DigiPaks are a type of CD packaging made from cardstock or heavy paper that can fold open like a book. They typically contain the CD in a plastic tray attached to the paper packaging. Digipaks were created by MeadWestvaco to provide more design flexibility than traditional jewel cases. While aesthetically appealing, digipaks are more prone to damage over time as the paper materials can rip and the plastic trays are more likely to break than the hard plastic of jewel cases. The front cover must be eye-catching to attract buyers' attention and promote the artist.

1. DigiPaks

2. Key Elements of a Digipak
• Text:
– Name of the band/artist
– Name of the album
– Track listing
– Price
– Bonus Material
– Credits
– Recording information - producer, where it was recorded and when, who wrote the songs
– Thanks
• Pictorial
– Pictures of the band/artist
– Logo
– Barcode
– DVD logo
– CD logo
– Website banner
• Design
– Colour and style to fit the artists genre
– Unfolds
– Cardboard sleeve/adverts
– DVD or CD
– Booklet
– DVD/CD case

3. • Examples of a DigiPak
The digipak will have all the information about all the work that went into the songs and videos
that the artist has released. The front cover must always be attention grabbing. Most front covers
tend to be close ups/eye level pictures. This technique is used to engage the customer with the
product.

4. DigiPaks
• Digipaks are a type of CD packaging made out of card stock
or other heavy paper/cardboard materials. They can flip
open like a book, or they can have three parts, so that one
proportion of the packaging opens to the right and one
opens to the left, with the CD in the centre piece. Typically,
the portion of the digipack that holds the CD is made of
plastic like a traditional jewel case CD – the plastic part is
simply attached to the paper background.
• Digipaks were first created by MeadWestvaco, and their
product, called Digi-Pak, is trademarked. However, as the
format became more popular and began to be used by
more manufacturers, the generic ‘digipak’ came to be used
to describe all soft CD packaging.

5. Advantages/Disadvantages
• Advantages
– They are aesthetically appealing and many bands and labels like to use them for artistic reasons
– The three section digipak sleeves open up more design options because there is more room. However, they are more
expensive than traditional liner notes and jewel cases.
– They are a good investment because, instead of collecting numerous amount of CDs of the favoured artists, the
consumer can buy a mixed CD of the artists greatest hits, therefore collating the songs together and allowing them to
be small and compact.
– Allows the consumer to know more about their favourite artists via the information put on the digipak, thus creating a
good way to promote the artist, as well as the recording label.
• Disadvantages
– Digipaks don’t crack like jewel cases do, but they will rip and the paper will eventually peel apart and separate
– The trays in Digipaks break much more often then jewel cases. There is not as much protection since the outer
proportion is made of paper, so the teeth that hold the CD in place can crack easily and fall out
– When the side of the tray does break in a digipak, the CD falls out of the bottom because, unlike jewel cases, there is
nothing to hold it in
– CDs or normal DVDs are a cheaper option than Digipaks, only dedicated fans are likely to purchase a digipak

6. Front Cover
The front cover has to be eye catching
in order to sell, because any front
cover of a CD, DVD etc is selling the
both the artist and the record
company, therefore it must be able to
draw attention in. This front cover is
appealing due to the fact that it has a
pop of colour against a dull
background to draw attention in. Also,
the simplistic yet bold use of the black
block lines on her top grab the
attention of the consumer, thus
influencing purchase.