Given that music artists consistently moan when people download their music illegally, they don’t seem to help themselves when there is little incentive to actually purchase the CD.
Years ago when people bought vinyl they appreciated the whole experience of buying records, being able to hold something and spend time enjoying the artwork and inlays. When CDs became popular and the common format, the plastic case which most of us are familiar with was used. Today it seems artists are giving less thought into the packaging (probably claiming to concentrate more on the music) supplying the CD in a flimsy paper wallet.
Even though I’ll rip the CD straight to my iPod and never use the CD again, when you spend £10 on an album you should expect something half substantial. I’m not saying all cardboard based packaging is bad, take the Chili Peppers’ “Stadium Arcadium” as an example of something extraordinary, on the flip side their latest album “I’m With You” had to be handled with care when attempting to remove the CD from it’s case.
