providing for the visual pleasure

Although mp3 files themselves are intangible and therefore appear distanced from the vinyl, cassette or CD fetishism, the argument is that technologies for playing mp3s are instead the devices for offering the object for pleasure for collectors. However, I think that increasingly MP3 players are attempting to allow for the tangible product, especially with the newest generation of video iPods with which you can download album cover art so that songs can be once again more visibly arranged into albums rather than individual mp3 song files. Obviously mp3s still remain intangible and their fandom culture is arguable different from that of vinyl or CDs, but I think companies like Apple with their iPod are recognising that consumers value the visual aspect of music culture as well as the aural and they need to provide for this in order to draw as many groups of consumers as possible.