The role of album art
Well, I finally got around to reading the Album Art and CD cover blog. Theres a lot of information there, but a few of the posts about widgets and album cover utilities sort of caught my eye.
For the last few days in class we've been discussing the aesthetic, artistic, and functional value of certain album covers, as well discussing the validity of the articles and news posts we find the covers in. Throughout the whole discussion, I personally have been seeing album art either in the context of a piece of advertising sitting on a store shelf, or of an artistic statement made through a collaboration between an artist/band and some graphic designer. Maybe it's just because I've been busy, or maybe I'm just narrow minded (I hope it's the former), but I've realized that I've completely overlooked one of the most important functions of a CD label: A collectible.
When we read through the "Best. Album Covers. Ever." article, there were examples, such as Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" and Nirvana's "Nevermind", of album covers that people would very likely proudly keep in a record or CD collection. Many people brought up the audience when we were discussing the effectiveness of album covers, and I guess it's only natural that the truly "good" covers are also coveted by the audience, namely the fans.
I'm ashamed to say it, but I don't actually own many CD's. Most of the music I have is ripped from other people or downloaded, so the pride of a pristine and complete CD or LP collection is something I've never experienced. That's why these blogs:
http://www.cddesign.com/covertalk/archives/best_free_album_art_desktop_d...
http://www.cddesign.com/covertalk/archives/2_dashboard_widgets_for_findi...
piqued my interest. One is about a Mac widget, and one about the windows version. Both basically allow users to search for album to accompany the digital music files that they have in their music libraries. What's interesting that these programs actually search through iTunes and the Amazon online music stores for album covers for certain tracks. If you have some obscure jPop title, you can set the program to search the Amazon.jp site for a cover.
These blogs got me thinking about how the role of Album Art is and will be changing as we move from physical media, such as CD's and vinyl discs before them, into purely digital media. Even now, many artists and record labels are switching their distribution channels to include direct downloads of songs through services such as iTunes.
So here's my point, er, question actually. What will happen to album covers? Will they be relegated to the small, extra little .jpg or .png file you see in the corner of your (insert album name) folder? Will album art even cease to be effective as an advertisement tool when listeners can stream samples of tracks from newly released albums?
I'm not saying that I think CD's will be phased out completely any time soon, but as a pervasive a trend of downloading music is, it may very well become dwarfed in desirability.
I think that you bring up an interesting question. I'm thinking that because album art has been such a part of albums in the past, they will never be non-existent. But the role they play will definitely diminish. As long as record stores still exist there will always be some form of art to accompany the music. Bands will always have to include information with the cd, such as its producers or lyrics or whatever. Hopefully they wont just attach a word document, and it will be in some form of visual art.
Submitted by er0l12 on Mon, 02/11/2008 - 00:27.Interesting point, not just about record stores, but about Brick and Mortar establishments versus e-commerce as a whole. I guess as long as the status quo of consumer habits and the layout of cities/towns/communities doesn't change, record and other stores will still exist, as will physical albums and music mediums. I'm going a little bit out on a limb though >_<
Submitted by Pan2 on Mon, 02/11/2008 - 12:29.I think that both of those are good points and in the blog you state about collectables. I relly dont see hard copys being taken out of the mix quite yet. people like to have hard copys still. Having the original over a copy is still more important to most people. I dont see digital downloading becoming main stream until say our grandchildrens time.
Submitted by cloud586 on Mon, 02/11/2008 - 06:05.Yeah, considering that LP's were introduced in the 50's and are still referred to in some popular culture (i'm thinking movies like "The Rock" where Nicholas Cage orders a Beatles vinyl), you're right that they won't be phased out for a long time. But it will happen eventually. I think people will tend to flock to whatever is more convenient.
Submitted by Pan2 on Mon, 02/11/2008 - 12:26.I've been noticing an interesting trend with the ever-growing drive for the digitization of albums. About a year and a half ago, I first learned the term "case spine." That's not to say it never existed before then, but I realized the implications behind having the word presented to me for the first time, tucked away in a nfo of an mp3 folder. It seems the whole notion of those smaller jpeg/png album labels you see are becoming hot topics, and in some cases vehemently detested. I've seen numerous album sites receive complains by the hundreds on website comment sections regarding the shoddy label releases. It's ironic then, that those looking to find their music digitized are also trying to preserve in a sense a portion which serves to represent the very essence of that music: the label.
These simple jpegs do not seem to be doing it for a good number of people, calling for print-sized, high quality images that preserve the "collection value" as best as possible. However when the album itself is demanded in electronic format, indeed, what does become of the cover that rests on it? I think we're moving towards a shift in who is doing the printing, to be honest, but that album labels themselves have not lost their value to the fans in any sense. However, I am quite curious to see what will happen to the very context of music, and the way it is portrayed to its audience, if a generation were to suddenly see all album art suddenly digitized, but kept mainly underground to avoid issues of copyright. With an extended mainstream blackout (so to speak) the album cover could face an ill-fate, in favor of that generation's ipod splash.
Submitted by bfawaz on Mon, 02/11/2008 - 09:15.I'm glad you brought up that trend...I agree that it will be very interesting to see exactly how, as you say, the context of music and albums will change as everything becomes digitized. I know you are doing research related to e-paper, and I wonder if, in the future, digital displays that imitate physical media will be integrated with such things such as CD and album covers. We have e-book readers now, whos to say we won't someday have a e-album reader in the shape of a jewel case?
Submitted by Pan2 on Mon, 02/11/2008 - 12:22.