The Relevance of CD Sleeve Design in Todays Market Essay

The Relevance of CD Sleeve Design in Todays Market - Essay Example The focus of this paper is to explore the role of the CD cover in today’s emerging market of instant access to music Vis a Vis the internet. Virtually any song by any artist can be downloaded to our computer in a matter of minutes. We will discuss the future of the CD cover in relation to this emerging trend. Like the CD replaced the vinyl record album, will MP3s replace the necessity for CDs and their artwork? However, before we look to the future of this art form, we need to first understand its past Section one of the paper will look at the history of the album cover and how it evolved to the artwork of the CD cover from inception to current use. The purpose of the cover will be discussed. Next we will discuss the relevance of the cover and lastly the outlook for its future. As we make our journey from the past to tomorrow visual representation will be used. It is true what they say at times, â€Å"A picture speaks a thousand words.† Album covers are indelible symbols of what can happen when the boundless creative forces and extravagant minds of the world’s most successful artists and musicians collide. When you add an infusion of corporate label politics plus a significant historical context, the results are anything but ordinary. Columbia Records came into existence in 1939. It was there that a fledgling graphic designer by the name of Alex Steinweiss developed an idea that would revolutionize the music market and change forever how we viewed the modern phonographic album.