Digipak and Magazine Advert Research

Digipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging. They consist of a book-style paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside. They are usually used for premium package sets, or double disc sets.

We will be creating a digipak and using it as a form of promotion for the song.

What should be on a digipak

• Name of the artist and album.
• List of tracks on the CD, either written on the inside or on the back cover.
• Images of the band/artist that the digipak is promoting.
• Spine - with the name of artist/ album
• Additional information about each song, e.g. lyrics, producers, writers etc.
• Disk design. 
• Panels (the amount may vary)
• Record company logo/ Information.
• An image of the artist is not essential but it is advised, possibly on the inside of the digipak. 
• Bar code.

We will need to include these features on our digipak to ensure that it is of the best quality.

Below is an example of a common template used to create digipak's.

What should be on a magazine advert

• The name of the artist and song (or album).
• An image of the artist.
• The release date of the song (or album).
• Where it can be purchased from.
• The information of the record label.
• Quotes and reviews of the song (or album) by critics.

Detailed Research - Labrinth

I researched further into the artist Labrinth and found that he is a very high profile artist. He is signed to a major label and has many forms of promotion.

This is Labrinth's personal website where fans can keep up with his most recent activity including new releases, upcoming shows, news and anything else concerning Labrinth. He also has a store on his website where people can purchase his albums and singles along with any other merchandise available. There is also a feature which allows you to change the website country, which means the website is available in many various countries in the world, as Labrinth is known worldwide.

On the website there are also links to his social networks, Facebook and Twitter, as well as his YouTube and tumblr, this means he is a very accessible person. He also has an Instagram account. On his twitter account Labrinth has a total of over 749 000 followers, which is a large amount for someone to have, and on Facebook he has over 704 000 likes. On Labrinth's YouTube(VEVO) he has amassed almost 66 million views, with the single 'Express Yourself'', which we will use for our video, gaining almost 4 million views, which means it is already very popular with the public.

Initial research into artist/target audience

Labrinth started his rise to the top with the song 'Pass Out' with fellow artist tinie tempah, the song was produced by Labrinth and he featured on the chorus. It was quite a fast tempo song that is designed to get people up and moving, this shows that he wanted to target a young audience, most likely between the ages of 13 and 19. This audience is crucial in the music scene today as they are the ones who purchase the most music. Labrinth appeals to this market and this is shown with his success in the charts, therefore we will target the teen audience as they are most suited to the song and artist.

Song Lyrics

Labrinth - Express Yourself

[Verse 1]

I say the same thing twice, i'm awkward when I speak,

Ain't got the perfect smile, don't turn heads on my street,

Tryna be a superstar like everybody else,

But being myself is something I do well.

[Chorus]
Whatever you do,
Do it good
Whatever you do do do lord lord lord
Do it good (yeah)
Express yourself
Express yourself
(oh do it)
See it's not what you look like when you doin' what you doin',
Express yourself.
(oh do it)

[Verse 2]
(here we go now)
I don't make the papers, I'm far from JLS (JLS)
Ain't got the X-factor, I'm not what they expect (listen)
But it won't be long before my turn is next, to express
Now with all due respect.

[Chorus]
See whatever I do,
I do it good
So whatever you do do do lord lord lord
Do it good (yeah)
Express yourself
Express yourself
(oh do it)
See it's not what you look like when you doin' what you doin',
Express yourself.
(oh do it)

[Verse 3]
(switch it up for me)
Lose my shirt and tie
There ain't nothing too high,
Show them what you've got (wooooooaaah)
There's nothing wrong with perfect, perfect
Now it's your time to shine
Express yourself

The Song

This is the song we are going to use for our music video. 

Labrinth - Express Yourself.

Chosen Artist Profile - Labrinth

The artist we have chosen for this project is Labrinth. We are going to use his song named 'Express Yourself'. We have received the permission to use this song and so we can go ahead with the project without any problems regarding consent. 

Labrinth, also known as Tim McKenzie is a well known UK singer, songwriter and producer who has recently seen much success all over the world. He has gained various chart positions with his releases under the labels  RCA, which is a division of Sony Music Entertainment, and SYCO, which is a global joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment that specialize in the production and marketing of music, television, film and digital content.

The song we have chosen was released at the fourth single from Labrinth's debut album 'Electronic Earth' and it peaked at No. 12 in the UK charts. The original video was very creative as it depicts a re-creation of  opening scenes from some of the most well loved shows on TV.

Asking for / Receiving Permission for the song

The screen grab below is of the reply email we received from Sony giving us the permission to use the song 'Express Yourself' by Labrinth for our music video. They have acknowledged that it is for a school project and so are happy for us to continue with the project. They also expressed an interest in seeing the final outcome of our project.