Packaging: the Decline of the Spine - w/poll

[faster]

I've noticed a lot more labels going to envelope style CD packaging.

It especially bothers me when it happens with labels that used to produce CD cases with spines--when I order a CD and get an envelope when I was expecting a proper case (jewel box, digipak, whatever), I'm pretty disappointed.

While this is undoubtedly a boon for postage costs, I almost invariably lose track of these releases in my shelves.

What do you think?

[RFKorp]

I love spines. I find no spine annoying.

But I've actually been toying with no-spine packaging ideas for my own work lately. So who knows.

[bedouin]

most often i print my own back cover and cut the original envelope to fit the front of the jewel box. but overall discs without spine are out of sight out of mind for me. (except the slub discs)

[JrF]

i'm not a fan of those cd sized flat enevelopes ones - like index / cd storage ones. However I like cd's that come in packaging without spines if it is to do with oversized covers or some other different design choice (cathnor for example).

I also find digging through a shelf of cd's because there are no spines to read easily often means I come across a disc I wasn't looking for but which I then listen to again.

[simon reynell]

In these hard times I'm getting much less work, and so am looking for ways to reduce the amount I have to subsidise the 'another timbre' label. I'm seriously thinking of going to a Cathnor-style card envelope without a spine, though I do have anxieties along the lines that Faster brought up. I've never attached much importance to packaging, and originally went with plastic jewelboxes just because they are the cheapest option with spine (and I wanted to use all the money I had available for the music side of things). No 'another timbre' disc will ever win an award for presentation, but I'd be interested to hear if switching to card sleeves would actually put people off buying them....

[fearandpanic]

While this is undoubtedly a boon for postage costs, I almost invariably lose track of these releases in my shelves.

discs without spine are out of sight out of mind for me.

Yes, that's pretty much it for me. I want normal cases (including digipacks) cos that's how I browse CDs on the shelves.

[JrF]

Simon: I doubt very much that changing packaging would put people off. These days much purchasing of these areas of music is done online anyway so it's not the same as seeing the item in a store. I have bought releases (many & many that were important chance purchases) because of the way they were presented - it is after all all we have to go on if it's a name of genre we aren't familiar with yet - & to be honest I have also been put off some releases by the way they look, but only when it's not artists or work that I want much anyway. I'm not a fan of jewel cases - they are good in terms of storage & shelf browsing but also take up a lot more room on those shelves !

[MRS]

I almost invariably lose track of these releases in my shelves

I hate how/when this happens, which is more and more often.

[surfer]

I need a spine, and if a CD package comes that doesnt have one, I invariably create one, because it will get lost.

[joeperucki]

I'm OK as long as the size is the standard but prefer a thinner package. I want the thing to fit within the width and height of my shelves and I'd like to fit more disks in the shelf depth. The packaging is nothing more to me than an "identifier" to the music. A visual aid when flipping thru the array of disks. Other than that, I don't care.

[bedouin]

...but I'd be interested to hear if switching to card sleeves would actually put people off buying them....

yes. FWIW switching to non-standard oversized sleeves would put me off too.
have you considered the gatefold sleeves with spine? hat, formed, clean feed and the new touchstone series all look great. would these reduce cost?

[Richard Pinnell]

I'd be interested to hear if switching to card sleeves would actually put people off buying them....

From my own experience with Cathnor I don't think it will make any difference at all. Certainly no one has ever directly told me that they wouldn't buy one of my releases now that they don't have a spine. That doesn't mean that sales are not falling fast though... it just means that the packaging change does not seem to have had any impact.

The simple facts here are all about cost. Of course I would prefer to carry on producing the digipacks I used to release but in this day and age when sales of CDs are diminishing by the day it is essential for any label that intends to carry on producing CDs to try and cut costs. I can make twice as many copies of CDs now in the new Cathnor packaging for much less than half the cost of what the digipacks cost. If I had not made this change there would be one Cathnor release a year. Now I am aiming at six full lengths and four 3"s in 2009. It is as simple as that. I have also managed to pass some of the saving on to customers and cut the price of my releases since the change.

have you considered the gatefold sleeves with spine? hat, formed, clean feed and the new touchstone series all look great. would these reduce cost?

No. Compared to the jewel boxes Simon currently uses they would significantly increase costs judging by every quote I have ever obtained.

[Richard Pinnell]

I've noticed a lot more labels going to envelope style CD packaging.

It especially bothers me when it happens with labels that used to produce CD cases with spines--when I order a CD and get an envelope when I was expecting a proper case (jewel box, digipak, whatever), I'm pretty disappointed.

While this is undoubtedly a boon for postage costs, I almost invariably lose track of these releases in my shelves.

What do you think?

Just an observation Joe, but I have I think, four releases on my shelves that you have self-released, all four have spines but only two of them say anything on them.... there might be more on the shelves that I couldn't find

[Richard Pinnell]

Oh and how do you download a spine anyway?

[Zeno Marx]

Slipcases and wallets suck. I don't care about the storage or filing (in)convenience of them. I'm tired of getting less than mint perfect CDs before I've had a chance to even play them. When I buy something new, I expect to receive it in new condition. I move everything to jewel cases. They might be ugly. They might be bulky. They are the best storage device yet created.

[Dohol]

Oh and how do you download a spine anyway?

You can't..

That's what's so great about downloading....


I won't say packaging is overrated, but sometimes it is.

I personally don't mind a spineless cd collection..

[Richard Pinnell]

Slipcases and wallets suck. I don't care about the storage or filing (in)convenience of them. I'm tired of getting less than mint perfect CDs before I've had a chance to even play them. When I buy something new, I expect to receive it in new condition. I move everything to jewel cases. They might be ugly. They might be bulky. They are the best storage device yet created.

I really think I can honestly say that I have had more CDs become damaged through faulty jewel boxes than any other form of packaging. Surely I'm not the only one that chases CDs across the floor regularly because the spider in a jewel case was broken and on opening it the disc went flying? I once snapped a disc in half as well when it came loose and on opening up the case it got caught in the hinged area.

[Zeno Marx]

Slipcases and wallets suck. I don't care about the storage or filing (in)convenience of them. I'm tired of getting less than mint perfect CDs before I've had a chance to even play them. When I buy something new, I expect to receive it in new condition. I move everything to jewel cases. They might be ugly. They might be bulky. They are the best storage device yet created.

I really think I can honestly say that I have had more CDs become damaged through faulty jewel boxes than any other form of packaging. Surely I'm not the only one that chases CDs across the floor regularly because the spider in a jewel case was broken and on opening it the disc went flying? I once snapped a disc in half as well when it came loose and on opening up the case it got caught in the hinged area.

I've never had anything so dramatic happen, but I have had a broken tray tooth or two mark a CD. It's very rare, though. It's equally as rare that I receive a walleted/slipcased/similar CD in perfect condition.

You must be getting different CDs than I am. I have to work at snapping them in half. It's not something I wouldn't notice was happening...unless maybe I'd had severe frostbite and sun-blindness from high altitude, so I could no longer feel my hands or see what I was doing.

[jon abbey]

Surely I'm not the only one that chases CDs across the floor regularly because the spider in a jewel case was broken and on opening it the disc went flying?

regularly, really? I don't remember this ever happening in the thousands of CDs I've opened. occasionally the spider is broken, but not sure why the disc would go flying exactly.

my take on this as a label owner is to try to make compelling objects for people to own, the more compelling, the fewer people will say "the design on that CD sucks anyway, I might as well just DL it." as a listener, I'm OK with spineless in some circumstances, like the taller Slub discs are very nice, for instance.

[jon abbey]

I'd say in general not enough considered thought goes into most design, just as not enough considered thought goes into the music on most CDs. it's always bothered me to see labels who ignore the inside of a booklet in a jewel box, for instance.