CDVU Plus

Disney and its music label Hollywood Records today revealed the CDVU+ (CD View Plus) format, a new music-only disc standard it hopes will reverse the shift to online-only music sales and downloads. In addition to the music itself, the standard adds a magazine-style digital component that triggers when the album is loaded on a computer; in addition to a printable guide, the format can include videos and links to live web content, such as Flickr photo albums or band news. The discs themselves are also environmentally friendly and made completely out of recycled material for those who want to minimize the physical impact of buying an album.

Hollywood has yet to explain whether the format is directly compatible with existing audio-only CD players but says it has enlisted the support of several of its key artists for the initial launch, which will start with a special edition of a new Jonas Brothers album on August 7th but should quickly add Hilary Duff, Rascal Flatts, and a number of other pop groups.

Prices for the discs wasn't revealed but should be close to regular CDs, which Disney says have primarily been hurt by the lack of significant incentives compared to sometimes cheaper and more accessible purchases from iTunes and other online stores.

By Electronista Staff