'Big four' to launch digital album

The 'Big four' record companies are to launch a new album format to give fans digitised sleevenotes, artwork and videos, it has emerged.

Sony, Warner, Universal and EMI will "soft-launch" the CMX format in November in a bid to improve download sales of full albums by music fans, The Times reports.

It is claimed that Apple rejected an approach from the companies with the concept 18 months ago, while the iTunes firm is said to be developing its own Cocktail format, which may be available within two months.

An industry insider said: "Apple at first told us that they were not interested, but now they have decided to do their own, in case ours catches on.

"Ours will be a file that you click on, it opens and it would have a totally brand-new look, with a launch page and all the different options. When you click on it you're not just going to get the ten tracks, you're going to get the artwork, the video and mobile products."

A Entertainment Retailers Association spokesman said: "It is the great conundrum of the age: what would an album look like online? At the moment a download in no sense replicates that satisfying quality of a physical album.

"Think about the importance of the gift market for albums. Online it's stripped down to the bare music, and there's a lot more to an album than that."

A BPI spokesman added: "Digital downloads have resurrected the single, and the competitive pricing and widespread availability of individual digital songs appeal to teenagers.

"While the CD remains the bedrock of music sales overall, a key challenge for the industry now is to upscale demand to the digital album."