Deluxe Editions. Yay or Nay?

As we all know, albums are usually released in two formats. Standard edition and Deluxe edition. The Standard edition contains the album tracks and only the album tracks whereas the Deluxe edition can contain both the album tracks and anything from extra tracks to remixes to continuous mixes and music video DVDs. But are deluxe editions really worth the money? And should artists sell deluxe editions?

The obvious benefit to artists of selling deluxe editions is that they can gain a little extra money. Deluxe editions usually cost up to £2 more than the standard edition and contain extra tracks. It’s a great marketing scheme because we think we’re getting something special when we buy it because it feels exclusive. But really all we are paying for are 4 extra tracks that we could have got for free if they had been put on the standard edition.

Deluxe editions also appeal to collectors. Usually the artwork for the deluxe edition of an album is different in some way whether it be a simple change in typography or a whole new cover art.  Sometimes even the packaging is different and for record collectors this is extremely enticing as you can then buy two editions and expand your collection.

However the thing that annoys me in particular about this is that if there are two cover pictures then what is considered the official artwork? For people who like clarity this is extremely irritating because there is a constant confusion as to which cover is the official cover. Many artists say that the standard edition cover is the official cover however in some cases this is different. For example Madonna’s album promotion for MDNA focused primarily on the deluxe edition cover. Shakira revealed the Target edition artwork for her new album and weeks later revealed the official artwork. And even though it has been clarified the standard edition artwork is the official artwork, the target edition artwork is still in my head as the album cover (If that makes any sense at all). It all depends on which cover art is revealed first.

However sometimes deluxe editions are indeed worth it. HMV in particular offer some cracking deluxe edition packages. You can purchase the album with stickers or badges and sometimes even t-shirts and other exclusive goodies. Miley Cyrus’ album Bangerz came with a set of stickers and an exclusive cover which really made it worth the extra £2 and this is what I think should be considered when making a deluxe edition.

I think artists and record labels should make more of an effort to add value to their deluxe editions whether it be badges, stickers or DVDs. From a marketing point of view deluxe editions are a great idea but from a consumer point of view, really annoying and expensive.

What is your opinion on deluxe editions? Comment below to share your thoughts.