DIGIPAK CONVENTIO

NS A2 Media Studies

What’s a Digipak?A digipak is a style of a CD or DVD packaging. They are normally designed to have a gatefold like a book and the packaging is either made out of plastic or cardboard. Digipaks are usually made for especial editions and albums. As Digipaks are made out of cardboard, they come across more vulnerable and likely to wear off than average cases therefore they’re hardly used however, look better and provides more room for information. Digipaks became popular in the earl 2000’s where they were used quite frequently.

Track ListA track is a list of all the songs that the artist or band has created. This can provide remixes and cover of songs as well as their own. Track lists are important when it comes to buying a CD because the audience would want to know what songs are provided and if there is any in the top 40 hits at the time. If the CD has a selection of songs from different artists, for example ‘Now That’s What I Call Music’, they title the song in bold then lists the artist underneath the name where as on a single artist or band they just provide the song title.

Title & Artists Name Title and Artist name is important when it comes to creating a Digipak because the audience would like to know whose CD they are buying. The creator of the digipak decides what font they should use and normally they choose one that will be used for the title, artist name and track list so that the CD links well together. The font would need to be bright and bold so that it stands out to the viewers.

Barcode A barcode is found either on the front or back of the Digipak. This is used for the audience to purchase the album. On smartphones, a person is able to scan the barcode and purchase it through the internet using a special app. Another barcode is a QR code which links the fans to the artist and their songs, social media links, downloads, photos and website. These both look like this:

Barcode

QR Barcode

Photos Photos are essential to a Digipak because it creates a more interesting and appealing case. The photos that will be included would be of the band/artist or could include a theme to the digipak. Usually, bright colour photos stand out more to the audience and catches the eye whereas black and white shows more modern and sophisticated look. Colours could also connote the kind of music, for example deep rock music might use dark colours whereas house music might use colourful and bright to show that there is different tones of beats combined.

Production and Distribution Companies

Production and Distribution is the roles of producing the music/song. This is shown on the digipak because viewers might want to follow what other music they have produced. They also aim to a specific target audience and this target audience could relatively be a wide range or a small range, either way it will bring the viewers to listen to the song.

Artist InformationA music artist (commonly referred to as recording artist) is a musician and/or singer who records and releases music, often professionally, through a record label or independently.Artist information usually appeals for the fans that are deeply into the artist or band. This provides the audience with a small biography of creating the album and sometimes involves a word from the artist themselves.

LyricsLyrics are used in a Digipak so that the audience can follow along, maybe learning for a production of some sort or just for fun. Some fans might want to know the words just out of curiosity. Usually there is two songs on each page depending on how long the song is and how big the font is, as we wouldn’t want it too small that audiences cant read them. It provides lyrics for every song except remixes and covers as they aren’t their original pieces. Lyrics will only be displayed in albums which are sing along songs.