TechnoRogue.com

In a recent article I read on Wired.com “Apple and Lables Hope to Reinvent Digital Album as Something People Buy“, they discuss how Apple and the major music labels are working on increasing full album sales, rather than the current single track that have been the staple of digital music retailers. I’m old enough to have seen quite a few format mediums come and go — I even remember 8-tracks! I was very excited when CD’s came out — I could now just forward or rewind to my favorite tracks on the album! No more fast forwarding or rewinding in small bursts, hoping I didn’t shoot pass the track I wanted to hear. CD’s solved all those problems, and I began growing my collection as soon as I could. I relied on birthdays, Christmas, and good ol’ BMG and Columbia House to help my collection grow as quickly as possible. I now have over 1,000 CD’s, which I’m sure isn’t as impressive as others, but decent enough for me.

And then the .mp3 came along…and this changed everything even more! With .mp3′s and a CD burner, I could make my own CD’s with just the music I wanted, or CD’s for certain moods/events (I don’t know how many CD’s I have labeled “Driving Mix – Fast”). Of course, this was also A LOT easier than making mix tapes as everything was now digital, and more easily manipulated. This was a technological advancement that made life great for us music aficionados.

And then the iPod was born, and with it as iTunes and other like services were born, I could buy my music directly in digital format. Even better, I could get it a la carte! I no longer had to buy a CD for two tracks, and 12 “filler” tracks for $14.99+. This was brilliant! Just the music I wanted. Just the good stuff, no crap. But then I realized I was missing something — all the album artwork, liner notes, and lyrics. Damn! Sure, I can get the album cover from iTunes, or other sources, but I’m still missing some of the other artwork that goes into the CD insert. I have an iPhone app that looks for lyrics, so not all is lost there, but I still don’t have the liner notes. Damn again! I’m sure a lot of people don’t care, but I actually enjoy reading about who the band wishes to thank, and what strings the guitarist is playing, or the keyboards used. I’m a music geek like that.

So now Apple and the major labels are looking to revive album sales by offering a digital version of liner notes and all that good stuff. Excellent! I can now read through trivia about the band and see who they’re thanking…if I buy the album. For some bands I like, this isn’t a problem as I enjoy the majority of the work. But what am I going to do if I only want a few songs from an album, but still want some of the liner notes? Sure, I didn’t get liner notes before unless I bought the full CD, but technology has changed A LOT about music — how it’s written, how it’s performed, how it’s recorded, how it’s produced, and of course, how it’s distributed.

Which is more enticing to buy — the digital “LP” or the digital “45″? Are the liner notes important to most people? Will they have an option to get all the “extras” for an extra price? And if I buy a digital “LP”, will my iPod or iPhone be able to display this new information to me? Wouldn’t it be great if you could flip through the “CD insert” on your iPhone using Apple’s Cover Flow approach? But please let me buy just the tracks I want and get the Insert separately if I decide I want it. Either way, it’s money being spent. I’m willing to help stimulate the economy, but give me options to buy what I want…within reason, of course >:-)