


If anyone's wondering, I don't have a way to purchase anything from the Japanese store myself.

[altuixde]

It's about time!   An album search for アイドルマスター only brings up three albums though.  Here they are:

http://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/tvanime-aidorumasuta-ju-zhong/id558745005?l=en
http://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/tvanime-aidorumasuta-ending/id558753737?l=en
http://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/tbs-xitvanimeshon-aidorumasuta/id558731418?l=en

Are there any more available?

Edit: Oh, and you can buy a Japan iTunes gift card to purchase songs.

[Yodudes0]

As far as I know, the only ones available are the Ready!! single, and the two collections from the first half of the anime.

Where can you find Japanese iTunes gift cards? I live in Canada, so it might be a bit different here, but Toronto's a pretty big city.

[altuixde]

In my limited searching, the best deal for email delivery is the 3000 yen card from play-asia.com.  Do they do business with Canadian customers?  However all the options I've found so far on the web seem to be ripoffs.  I wonder if you could find a card at a shop in Toronto.

Edit: Here's a site that has much cheaper cards, and they have email delivery too - http://www.japan-codes.com
I'll keep looking for more options.

[Yodudes0]

In my limited searching, the best deal for email delivery is the 3000 yen card from play-asia.com.  Do they do business with Canadian customers?  However all the options I've found so far on the web seem to be ripoffs.  I wonder if you could find a card at a shop in Toronto.

Edit: Here's a site that has much cheaper cards, and they have email delivery too - http://www.japan-codes.com
I'll keep looking for more options.

Thanks! I'll look into it!

On play-asia.com, Canadian prices are included, so I guess they do ship to Canada, but the prices are still pretty expensive. That's how it is, I guess.

[altuixde]

You're welcome!  I think I've searched enough, and it looks like japan-codes.com is the best deal around if you're going to buy on the web (though I didn't look at auctions).

the prices are still pretty expensive. That's how it is, I guess.

The albums on iTunes are expensive too.  They're as much as 2,400 yen, which converts to two to three times as much as I'm used to paying for albums in the US iTunes store.

[Yodudes0]

You're welcome!  I think I've searched enough, and it looks like japan-codes.com is the best deal around if you're going to buy on the web (though I didn't look at auctions).

The albums on iTunes are expensive too.  They're as much as 2,400 yen, which converts to two to three times as much as I'm used to paying for albums in the US iTunes store.

I think Japanese stuff is more expensive in general. For example, anime are sold on discs that only contain 2 episodes, and they normally cost about $70 US. Also, I think the general Japanese business model for video games and the like includes having a small fanbase that spends a lot of money, rather than a large fanbase that spends a bit of money.

[Accoun]

Also, I think the general Japanese business model for video games and the like includes having a small fanbase that spends a lot of money, rather than a large fanbase that spends a bit of money.

Yeah, I remember hearing about some Japanese developer that got his game on Steam and restricted it from being bought in Japan because the price was something along the lines of $5 vs. $70 on Steam and in Japan respectively...

[Daverost]

Play-Asia is a great store for physical products, but they gouge on point cards, or at least they do for PSN cards. It was nearly 20 USD difference for a 5000 yen card between them and Japan Codes last time I shopped around.

[chikorita157]

The albums on iTunes are expensive too.  They're as much as 2,400 yen, which converts to two to three times as much as I'm used to paying for albums in the US iTunes store.

It depends on how much it costs to get the physical vs the digital. I tend to get the CD because there isn't much a difference and I rather listen to lossless audio. If you are just getting a few tracks, then digital will obviously be cheaper... but it depends.

[Bro]

FANTASTIC.

And I imagine I have to jailbreak my iPad or iPod to get the Japanese iTunes?

[altuixde]

I know that it's possible to access the Japanese iTunes store from iTunes on a Mac or PC (I haven't tried to access it on an iOS device).  First you'll have to create a Japanese iTunes account; there are instructions on how to do this in the idolmaster mobile i thread.  It's been a while since I did that, but I think it involves switching to the Japanese store, clicking to download a free app in the store, then fudging a street address in Japan.  Then you'll need a Japanese iTunes gift card.  Once you've purchased and downloaded the songs, I guess that they'll play on an iPad, iPod or iPhone without jailbreaking.  Wikipedia says that the Japanese iTunes store stopped using DRM for music earlier this year.  Even if the songs still had DRM, I think it's not difficult to authorize your iOS devices to play them.  Note that I haven't actually done all this yet; I still haven't bought a Japanese iTunes gift card.

[Daverost]

Everything you said is right. That's how you sign up for an account, and your JP account songs will play just fine. Your iPod/iPhone/whatever isn't limited to songs you buy on your main iTunes account. It will play whatever you decide to sync to it, and that includes songs from other accounts.

I don't think the JP store gives away a free song every week anymore, or at least there was some reason I stopped checking, but a couple of years back I used to get a few songs here and there from the JP store and they're on my iPod.

[Bro]

Feh, this is all real expensive. But I want to support the idols... Hmm..

With the money I save not buying these songs, I'll just buy more iDOLM@STER CDs and games.

[Accoun]

With the money I save not buying these songs, I'll just buy more iDOLM@STER CDs and games.

With better sound quality, ability to re-rip at will (as long as you have a device with a CD drive at hand) and those OMGfancy packaging and artwork. Good choice.