Where to buy Japanese music online (from outside Japan)?

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  mog86uk January 9, 2016 at 7:09am

  I've been doing a lot of driving recently, as part of my job, and I'm enjoying getting paid to listen to Japanese music! It's definitely helping me with my Japanese listening skill. However I definitely need to get more music before I overplay these same songs too much.
  
  So far these the only three sites I've bought Japanese music CDs from:
  CDJapan -　http://www.cdjapan.co.jp
  Play-Asia -　http://www.play-asia.com
  YesAsia -　http://www.yesasia.com
  
  I've only used each of them a couple of times. I can find pretty much everything I want on there and haven't had any issues buying from them at all. However, I'd prefer to start buying music in digital format rather than physical CD. It's slow/expensive/annoying to import CDs, when it could just be downloaded instantly saving all that time and shipping. But I'm picky and don't like paying for lower than CD quality digital music... which I think rules out Amazon and iTunes?
  
  Preferably I'd like to find a site which sells legal downloads of Japanese music in FLAC format, which is why that OTOTOY website looks promising. It doesn't look like it has much big record label music at all--mostly just independent stuff--but I've already noticed a few of the bands I like are on there. ^^
  
  So, has anyone tried that OTOTOY site before? Or does anyone have any better recommendations for where to purchase Japanese music?
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  mog86uk January 9, 2016 at 7:41am

  For example, here's an album I found on there from a band I like a lot, 和楽器バンド (Wagakki Band) :
  http://ototoy.jp/_/default/p/56427
  
  It seems more expensive than I'd hoped, considering it is in digital download format, but other than that it looks perfect for the type of site I want. I definitely want to buy that album, as it is still easily worth that steep price. ^^
  But, because I've never heard anyone mention that website before, I'm unsure whether it is a good site to use - or if there is somewhere even better.
• 
  beeant January 9, 2016 at 7:50am

  iTunes?
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  mog86uk January 9, 2016 at 8:20am

  I think it's a little awkward to use Japan version of iTunes from outside Japan, but I think it's possible. What format and quality does iTunes other though? I think it's something similar to Amazon quality?
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  mog86uk January 9, 2016 at 8:21am

  offer *
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  beeant January 9, 2016 at 9:13am

  It's AAC format.
  Oh ya you don't use iPhone..
  So I think you can buy from Google Play Music (https://play.google.com/store/music)
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  mog86uk January 10, 2016 at 11:10pm

  Yeah, AAC isn't really much of a step up from MP3, and less likely to play on all my devices. Of course, FLAC won't play on everything either, but from lossless FLAC format I can convert to MP3 if I have to. I imagine converting from lossy AAC format to MP3 probably leaves you with a worse quality than just buying MP3 in the first place.
  
  I know buying music in CD format has remained very popular in Japan, but where do the other people who buy their music in digital download format get their music from? Only from the Japanese iTunes site and from http://www.amazon.co.jp ?
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  beeant January 11, 2016 at 8:07am

  Free download on the internet?
  Also, I see that communication provider like au, has their own platform like LISMO (http://www.au.kddi.com/mobile/service/featurephone/lismo/lismo-music/)
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  LIAM January 11, 2016 at 8:16am

  No, I havent but thanks for putting me onto that.I'm looking for NumberGirl songs
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  mog86uk January 11, 2016 at 8:35am

  I can't find any ナンバーガール songs on that OTOTOY site. They're an interesting old band to be searching for. ^^
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  mog86uk August 21, 2016 at 5:55am

  I still wonder about this a lot. Every few weeks I'll spend ages searching the internet in hope I might stumble across some amazing new website. Surely one day... but after how many more years?... ^^;
  
  I did actually buy that album from OTOTOY eventually. Very pleased with it and had no problems. But hardly any of the other albums I want to buy are on there. (Other people might have a lot better luck at finding stuff they like though.)
  
  Just wondering, seven months later, if anyone now has come across a decent site for buying Japanese music in digital format?
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  Jinxu August 22, 2016 at 10:42pm

  I just went to my old source, and realize Japanfiles.com no longer exists! I would love an answer to this, too.
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  Edwin August 23, 2016 at 2:10am

  Lol, if youre into vintage (japanese) music, try discogs.com , i got the first lp from yumi arai and a bunch of CD, if youre into jp music, u simple cannot go without some serious YUMING! I also like Kokia a lot, here live album from '12 is a masterpiece. Incredible voice.
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  mog86uk August 23, 2016 at 5:17am

  @Edwin, Yeah, Kokia has such an amazing voice! I still remember when I first listened to one of her songs nearly a decade ago, thinking that her voice was in a completely different league to anything I'd heard before. Her music isn't the style I listen to often, but for a long time I've wanted to buy at least one of her albums. The songs I listened to were on her album "Remember Me", but I can't remember which song was that first one I heard that I was so awestuck by—maybe this one:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxccbEAV8QU
  
  But anyway, I'm really only looking for sites you can buy music from in digital download format (and preferably only lossless audio file quality). That discogs.com site is pretty interesting though, thanks. ^^