Research: Digipaks

What is a Digipak? 

A type of packaging for CDs or DVDs, typically made from cardboard with an internal plastic holder for one or more discs. It is a marketing tool intended to offer the buyer an incentive for purchasing the hard copy from a high street or online retailer than downloading/streaming the music. The incentive is basically extras added to the CD in addition to the actual disk and its case with front and back covers. 

What is the layout of a Digipak? 

6 Panel Digipak 

Advantages

- The fact that there is multiple panels means that the digipak can be 'filled' with more extra content that can encourage more fans to buy the product, maybe also people that has just started to listen to the band. 

- There can be more exclusive artwork within the digipak which helps to enhance the experience for the fans that buy the product. 

Disadvantages

- The 'extra' panels can make this digipak quite thick, in a sense that if fans wanted to place these on a shelf with other digipaks/CD's these types of digipaks would take up quite a lot of shelf space. 

         

4 Panel Digipak 

Advantages

- The fact that it is 4 panels shows that it can be compact - which appeals to fans that are avid collectors of CD's as they can help to fit on people's shelves or in a place where they keep their CD collection. 

Disadvantages 

- Due to the fact that this is only four panels this limits the amount of content that can be placed within the digipak is limited - which doesn't really encourage fans to buy this as they aren't really getting their value for money - there wouldn't be any point so they instead buy either the digital download copy or stream it.  

Digipaks include:

- A Front Cover 
- A Back Cover 
- A Spine 
- At least four other panels within the Digipak itself 

The Additional will comprise of some or all of these things: 

- Membership Postcard/Flier 
- Lyric Section 
- Disk Impression 
- Band Info Section/Booklet 
- Free Image/Poster/Set of Postcards 

Retailers 

HMV (Online/High-Street Retailer)

Amazon (Online Retailer)

Examples of Digipaks

Digipak Analysis: Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang - 36 Chambers (1993)