DIGIPAK Analysis

What is a DIGIPAK?

It is a marketing tool intended to offer the buyer an incentive for purchasing the hard copy from a high street or online retailer rather than downloading/streaming the music. It is particularly important as sales of albums have dwindled as buyers often prefer to download their favourite tracks rather than pay out for the full album. 

Elements of real Digipaks:

Front Cover                                                                                              

• Basic
• Simplistic
• Muted colours 
• Album cover art
• Eye-catching

Back Cover       

• Tracklist
• Name of record label
• Barcode
• Album artwork
• Artist/ album name

Spine

• Album name
• Band name 

Internal Panels

• Booklet
• Name of band 
• Names of band members and instruments played
• List of songs on album
• Additional artwork
• Artist information
• Song lyrics
• Personal messages

Retailers

In the first half of 2015, CD album sales in the UK fell 5.7% from 22.68m to 21.38m. In the same period, sales of digital albums dropped 6.6% to 13.86m.

Close Textual Analysis of DIGIPAK

Chris Brown - Fame

• The main image is of Chris Brown himself in a painting effect. Perhaps, this could be a representation of his artistic life and interests. the colour effect is multi-coloured which also gives an artistic tone to the album cover. His facial expression is serious as he glares into the camera. This can be inferred as the connection he wants to build with his fans and the seriousness that his music within contains. I may be that the album is passionate about his feelings towards his success and his fans therefore he undertakes a rather serious tone to guide his audience with the emotions they should withhold whilst listening to his music in order to connect with it. 
• The background is seen to be quite busy containing images of himself and possibly his views. It includes images such as children and some of his artwork that he has produced himself. Therefore, I would depict that the background is an illustration of his background information that has made who he is. The background also features pictures of a younger self, either side of his current picture which could be an attempt to portray how far he has come since his younger days.
• The multi-colours used overlapping the black and white images of himself could be a representation of the old him going through a change due to his fame and him seeing a new oath of his life which is colourful and positive. 
• There is a parental advisory sticker. This gives a warning to whoever buys this DIGIPAK that there may be language and intent that could cause offence. Always seen in the bottom right hand corner on the front. 
• The font of the word FAME is written in a thriller/horror font which contrasts with the rest of the DIGIPAK, full of bright and vibrant colours. 
• The back cover features a list of all the songs that are on the album and also includes some institutional information.