Endangered Species Do Not Die Out Easily

Newsflash #1: "You can download stuff from the Internet."

If that and the title of this post are not enough clues for what Newsflash #2 will be, allow me to add an appendix to Newsflash #1:

"Music is no exception."

By now it should be perfectly obvious that Newsflash #2 will say..... Yup, you've got it.

Newsflash #2: "CD sales are low."

Now that my duty as Captain Obvious is completed, I can go on with my post.

"My job here is done"

What I was obviously implying with the newsflashes is that the music industry is coughing up blood because people keep downloading for free the music they listen to. Now, although I am an avid downloader myself, I have a reason for not having said that the music industry is dying, merely saying that it is coughing up blood. That is because it is not dying, and it will not die.

There's no denying that CD sales are low, but I can also assure that they won't become REALLY low, for one good reason: It feels good to have CDs. The traditional jewel case serves as a great way to hold an album's worth of music, along with its booklet, but there is a kind of holder that makes the music truly come to life, and that is the Digipak.

Digipaks come in all shapes and sizes (not entirely true, but try comparing the amount of shapes and sizes of a Digipak to that of a normal jewel case. 'Nuff said.), and they are like an extention of the art within the disk to a visual paradigm. In other words, I don't know what the hell I'm saying, so allow me to show you some pictures.

They're a fucking extension of the music. They're AWESOME! I dare you to disagree.

Look at them! They're beautiful! How could you more perfectly compliment the music on the album than with state-of-the-art... um... artwork? The artwork is what the CD comes in! It is now a whole! Platform and album, matter and soul, in perfect symbiose! It lets the bands be truly creative!

Slightly freaky, even...

Although there is something called way too much creativity...

What better way to present a chaotic album than with a chaotic digipak? NOW TRY TO CLOSE THAT, YOU SONUVA BITCH!

But, with independence from the shackles of the jewel case also comes responsibilty, and a need to have more care for quality. In other words, MAKE SURE THE BOOKLET FITS ITS FUCKING SLOT.

And, if it does, IT SHOULD BE PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE TO REMOVE IT FROM SAID SLOT.


Also, make sure that when someone opens the case, the disk won't come gloriously plunging toward the ground.

Or when someone picks the case up. CDs should not be used as wheels.

...or the disks.....


The image above is of a generous collection of three CDs in one digipak, where if the two disks shown above don't fall off, the third one does.

While we are on the topic of generosity, there can be too much of it,...

"ZOMG STICKERZ!!1!"

...with visible results.

That is one fat bastard (Although The Wall, on the far left, wins here with a fuckin' hog of a jewel case)

Although too little generosity doesn't help much either


So, concluding, the Digipak is a revolutionary case that lets the band drown you in gifts or be a greedy ass, make no fucking sense, destroy the disk and booklet trying to take them out of the case, and all that for a slightly higher price than that of a normal jewel case (usually, nearly twice as much). In other words, I have proven how badly they suck. Why isn't the music industry dying, again? Because people like me are stupid enough to buy their embodiments of greed or too much goodwill? A thousand times yes! Oh, there's also the little detail that Digipaks give an album character in a way the jewel case can't. But, well, nevermind that...


Uhh... actually, that's the only reason I like Digipaks in the first place....