CDs & music

A disc now plays a different role than it once did. Less often a way to move files, more often an object someone is handed and keeps. The articles here split into two threads: choosing the music, and preparing the disc itself as a company gift or a family memento.

Music matched to the place

A large share of the section answers one question: what should be playing. A restaurant needs one selection in the morning and another in the evening. Background music for a cafe, a hotel and a spa is chosen differently again, and a waiting room needs something that lowers tension without sending people to sleep. Styles get compared too - classical, jazz, chillout and quiet ambient sound - by the kind of brand character they support.

Disc print, cover and packaging

The second group is about how it looks. A cover is both advertising space and part of how a company is seen, while the packaging decides the first impression:

• Disc printing - preparing the artwork and what to watch for on pale backgrounds.
• Cover and insert - keeping them in step with the logo, the colours and other materials.
• Packaging - envelope, digipack, case or box, depending on the occasion.
• Keepsake editions - wedding, christening and communion discs with names and a date.

When a disc makes sense

The third thread covers uses. A seasonal gift for business partners, an extra in a loyalty scheme, a portfolio handed to a client, a present for guests of a salon or hotel. We also look at when a flash drive with the same content is the better call. If you are planning a company disc, start with the music - the cover and the packaging are much easier to settle once you know what is inside.