UPS showed up with my CDs last night around 6:00 pm. For the first time in my career, they look even better than I expected. Usually the silkscreened colors on the disc don’t quite match the printed colors on the insert, but I suppose black and white is easier to pull off. Maya’s drawings on hard stock with a matte finish have much more character than they do on the computer screen. Disc Makers did a great job.
One benefit of the Digipak over the jewel case was immediately apparent: it’s lighter and fits 132 per box (as opposed to 100 or 120). My garage will be pleased. It’s an ounce less for postage too. I spent the rest of the night and this morning preparing pre-orders:
My previous albums had a lot more pre-orders, but I’m not discouraged (yet) because:
- I waited until the last minute to set a release date and start taking pre-orders
- It’s been five years since the last album, and a lot of fans’ e-mail addresses went bad in the interim
- The CD format is dying a slow but inevitable death – half of my sales come from iTunes, and that percentage will only continue to grow
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Brian,
just showed up in the mail last night! I had a listen through on the way in to work this morning, and as usual, annother outstanding effort! I can definitely hear the same influences and overall “sound feel” of the DM tribute album in this one. So far, the favorite is “Figured Out”….
On a different note, please don’t cease issuing your music on CD. Those of us old school-type collectors like having the actual liner notes/cover in our hands as we listen to music. Yeah, I know each CD takes up space, but a pressed disc can’t be erased or deleted.
In addition, I’ll also add my voice againt the Digi-pak format. As a collector, I like to try and keep my CDs in good condition. The Digi-pak gets worn corners very quickly, and I worry how well it’ll hold up to repeated handling. Just this morning I had to be very careful walking out to the car, because it was raining and any water on the outer cover would have distorted the artwork you worked so hard to print and produce.
I’ll drop another line after I get a few more play-throughs and have a chance to really let it sink in…..
Later,
EV
Thanks for your comments Eric!
I’d love to keep releasing my music on CD, but in a few years, only a small minority will get their music that way. Couple that with the environmental factor (CDs are a petroleum product), and the fact that the practical minimum number to press keeps going up (right now less than 1000 doesn’t make financial sense). The bottom line is I’ll make them if they’ll sell. I suppose I can always do a small run of CD-Rs, but in today’s market they come off as amateur.
As for the Digipak, I know where you’re coming from, but there’s a growing movement to eliminate the jewel case for environmental reasons. Last I heard, Wal-Mart was going to stop selling CDs in jewel cases altogether. All the Digipaks in my collection are in great shape, because I only touch the CD once, to rip it losslessly to my iPod. That avoids any scratches on the disc as well. I know it’s inconvenient, but maybe you could use a few slimline cases to shuttle CDs around.
My guess is that we’re approaching the end of the CD’s lifespan, but the jewel case will die out first.