Ancillary Task

What is a digipak?

A Digipak is a style of packaging, typically used for CD singles or special editions albums. Digipaks are normally in a book form layout, with 4 or more fold out panels; with the CD or CD’s encased inside. Digipaks are used to promote the album or single, by using eye catching images of the artists. They will usually include some aspect of brand identity, for example having the artist on the cover seen in an iconic way, or through the use of colour seen in videos of theirs etc. They are also used to tell the audience more information about the artist or band, sometimes digipaks will include a sleeve, which will have additional images and information for the audience to read, to learn more about the artist and the story behind their music. Digipak’s were created by MeadWestvaco, and around the 2000’s is when they became a lot more popular by artists, labels and also audiences. They massively benefit artists and their music, because it’s a promotional process; which brings awareness to them. They are advertised a lot more than a regular CD, because they are seen as ‘special’ and ‘professional.’ Digipak’s are often associated with being bought by ‘fans’, as they would need the special edition copy of their favourite artists album, with more aspects; from images to extras and personal information about the chosen artist.

Front Covers

Conventionally any digipak or album cover, the front cover will have a picture of the artist or band so audiences can quickly recognize the album. Usually it will be a medium or close up shot of the artist or band, as this is most engaging; usually with their name in bold above their head, much like a magazine layout; as this is most eye catching and striking. Conventionally, as well as having the artists name on the front cover, there will also be the name of the album or single, to make it clear to audiences.

Digipak Analysis 

The Beatles - Abbey Road

The front cover consists of one image which covers the whole front side of the Digipak. This photograph is of The Beatles crossing Abbey Road on a pelican crossing. The location of the picture relates to the band because Abbey Road was where they recorded many of their songs. The photograph is displayed only. This highlights the significance of The Beatles, and captivate their target audience, as they will be recognized by the location of the photo. . The camera shot of a long shot was used so that a full body shot could be taken of the band, conveying that there is no hierarchy within the group. In fact, half of their faces cannot be seen, supporting the idea of equality. Equality was a significant theme during the sixties and seventies, so The Beatles wanted to portray their strong beliefs in this area through their album cover.

Back Cover

The back cover consists of the album title, the name of the band, a track list containing 25 songs, a section which promotes the personnel and production involved and the produciton logo on the top right hand corner. The image displayed on the back cover does not show the band themselves, but of a wall and the blurred image of an unknown female walking on the right hand side. This contrasts the front cover image because this gives a sense of mystery to the theme of the album. Also, it depicts their genre of Rock because by showing an image of a brick wall, it solidifies their music. This captivates their wide target audience because it is what is expected of a Rock band. In addition, the font of the titles above the track lists have a resemblance to a road sign which you would find pinned to a brick wall, portraying the theme of "Abbey Road", highlighting again its significance.

Inside Panels

On the inside of the Digipak, there are three photographs of The Beatles. They were included within the Digipak because any fan of a band/artist loves to see images of their favourite artists. They aim to please their target audience and promote them as Rock artists. The choice to include full body shots of the band connote their Rock genre. They are wearing denim clothes and are standing in a stereotypical way which portrays the "musicianship" of the Rock genre. These photos could be treated as having sentimental value to their fans and are worth a lot of money. It captivates the audience to buy their idol's albums.

Size and Resolution of Digi Pak:

Digi-pak For Final Music Video

Front side

Back side

For the digi-pak of my final music video I used margins to divide my page and leave out 0.5 area as it gets cut during printing. On the front side of the digi-pak I used two pictures captured in the same location with the same lighting. I used the image adjustment tool in photoshop to edit my pictures and after that i placed them side by side to blend them in completely I used layer mask on one picture and used the brush tool to edit out the harsh line and merge the two pictures together. I kept the inside of my digi-pak simple just writing slightly on one side about the album and leaving space for the cd in the center. I made an eclipse in the center of 4.7 by 4.7 inch as that was the size of the Cd. 

Process

Digi-pak front side

Digi-pak back side

CD

Importance of Social Media page

Social media is an exceptionally powerful marketing tool for artists. It gives you a way to share your art with the world, to connect with and be inspired by other creatives, and to get your art in front of a massive audience of potential buyers or curators.  

Building a community of committed listeners and fans is one of the most important parts of establishing a musical act. The audience indicates a consistent demand for new albums, live shows, merchandise, and marketability for a musical act.

Social media allows artists to find their audience among each platform’s user-base. An audience comes from listeners and viewers who the musician attracts through their content.

Audiences on each social media platform are forms of communities. Facebook followers, Instagram followers, and Youtube subscribers are examples of an artist’s dedicated communities. This attention from loyal fans gives artists a community that will sustain them and allow them to create music for the long term.

Some of the most popular platforms are Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, Spotify but there are countless other websites where artist can showcase their talent 

Social Media Page 

Here is the link of the social media page

Zanjeer Music Album