DIGIPACKS

BY ELLIE WALTON

CONVENTIONS OF DIGIPACKS

All digipacks should include the following:

• A recognisable font that creates an identity for the

artist – which is located on the main cover or along the

spine in a smaller font

• Track list

• Music label logo

• Barcode

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A DIGIPACK

• Front panel – a main image which is usually of the artist/band.

• The name of the artist/band in the font that recognises their

identity and what genre of music you can expect in their album.

• Spine – The spine should have the artist/band’s name in a smaller

font but should still stand out and be recognised with their identity.

• Back panel – The back panel always consists of the track list for the

album accompanied by the barcode and record label logos.

REPRESENTATION

• The representation of a digipack is dependent

on the genre of music depicted, for example:

most heavy metal digipacks are in dark colour

schemes to reflect the mood and atmosphere

created by the music.

ANALYSING DIGIPACKS

NIRVANA - NEVERMIND

NIRVANA – NEVERMIND FRONT PANEL

Typically, like most front panels to a digipack there is a large main image that takes up the entire front panel. The front cover to this digipack is deliberately controversial in order to create a buzz and entice a specific audience to this particular genre of music –alternate.

Like most digipacks the front panel is colourful in order to attract and stand out to the targeted audience. The bright blue colour is hard to miss.

The band name is in bold black contrasting the bright blue to reflect the genre and atmosphere Nirvana create in their music. The boldness of the title also allows it to stand out and also makes the font recognisable to the identity Nirvana created for themselves.

BACK PANELLike all digipacks, the back panel consists of a track list which gives us the names of each song on however many CD’s the album consists of.

We also see a barcode along with the record label logos which is present on any digipack you would come across.

The back panel replicates the front panel in its colour schemes. We see the same bright blue to match in with the front panel and to continue the mood and atmosphere of the album itself.

Like every other digipack, the spine is also located on the far right of the back panel and this typically includes the band name in its typical fonts, just smaller in order to fit in the tight space.

OFFSPRING - SMASH

OFFSPRING – SMASH FRONT PANEL

Typically, like all digipacks we have the band name in bold and capital letters to make it stand out to the public. We also have the album name in bold and capitals, however, it is in a different colour and is smaller because if it is a new album most people will not recognise the new album name and will therefore rely on a forcing bold title.

The dark colours on the front panel emphasises what genre of music the album includes. These dark colours and skeleton image suggest heavy metal music and grunge.

BACK PANELAll digipacks, the back panel consists of a track list which gives us the names of each song on however many CD’s the album consists of.

Once again, we see a barcode and record label logos followed by smaller fonts containing legal details and copyright notices.

The colour scheme is slightly different on this album and this is unusual on a digipack, however, it still follows the theme of darkness and death due to the red and black colouringstill accompanied by the skeleton of a human being.

Like every other digipack, the spine is also located on the far right of the back panel and this typically includes the band name in its typical fonts, just smaller in order to fit in the tight space.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE –THE BATTLE OF LA

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE –THE BATTLE OF LA FRONT

PANELSimilarly to all digipacks, the artist/band name is in capitals and bold lettering to make it stand out from the white background.

The album name follows the theme of the colour schemes as it is written in graffiti style writing which emphasises the genre of music and atmosphere the album is going to create when listening to it.

The white background is piercing on the eye and, therefore, automatically attracts attention especially with the contrast of the graffiti man with his fist in the air.

BACK PANELLike the last two digipacks I have analysed, typically we see the track list on the back panel of the digipack.

We then come across the barcode and record label logos as well as minimal requirements associating with legality.

The colour scheme replicates the front panel and is following the piercing white scheme to attract attention and allow the digipack to blend in and successfully match the theme of the front panel.

Like every other digipack, the spine is also located on the far right of the back panel and this typically includes the band name in its typical fonts, just smaller in order to fit in the tight space.