Making Cds Desirable Again

Yeah, I still buy real cds. But more and more I get disappointed when I get home and it's pretty much just the cd, a track list on the band, and a little slip of paper in the front with some artwork on it. With all of the tons of complaints about pirating mp3s, maybe record companies would do a little better if they followed suit like some artists who have made cds that I actually want to own.

So, here it is. 10 things people should do to make their cd worth buying:

10. Little Extras
They Might Be Giants are known for always trying to get little extras here and there for their fans. Aside from the dozens of services they offer in general, they will put out certain features that are harder to simulate on copied cds or the computer. Even with the downplaying of shuffle (Apollo 18) and adding data onto cds, and the terrible mishaps of negative one bonus tracks (Factory Showroom) as well as long delay afterward, their is just so much they try and do. Even "A User's Guide To Factory Showroom" which is available for free to anyone online

9. Additional Items
Andy Stochansky had a cd that came with a selection of lyric cards and other little elements. I didn't actually get it, but I remember him showing it off after a gig I saw him at. Creative development of liner notes has been respected even in minor implementations like Death Cab For Cutie's Transatlanticism which barely did anything past combining a fold out and a booklet type set of notes.

8. Cd As A Package
Hellcat Records I noted some time ago for putting out many of their cds in the cardboard sleeve type format. While it stinks that they are easier to damage and are impossible to fix, they make me want to take greater care of my cds, as if they actually have some value. Also, I don't know if it's cheaper to do or not, but there does already seem to be an increasing trend for this type of packaging.

7. Irreproducibility
Tool's Aenima had album artwork that couldn't be replicated on a computer screen. Many cds also have reflective parts, or other effects. Tomahawk's Anonymous had a wonderful textured appearance. Even relatively little things let you feel like you are getting a little something extra for you buck.

6. Going The Extra Mile
Discordance Axis released some of their cds in dvd cases and had companion texts that fit inside the case with it. Nothing that different from a cd with liner notes, but much closer to doing it right. Too many artists barely even put a sleeve in for their cds. I am greatly interested in credits, lyrics, side notes, all that. Also, it's not that different from a regular cd,

5. Customizability And Personal Design
Beck's The Information came with stickers and was set up so that everybody can have a completely customized version of the cd. This isn't something I would personally take advantage of, but it certainly has its potential.

4. Trimming Down
If people only care about the music, there should be an alternative. While they could buy the mp3s online and get a pdf of the artwork, and do whatever they want with it all, they could also get a cheaper version of the full cd on a printed copy. Have two pressings, the first, more elaborate one with the extras, then a knocked down price version.

3. Removing The Archaisms
Victor Ruggiero sells burned copies of his cd. The artwork is xeroxes. It's Vic's own artwork, and he pens the writing on the cd itself. I could download the files, burn them to a cd write with a sharpie and print out a xerox of the artwork. But it wouldn't be the same, even though it's probably the closest to an actual replica of a cd. Intimacy and subtlety aside, this drops the cost of cds amazingly. Minimal effort all around can get you a cd for under five dollars.

2. Bonus Disc
Whether is be a live bonus dvd, a track of rare tracks, remixes, alternate versions, demos, it's always a good incentive to spend the extra two dollars over the average price of a cd, since I'm getting double the goods, even if the extra cd or dvd isn't exactly what I was going for. There is a lot of room for creativity in this area, and finally it's starting to get rolling.

1. Clever Packaging
I bought a cd from a small time band called The Hue Of Two. The cd itself was a blank burned cd, but with a design stamped on. It rested inside a folded xeroxed sheet of sized paper with a clever design made to look like a medical form, but it still included information about the band, and the lyrics. Those items were placed in a manilla folder the size of a cd, with "The Hue Of Two" stamped on the tab, and another stamp on the folder itself. This all went inside a sewn canvas bag sized just right, with a design painted on it. It was probably one of the most spectacular layouts I've ever seen.


Honorable Mention:
I am also a regular consumer of vinyl records, and I've seen a few great incentives for purchasing the record instead of, or in addition to a cd, if one exists. Bonus lyrics, translations of foreign lyrics, sheet music, extra or alternate artwork, things like that. My personal favorite was that one record I bought came with a web address where I could legally download the mp3s of the full album. It was perfect. I had my hard copy on vinyl, the artwork, the liner notes, and I could still easily put it on my ipod or whatever I wanted.


As pointed out by a friend, we don't want to eventually turn cd stores into curio shops selling unspeakable objects that somewhere in themselves contain music, but I still think there is plenty of room for improvement.