Yeah something's bothered me for a while now. I know like maybe two people actually /buy/ anime OSTs, but it's always weirded me out that for every single anime that exists, there seems to be not only 1 but like 2 or 3 soundtrack albums + PIANO KARAOKE version of it. Are these things like, would you actually find them in a store in Japan or are they a mail-order sort of thing? Are they limited release, like it's easy to find on the internet but only a thousand or so physical copies were made? Because the only equivalent I can think of here is like, it seems like every shitty movie has a soundtrack album but it'd be hard to just pick it up in a store. Even thinking of an anime as a TV series, does stuff like HEROES even have an OST yet?

Edit: Even for the obvious, if you consider it a cartoon was there any CATDOG OST or anything over here?

I'd wager you'd only pick up the anime OSTs and stuff in specialist areas and that; like over here in Aus you have CD shops and shit and you can buy movie soundtracks and whatnot but you're unlikely to find them in a bigger department store or something.

The reason there're so many soundtracks is I'm willing to bet, is because when people think JAPAN they think ANIME as one of the major sort of cultural icons. When you think AMERICA you don't think of AMERICAN TV SHOWS, you think of mcdonalds or some shit.

Anime is just a way huge thing over there, and fans will absolutely lap it up. They pay through the teeth through that shit, but companies can afford to charge that much because PEOPLE WILL BUY IT. It's ridiculous. Certainly more of a fanbase than traditional animation or films or whatever over here. Also yeah, shows like DEXTER and that have soundtracks (I have a physical copy of the Dexter OST in my bookshelf beside me (Dexter rocks)) but holy jesus are they hard to find. In Japan you can just go to Akihabara or Den-Den Town or whatever and BAM that shit's everywhere but to the best of my knowledge America doesn't have a place like that for TV SHOWS or MOVIES or what have you; I know Australia certainly doesn't.

this post made almost no sense. god fucking damn it.

haha thanks for the info

and yeah I thought movie soundtracks were comparable in their own way maybe because US is known for Hollywood and crap but even movies at the most I've seen two soundtracks for them (like one for songs that weren't the soundtrack but were inspired by the movie or some crap and the actual movie score) while some random anime might have OSTs I-IV + karaoke version + maxi-single with music video of the creditless opening (damn credits always in the way) + separate single for the ending + another maxi-single for the SEASON 2 ending + RADIO DRAMA + special edition boxset with all of the above encased in a waffle iron for some reason

can you like, super special-order any soundtrack because I seriously want a CD of incidental music from The Price is Right. That would be trippier than any ambient psytrance stuff

they cater to their dedicated fans

it is hard to grasp tho. like even beyond music, a semi-popular character-based series will also have like a manga, a light novel, a drama CD, a DANCE etc. over here we do get some superhero series with loads of shit surrounding them but they tend to be immensely popular ones that spand many decades, like batman.

also I believe a lot of if not all japanese pop music/anime themes are designed with karaoke in mind.

drama cds.... those are the best

Edit: Even for the obvious, if you consider it a cartoon was there any CATDOG OST or anything over here?

There are a few Nicktoons CDs.  I downloaded one because I wanted Beaver Fever and that was the only place I could find it.  But yeah, most TV shows that have enough noticeable music to warrant an OST have one.  I always wanted to buy the OST to Spaced but instead I just settled for downloading the songs individually.