Cover artwork in digital music (was OT: The Police on Tour)

[Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com>]

On 27 feb 2007, at 08.51, Ian Petersen wrote:

> Nowadays everyone just downloads their music so covers are pretty much
> irrelevant ... !


I see a trend going the opposite direction, and I welcome it with all  
my heart. Some examples:

In a recent upgrade iTunes launched a new function that lets you  
browse your digital music file library by record covers. It also  
gives you the option of having lost cover pictures automatically  
downloaded in the background.

If you submit music for digital release by an "online label" I have  
noticed that the players I think are cool and inspiring tend to ask  
you to submit artwork in a higher resolution. This means the picture  
will look good even on a huge screen when the song plays back over a  
computer.

Also, with digital releases you may place one picture per song in the  
package. That may be a dozen pictures instead of simply one, or two  
if you have a second one for the backside.

If you make a podcast release it is now, since a year back, possible  
to include pictures just as if producing a slide show. You may have  
pictures morph in or out at certain parts of the music.

I would agree that covers are becoming irrelevant as for the  
practical function of containing a product. But this only makes the  
artwork more relevant as art.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se (Swedish)
www.looproom.com (international)
http://tinyurl.com/2kek7h (latest music release)