[2009] What actually causes ayu's sales to drop?

[jhwan]

Feel free to leave ur opinion here, this is summary of what i think that made her sales to drop:
1. A ballad ( not reaching 1 million, pp think the ayu popularity had declined so some pp just stop supporting her)
2. Forgiveness ( bad cover, song was not bad, but once again it shouldnt b released as a single)
3. Bold and delicious (i think its a bad idea to release this single,not her style, and the release date was too close to heaven)

[ownsarai]

I happen to love forgiveness' cover...hence my set
I really don't know what causes Ayu's sales to drop. I would like to know. But maybe she doesn't have as many fans that want to buy her things in this day and age, seeing as you can download EVERYTHING from the internet.

[Crystal_Ageha]

I think it's simply because she's been around so long. I mean, a few "bad" songs here and there won't make your future songs not sell as well. (Well, sometimes, but not a consistent drop like what we're talking about with Ayumi.) Simply, that album/single won't sell as well. But then you promote your next album, with your "good" songs, and sales will rise. Unless, of course, your popularity is simply (I've used that word three times already D: ) dwindling, as is Ayu's case.
Also, I think only really big fans are still buying. As mentioned above, so many download for free, I'm sure, probably because they assume that, 'hey, she's Ayumi Hamasaki! She doesn't need my support--she'll still sell hundreds of thousand for this thing......' Nope. Not when large amounts of her fans start thinking like that. :\ And then of course there are non-fans, who will download albums here and there that they like, not caring to support... It seems Ayu has a lot of those, in my opinion, from what I've seen. -_-'

[JackieRos]

Originally Posted by ownsarai

But maybe she doesn't have as many fans that want to buy her things in this day and age,
seeing as you can download EVERYTHING from the internet.

Originally Posted by Crystal_Ageha

her fans start thinking like that. :\
And then of course there are non-fans, who will download albums here and there that they like,
not caring to support... It seems Ayu has a lot of those, in my opinion, from what I've seen. -_-'

yes i agree with you both but i wouldnt call the ones who dont buy her music non fans
maybe we can not afford to
either that and her music has gone to a new direction and
maybe the fans don't like that
i really like her older music better too

and yeah is not only ayu but people make it seem is only her
even if her sales are dropping she still manages to make #1

[ownsarai]

Originally Posted by JackieRos

yes i agree with you both but i wouldnt call the ones who dont buy her music non fans
maybe we can not afford to
either that and her music has gone to a new direction and
maybe the fans don't like that
i really like her older music better too

and yeah is not only ayu but people make it seem is only her
even if her sales are dropping she still manages to make #1

I don't think if you download her music your not a fan. Yes, I understand a lot of fans cannot afford to buy everything. I am one of them. And even though Ayu's sales seem to be dropping, I bet this crazy good song she's coming up with will be a #1 single.

[JackieRos]

Originally Posted by ownsarai

I don't think if you download her music your not a fan.
Yes, I understand a lot of fans cannot afford to buy everything. I am one of them.
And even though Ayu's sales seem to be dropping, I bet this crazy good song she's coming up with will be a #1 single.

exactly thats what im saying
i cant wait for her new song


ayu has been overrated for the last couple of years
maybe they getting tired of that as well
illegal downloading does affect sells
but ayu will still make #1

[Kazeyomi]

I don't get it why you talk about these releases.
I mean even huge artists has flop in their past releases but them didn't ruin their present career.
I don't get it srsly

Ayu's sales drop for illegal downloads, for less fans (some people aren't hard fans like us they following Ayu during the peak in the 2002-2003 and then forgot about her lol) and 'cause she hasn't release a hit since.. I don't know maybe STEP you?

But I trust in Ayu
She will come back and break the million again (è_é)9 lol

[tetsuo69]

back up singers , her dancers ..... specialy shuya ... in every ballad live you have that guy doing the same crazy moves that over time just turns the song off. the sad thing that this wont stop anytime soon XDDD she also turns off songs like boys & girls,unite ect in concerts.

[StarSUCKER]

Same reasons everybody's sales are dropping or will drop at some point.

(1) Fickle media, fickle audience.
(2) Internet/downloading.
(3) If an artist does really well, it's hard to "match" that peak again--but that doesn't mean the artist isn't still doing well.

I wouldn't worry about it.

[rakeru]

Originally Posted by zelenk0

Same reasons everybody's sales are dropping or will drop at some point.

(1) Fickle media, fickle audience.
(2) Internet/downloading.
(3) If an artist does really well, it's hard to "match" that peak again--but that doesn't mean the artist isn't still doing well.

I wouldn't worry about it.

exactly! with the addition of the economy + the amount of products Ayu releases alone. not even hardcore fans can afford to buy it all, so they have to pick few of many.

[aloopy]

Just look at that one poll in the poll section of this forum, so many people have lost their interest in her and don't really care about her and her music anymore.
I'm sure it's the same in Japan.

sure, many people just download her stuff but that's a problem all artists have. but some still manage to sell alot more than Ayu, not only boybands but female solo artists as well.

so yeah let's face it, the reason why she's selling "bad" is because she's losing popularity.

[love in music]

Originally Posted by aloopy

Just look at that one poll in the poll section of this forum, so many people have lost their interest in her and don't really care about her and her music anymore..

that thread was funny to me because most of the people saying they lost interest in her/don't care still comment on her diary entries and new releases etc, so a lot of them were exaggerating.

anyway, so many things cause her sales to drop, like sunshineslayer said.

[aloopy]

Originally Posted by identity

that thread was funny to me because most of the people saying they lost interest in her/don't care still comment on her diary entries and new releases etc, so a lot of them were exaggerating.

Lol perhaps.
I'm probably one of those people, I still care about her.. I just don't really care about her music anymore.
but i do get excited when she releases something new, because i always hope it's something i will like. because i really want to like her music (again) lol.
so yeah, i'm just waiting for her to release something that i will love, and i'm sure alot of people feel the same way.

Originally Posted by ayuayu798

FYI if they didn't care about her ayu woulddn't still have number one singles and albums. .

ofcourse people still care about her, most of her singles still sell very well.
but alot of people just don't care like they used to or/and have moved on. and that's normal.
but let's be honest, it's not that hard to get a #1 single.. it's all about strategy these days. just look at koda kumi's alive/pt

[Andrenekoi]

^And this happens to every artist with a long career...
Buyt that doesn't mean she will never sell good again, I mean... this week Barbra Straisand outsold Madonna AND Mariah new releases xD

[mellody]

It's easy, it's because the technology called Internet and yeah, kind of development era maybe? When information can be get easily, like talkin' 2 myself said :

Just because this is the age full of information and temptations

Ayu said that herself

If we remember back to 1998-2000 when internet hasn't famous as today,
And at the same time, remember LOVEppears sales count compare to NEXT LEVEL sales count, even though both of them got Platinum

[SunshineSlayer]

There are so many reasons for this. Way more than the 3 listed.

The most basic answer is that generally speaking, people in Japan just don't really care much about her anymore and/or her personality gets on their nerves.

I don't think there is really any question that it is the hardcore fans that are primarily driving her sales these days. But this topic has been done to death basically.

[Andrenekoi]

^This^^
But in the end, this is all a long career singer can count on... Strong fanbase + some hit singles here and there...

[SunshineSlayer]

^ Yeah, honestly I think Ayumi is between a rock and a hard place right now. I'm really not sure just how the trend could be turned around at this point.

[SKYia]

1. Ayu's image changed from creative to recycling (I don't mean tour costumes), sometimes I think ppl look at her more and more pitifully.
2. Too much unnecessary stuff (when your favourite artist produces too much you start being selctive, by being selective sales drop and other ppl buy less too, instead of concentrating on new things she releases too much BEST of)
3. Too much illegal downloads, but in fact all the artists have lower sales than before.

If I have to chose between buying Ayu concert which can be easily found in the net and Kinki Kids concert which is almost impossible to download, I chose KK, unfortunately, and I'm not proud of it. Japanese concerts cost 1/3 - 1/4 of my month salary, it's impossible to support artists each time they release sth

I wish I could buy Ayu stuff the moment they are released, I only bought My Story Tour this way and it cost me 6,050 yen + tax (my salary at that time was 25.000yen / month), all the rest I have from Book Off, so second hand.

[ayuayu798]

I don't get why people are saying that people in japan don't care about her. FYI if they didn't care about her ayu woulddn't still have number one singles and albums. Oh,and ayu's sales aren't the only ones dropping, just about every female artist are going through this stage.