Can Apple Cocktails Save The Digital Album?
Over the past few years, music fans have been gradually moving away from the LP format and listening to songs in a more granular, randomised way. Of course, the iPod’s shuffle play feature is a major culprit here, but now Apple are attempting to bring back the album – repackaged for the digital era…
Mixing A Music Cocktail
Earlier this year, Apple’s “Project Cocktail” was revealed, which was basically an initiative to create a new format for a digital album that would operate within iTunes.
The project involved Apple working with the “big four” major labels to create digital products that offer more of a multimedia experience – the package is now known as an iTunes LP, which includes animated lyrics, liner notes, videos, photos and artwork as well as the music itself.
A Little LP From My Friends
At the moment, the iTunes LP is very much the preserve of the big boys – the available catalogue of LPs contains a limited selection of major label releases, and Apple have yet to throw the doors open for independents to create and sell their own iTunes LPs via the iTunes platform.
However, Ars Technica had a look at the innards of the iTunes LP (you can easily do this by changing the file extension from .itlp to .zip), and determined that it wouldn’t be particularly difficult for an independent third-party to create their own LP. You still wouldn’t be able to sell it via iTunes, so an alternative distribution route would be required…
Is This A Moving Target?
In the US, an iTunes LP retails for $16.99, versus the standard digital album price of $7. That’s quite a premium for additional content that most users probably don’t really want – especially since the mp3 boom has led consumers to a more รก la carte method of consuming music on a track-by-track, rather than album, basis.
It seems like the additional content might be better utilised in trying to boost album sales – by offering it at the same price, which could reignite consumers’ interest in buying digital albums. In fact, the current pricing model employed by Apple is more geared towards the ‘true fans‘ who will buy anything related to their favourite artists. As such, I would be surprised if it has a significant impact on digital album sales, but let’s watch this space…