What is an official bootleg?

When an artist does not want a recording that was never intended for release to be distributed illegally due to its performance content or sound quality, the artist decides to officially release it under the pretense of "officially producing it as an anti-piracy measure." This is generally referred to as an official bootleg.

Official bootlegs are said to have originated when Frank Zappa heard some illegally circulated bootleg recordings (so-called pirated discs) and thought they were of higher quality than he had imagined, so he decided to release them as official releases (there are various theories). Although the word "bootleg" sounds a bit suspicious, as the word "official" suggests, they are official releases approved by the artists. These include demo recordings, studio outtakes, and live recordings.

Official bootlegs available for sale at Musique69

Among them, Musique69 especially recommends a collection of live recordings of a one-night-only live performance, packed into a CD/ Blu-Ray or similar without any replacements. Artists who are confident in their live performances officially record and release the recordings so that fans can enjoy them at a later date. In recent years, some works have been released only through streaming, but there are still many physical items (CD/ DVD/ Blu-Ray, etc.) that continue to be released.

These DVDs contain the arrangements and performances that can only be heard at a live performance, with even the ecstatic cheers recorded vividly, making them a must-have for fans, as they are filled with a realism and excitement that is completely different from the usual studio albums and live recordings that are generally available.

We strongly recommend this to music fans who have never had the chance to get their hands on or hear of these hard-to-find official bootlegs. It's a world that's like a swamp, but it's also full of great items that the manager of Musique69 loves.

Official bootlegs available for sale at Musique69

Official bootlegs have become commonplace among avid music fans, but many of them are only available through mail order or are self-produced, and are rarely available in major retail stores in Japan. Therefore, this Musique69 online store has a wide selection of these hard-to-find titles.

Please note that all products sold in our store are genuine/ official/ certified copies, and only those licensed by the copyright holders are available. As a rule, we do not sell unofficial products such as bootlegs/ pirates/ pirated copies, so please feel free to purchase.