Apple and Record Labels to Bundle Interactive Booklets with Digital Albums

Financial Times reports that Apple is working with the four largest record labels to stimulate digital album sales by bundling a new interactive booklet, sleeve notes and other interactive features with music downloads.

While digital downloads are popular, the majority of those downloads are of individual tracks rather than full albums. According to those familiar with the talks, the project is codenamed "Cocktail" and aimed for a September launch. FT describes them as an interactive experience:

"It's all about re-creating the heyday of the album when you would sit around with your friends looking at the artwork, while you listened to the music," said one executive familiar with the plans.

Consumers would be able to play songs directly from the interactive book without clicking back into Apple's iTunes software, executives said. "It's not just a bunch of PDFs," said one executive. "There's real engagement with the ancillary stuff."

The newspaper also tries to tie Apple's rumored tablet to these rumors, though there appears to be no direct connection between the products.