CD packaging and design?

Question: Hello,

My name is Sophie Neumann, and I am currently in my final year at Derby University studying Graphic Design.

For my major project I am looking into the music industry and how illegal downloading/filesharing is affecting the sales of music media (mainly CDs)
As part of my project I am looking to come up with a concept that will make people buy CDs rather than get them for free online. I am not only trying to appeal to people who are file sharing, I want to appeal to those who also pay to get downloads, as I would like to see CDs have more to them than just the music,lyrics and artwork. The digipak style CDs have become collectable, especially with special editions and limited editions being bought out, but I want to come up with something that hasn\'t been done yet, and that you cannot get from just downloading digitally.

Being one of the biggest Record Labels for \'Extreme\' music and providing the UK with the top Metal acts out there, I was wondering what you think about CD sales as a whole. Do you think that they need a boost? How do you think it could be done? By including more special features, or being in a different format?

As a major fan of your record label and the bands you have signed to it, if given the choice to buy an album with a jewel case, or one with a digipak \'cardboard fold out\' case, I would definitely buy the digipak, especially if it had more artwork or bonus extras.

I will be starting this project at the end of January and I would love to make this a \'live\' project, and work for a client that could give me objectives and feedback. This would be especially helpful as I would be getting advice from people that work in this industry, and also what ideas would be practical and be able to be bought into the industry.

Alternatively any feedback or information on CD album production and design in the music industry, or on your thoughts about album sales, and if they need a boost would be very much appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

Kind Regards

Sophie Neumann (University Of Derby)

Answer: thanks sophie, we are keen to see what you suggest and might try it out 'live'. We have tried all sorts of packaging and extras +bonuses over the years and in 2006 we are releasing our first Dual Discs- both the Berzerker and Decapitated will come with CD and DVD material in the package for the normal price of a CD,( Dual discs are double sided, CD one side, DVD the other which play in most standard Cd players and DVd players,its the best of boith worlds on one disc). the packaging side of things can be quite expensive to produce, often multiples of the cost of the disc itself, but standard digipacks are reasonable.