Nov
26
Paul McCartney’s “The Fireman”
Filed Under Compact Disc News | Leave a Comment
The Fireman
McCartney, along with producer Youth, released a new album with a distribution model that while relatively new, is becoming more commonplace. It is a former major label artist, self-releasing music over the Internet with the option of purchase either in digital form, or digital + traditional media.
McCartney’s website provides opportunities to purchase the album for $8.99 in high quality, DRM free format. Or if you prefer, $12.99, $29.99, or $79.99 options for CD, vinyl, or deluxe edition, respectively, all of which come with an immediate download option for the impatient among us. The album can also be streamed in its entirety straight from the website.
Nov
26
Today, Let Me See Your Package is featuring the work of designer Althea Aseoche. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Althea is a talented young creative with original, inspiring ideas.
Her DVD and booklet box set, pictured below, takes a fun twist on the standard DVD digipak design. She also drew inspiration from the Lord of the Rings - Smeagol collectible DVD and and “Creating Gollum” book.
What I love about Althea’s design, is how much space there is for the full booklet in the package. The left and right flaps overlap to create a quite sizable box for the booklet. The packaging itself is adorned with characters from the film. Very little text is used, as the wonderful artwork speaks for the personality of the movie well enough on its own.
For more information on the project, visit AltheaAseoche.com. Artwork © 2006-2008 Althea Aseoche.
Nov
25
It’s funny how, after all that has happened, all we’ve learned, some old school industry types still don’t get it:
Sincere Management’s Peter Jenner, the keynote speaker at the Coalition of The Billing event, said that digital retailer has “had the disastrous effect on the record industry of debundling the album”. He told delegates at the third session in teh Lets Sell Recorded Music think tank series that iTunes had the effect of converting “a £10 product, the album, into a £1.60 product, the two singles that are worth buying”
Don’t blame iTunes, Peter. The problem is the industry was selling 1 or 2 singles music fans actually wanted, only if fans also purchased 10 or 12 songs they never wanted to begin with. You tricked people into buying 90% of your product.
Nice try though.
Source: Music Week
Nov
25
EMI CEO Elio Leoni-Sceti had strong words recently about the current state of the music business, saying that paying for music is seen by consumers as “voluntary”. As for why music sales have fallen over 20% over the last three years, this is how Leoni-Sceti responded:
“Partly because we didn’t adapt fast enough,” he answered. “And partly because we were one of the first content businesses to have to grapple with a business model that suddenly wasn’t a business model at all. Suddenly it became common for consumers - and businesses - to use our music without paying for it.
Source: Music Week
Nov
24
Red and Travelocity join forces
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Indie distributor Red and Travelocity.com have devised a partnership surrounding Red’s “A Night In” (warning: autoplay music!) series. An exchange for targeted banner ads on Travelocity.com based on destination cities, Travelocity branding will be included in marketing materials for Red’s album project. Cross promotions are also planned online and in stores.
“A Night In” includes 10 albums with music representative of culture in 10 different countries, including Mexico, France, and Brazil. Red’s marketing materials for the project state:
The series brings forth music history and folklore and educates with introductory liner notes of characteristic personalities of each homeland. Its fine package design of significant landmarks and produced on recycled and recyclable paper -all Eco friendly- is an invitation to explore the various rhythms of each territory connecting the listener to the music of the world. These 10 titles feature European, Caribbean, North and South American countries.
The producers seem to have a thing for South America and the Caribbean, home of 6 of the 10 countries selected.
Source: Billboard.
Nov
24
Want to see your favorite record on vinyl?
Filed Under Industry News, Vinyl Packaging | Leave a Comment
The Vinyl Collective may be worth checking out.
The Vinyl Collective is a place for fans of vinyl, artists, and record labels to work together towards getting more albums put on wax.
220 members of the group vote on which albums they would like to see pressed into vinyl. Once an album is selected, the Vinyl Collective does it’s part to license the work from the artist’s label and press the record.
Nov
24
According to CNet, there is a rumor that Apple is in talks with Sony Music Entertainment, among two other major record labels to offer their catalog on the iTunes music service without the standard DRM restrictions.
Amazon has been selling DRM free music from major labels for more than a year now, so we know it’s not the labels who are in favor of restricted music. Of course, the restricted music sold from Apple’s stores only works on the company’s iPod music players. Allowing DRM free music would allow users to play downloaded tracks on any other player.
Nov
24
I could not believe , there i was watching the final episode of its Always sunny in Philadelphia, and all of a sudden the new Prince of Persia game came on the tele with the most awesome sound track to that I think I have heard in a long time. In case you haven’t seen it, its right here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCt4yq6dbRM
The artist is Sia and the song is breath Me, from her fairly new album Soon we’ll be found.
Nov
24
Nic Harcourt Steps Down
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KCRW announced this week that its long devoted music director Nic Harcourt would step down as music director and be replaced by fellow host ( Metropolis) Jason Bentley. He is leaving after 10 years to pursue other things. Sources say those other things are music supervisor gigs and voice over work. Nic harcourt is one of the greatest DJS of recent times breaking more acts than Sarah Palin breaks nails. He was the first to put Coldplay live on air, as well as breaking acts as DIdo, Moby, Alanis Morrisette, Massive attack, Damien Rice, Jem , Pete yorn, David Gray and Norah Jones. Only the legendary DJ John Peel could boast such a fine resume. He will be truly missed.
Nov
21
Mad Men DVD Package Shines
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Created by Matthew Weiner, the hit TV show “Mad Men” has a hit DVD package to go along with it. This shiny DVD box is designed to mimic the zippo style cigarette lighters used by the chain smoking characters on screen.
Produced by Lionsgate Television, the DVD set is the kind of purchase where you savor the packaging just as much as the content.
I’m such a sucker for novelty like this. Though I have to admit, though I care enough about media packaging to write a blog on the subject, just as eye catching as the DVD set is the Betty Draper character.
