solving the digital liner notes problem is easy, but will we?

Last week the Recording Academy announced a new campaign encouraging those who release recorded music to include album credit information – including songwriters, sidemen, engineers, producers – in digital releases. This is the latest stab at remedying one of the true problems of the digital music era, when nearly all download releases come stripped of meta-info and context. I’ve lamented this for years, because for nearly any music super-fan my age, liner notes on LPs and CDs were essential to learning and discovery. So far, there have been a few attempts at enhanced digital releases, notably iTunes LP. But I don’t get a sense that’s become widespread, and I don’t love a system that depends on using iTunes as your music library. A list of iTunes LP titles is HERE. There’s also a quirky but helpful site called albumlinernotes.com that houses notes for a few hundred notable releases.

But funny, just this week I came across an artist making use of one blindingly obvious but rarely used solution to this problem. Just put them on your dang website, as Kathy Mattea has done HERE for her new album Calling Me Home. Not only does she let you see who played on the project, plus lyrics, acknowledgements and songwriter information, she posts the album booklet essay by author Barbara Kingsolver. As a journalist trying to write about this release which I don’t yet have, it was a godsend, but as a consumer IT MAKES ME FAR MORE LIKELY TO WANT TO BUY THE ALBUM. For years, labels and artists have rebuilt websites to conform to each new release, with matching art and a refreshed bio that focuses on the release. But not one in 1,000 releases actually post the content that’s been written and formatted for the album booklet. Perhaps the logic is that could encourage illegal downloads. But more likely it's just neglect. And with it, a lost opportunity to market the project or enhance the experience of those who purchase it digitally.

Of course if the Recording Academy really wanted to make this happen, it could make digital liner notes a requirement to be considered for Grammy Awards. Or they could follow the precedent of their Producers and Engineers wing, which promulgates standards for delivery (to the record label) and archiving of masters, to ensure changing technology doesn’t render original recordings of projects obsolete in a few years’ time. My understanding is those are not mandatory but that they’re influential enough to have become standard industry practice. Please correct me if I’m wrong. 

Comments

[Jon]

"...if the Recording Academy really wanted to make this happen, it could make digital liner notes a requirement to be considered for Grammy Awards."

Given that liner notes weren't a requirement during the LP and CD eras - and believe me, I've got plenty of albums in both formats that didn't have any to speak of - I think that would be a little perverse ;-).

[Brad]

Great topic. I've had 5 discussions about this in the last month. It's ridiculous that you can't easily find credits, much less lyrics. AllMusic Guide tries, but it's incomplete and unintuitive. Music needs it's own version of IMDb.

From a major label perspective, part of it's is oversight/laziness. But part of it is getting clearance from publishers. Publishers want to get paid to use those lyrics in print or online or even to include them with the MP3 you buy. They need to stop nickel and diming people and understand that the lyrics help people connect emotionally and make them more likely to buy the song or the album. That is promotional use. Of course, if a third party wants to publish them, they should have to pay. Same if it's for something big like a poster or book.

For my part, I'm sending an email to the team now that I was full credits and liner notes on the website for Charlie Worsham. Thanks, Craig!

[Regional Faction]

I've been researching this topic to the point of saying "uncle", and finally happened upon an article with insight and justification for writing decent liner notes.

The liner notes question is the only thing holding me up on releasing my bands album, and I think this finally summed it up for me, so Thanks!

Best,
-RF-