IMHO – Albums need more than an Apple 'Cocktail'

An interesting sidenote about rumours of a September launch for Apple's touchscreen tablet is that it's working on a new project with major music labels to help resurrect the ailing music album.

According to the Financial Times, project 'Cocktail' will bundle interactive booklets, sleeve notes and 'other interactive features' with albums to try and tempt downloaders into buying full-length releases rather than just cherry-pick singles.

Of course, Apple and the major labels aren't motivated by misty-eyed nostalgia for album art – albums have much higher margins than singles, so it's a wise move on their part. But not necessarily a hugely compelling one for music lovers.

It's not that album art is irrelevant – media players and (potentially) a 10in Apple tablet have large enough screens to do it justice, while projects like the Flickr-based Music Inspired Art show they still have appeal. But most of the joy of having a physical music collection is (or was) its tactility. And tactility isn't something digital will ever be good at.

What it does do well is reduce the cost of distribution, something that still isn't reflected in iTunes' album prices. Its albums don't sell as well as single tracks because rivals like Amazon MP3 consistently sell new releases for less (iTunes' new 'albums under £5' section doesn't have releases from this year) and offer higher quality downloads.

Other sites like eMusic also have a community-driven feel that attracts an album-buying crowd that's keen to discover new artists. And then there's also the issue of an increasing intolerance for album filler, which has led some bands to conclude (a tad prematurely) that iTunes has already killed the traditional album, making the rumoured 'Cocktail' a waste of time.  

So will extra downloadable material make you buy more albums from iTunes? Or do you think the music world is on a one way trip back to LPs and singles? Let us know in the comments section below.