However, if you buying the soundtracks in CD form, make sure to check it's not a bootleg.
eBay, for example, is full of these unofficial Taiwanese bootleg releases that look almost genuine, so avoid buying from there especially it it's very cheap.
The best places to buy official CDs are, for example, www.cdjapan.co.jp, yes-asia.com and play-asia.com
There are also some official European releases are released by Wasabi Records - you can find them on amazon.co.uk
Most people may not even realise what they're buying might be a bootleg, and I myself managed to waste lots of money on these fake Ghibli CDs before I even considered they might be bootlegs.
I'm writing this in hope it might help other people and stop them from making the mistake of buying fake pirated CDs.
Best way to see if it's genuine: check the catalog, label and which company it's released by.
The official Japanese Ghibli albums are mainly released by:
- Animage Records (the printings have varying catalog numbers, usually beginning with two numbers, followed by three letters (for example: ATC / ANG / ANL / ANC...) and usually end with one to three numbers)
- Tokuma Japan Communications (catalog examples: TCKA-00001 / TKDA-00001 / TKGA-00001), and have the sub-label: Studio Ghibli Records.
The official Japanese CDs have one of these logos printed onto them:
- Some Ghibli albums are also released by Yamaha Music Communities (catalog example: YCCM-00001)
- There also some official Korean releases that are released by Pony Canyon Korea (catalog example: PCKD-00001)
Bootleg companies include:
- Miya Records (catalog example: MICA-0001)
- Alion Records (catalog example: ALCA-0001)
- Ever Anime International Records (catalog examples: AnG-001 / A8-001 / GM-001)
- K-O Records (catalog example: KO-00001)
- Son May Records (catalog examples: SM-001 / GGG-001 / SMB-001)
- Smile Face Records (catalog example: HO-001)
Bootleg logos:
Please do not support these Taiwanese bootleg companies, the CDs are really just fancy looking CD-Rs with their own catalog numbers to make them look genuine. The quality is always worse than the original. For example, when I tried importing one of my bootleg albums onto my computer, the tracks were just a loud buzzing noise! It was a complete rip-off! So whatever you do, don't buy these bootlegs - even downloading the music from the internet is better.
Here I've compared a bootleg printing of Nausicaä Soundtrack to 2 official printings:
BOOTLEG PRINTING: MICA-0490
ORIGINAL PRINTING: 35ATC-3
REISSUE PRINTING: TKCA-72717
Please support the artists by purchasing their music - they need to earn a living too! I would recommend buying the Ghibli soundtracks on iTunes, since they are most cheapest there and easiest to buy (and are definitely not bootlegs):
Complete list available on iTunes (no cover / remake albums included):
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nausicaa-valley-wind-original/id881802202
- Laputa: Castle in the Sky (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/castle-in-sky-original-soundtrack/id882407903
- My Neighbor Totoro (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/my-neighbor-totoro-original/id882410520
- Kiki's Delivery Service (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/kikis-delivery-service-original/id882658777
- Porco Rosso (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/porco-rosso-original-soundtrack/id883013075
- Ocean Waves (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ocean-waves-original-soundtrack/id886464280
- Pom Poko (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/pom-poko-original-soundtrack/id893003128
- Whisper of the Heart (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/whisper-heart-original-soundtrack/id883007479
- Princess Mononoke (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/princess-mononoke-original/id883500999
- My Neighbors the Yamadas (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/my-neighbors-yamadas-original/id885354185
- Spirited Away (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/spirited-away-original-soundtrack/id883501721
- Hisaishi Meets Miyazaki Films: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hisaishi-meets-miyazaki-films/id278331033
- The Cat Returns (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/cat-returns-original-soundtrack/id883503252
- The Ghiblies Episode 2 (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ghiblies-episode-2-original/id886458754
- Howl’s Moving Castle (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/howls-moving-castle-original/id883513360
- Studio Ghibli Symphonic Suite: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/studio-ghibli-symphonic-suite/id896082272
- Tales from Earthsea (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tales-from-earthsea-original/id883507108
- Melodies From Tales from Earthsea: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/melodies-from-tales-from-earthsea/id885285625
- Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ponyo-on-cliff-by-sea-original/id885295013
- Arrietty (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/arrietty-original-soundtrack/id885298594
- Kari-Gurashi - Arrietty Song Collection: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/kari-gurashi/id885380959
- From Up on Poppy Hill (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/from-up-on-poppy-hill-original/id885304399
- From Up on Poppy Hill Songbook — music inspired by the film: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/from-up-on-poppy-hill-songbook/id583208554
- Summer of Farewells – From Up on Poppy Hill (film theme song) - EP: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/summer-farewells-from-up-on/id583207396
- The Wind Rises (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/wind-rises-original-soundtrack/id785256904
- The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Original Soundtrack): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tale-princess-kaguya-original/id895664857
- Ghibli, Princess Kaguya and I - Song Collection: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ghibli-princess-kaguya-and-i/id885308534
- When Marnie Was There: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/when-marnie-was-there-soundtrack/id896588653
- When Marnie Was There Song Collection - Just Know That I Love You: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/just-know-that-i-love-you./id895328416
Studio Ghibli Soundtracks released by Wasabi Records (CD format):
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Original Soundtrack): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nausicaä-Valley-Wind-Original-Soundtrack/dp/B005UN5RPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1425672734&sr=1-1&keywords=nausicaä
- Laputa: Castle in the Sky (Original Soundtrack): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Castle-Sky-Soundtrack-Joe-Hisaishi/dp/B005UCCORK/ref=pd_sim_m_h__1?ie=UTF8&refRID=170MZWD7P0P6KCVZZCR5
- My Neighbor Totoro (Original Soundtrack): http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Neighbour-Totoro-Studio-Classics/dp/B005UCCOQ6/ref=pd_sim_m_h__1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0AF97RDPZV3580HMTFTP
- Kiki's Delivery Service (Original Soundtrack): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kikis-Delivery-Service-Original-Soundtrack/dp/B0088NZCKO/ref=pd_sim_m_h__6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1HQQK8BM1BHTY855058Q
- Porco Rosso (Original Soundtrack): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Porco-Rosso-Kurenai-Buta-Soundtrack/dp/B009CAWPQQ/ref=pd_sim_m_h__3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0ZT6FJYXGTGE8W9JP581
- Princess Mononoke (Original Soundtrack): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Princess-Mononoke-Joe-Hisaishi/dp/B007TCHF8C/ref=pd_sim_m_h__2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0WN3MDFBNPWRW91403Y2
- Spirited Away (Original Soundtrack): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spirited-Away-CHIHIRO-Joe-Hisaishi/dp/B00AAX0JCG/ref=pd_sim_m_h__1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1RMEZ5TGXTCSQFRNV55Q
- Arrietty - Collector's Edition Soundtrack: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arrietty-complete-collector-Cecile-Corbel/dp/B005FFINZY/ref=pd_sim_m_h__9?ie=UTF8&refRID=10ZJXDY0J2ZV93H4HG1N
- From Up on Poppy Hill (Original Soundtrack): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colline-Coquelicots-From-Poppy-Hill/dp/B0067KBG8C/ref=pd_sim_m_h__5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1TKQAY34SW6SGXVZG7FT
Hope this helps somebody out there. Please feel free to comment or ask anything...
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