Earache Records has launched a catalogue-wide collaboration with music tech company Muzlive.
The Korean company manufactures the hybrid physical/digital KiT album format. Popularised by K-Pop, nine million KiT albums have been sold since 2017.
Earache is the first label in Europe to adopt the format outside K-Pop, and the first label to offer the format on frontline titles and as a chart reporting format in April 2025 with the Official Charts Company.
Tim Bailey, head of label at Earache, described KiT as a “format for our times”.
“It can be overwhelming with the world of digital music at your fingertips,” he said. “The endless choice available means I rarely immerse myself in albums the way I used to. I flit between albums. I’m impatient. My attention span is broken. I rarely give new records my full attention. And it means I don’t have that same intense connection to my new favourite music the way I once did. The KiT album invites us to go deeper.”
The format name is an acronym for “Keep In Touch”. Album releases are in the form of a cartridge device, housed in a customised box with photo cards, booklets and stickers, that acts as a digital key to unlock music, videos and other content on the app.
“I think KiT is already the most important physical format since the CD, and once music fans dive in and find the joy in it the way I have, I’ve no doubt it could be a major global player in the physical music world,” said Bailey. “Its unique combination of the tactility and scarcity of physical media and the portability and user-friendliness of the digital technology makes it the format for 2025 and beyond.”
I think KiT is already the most important physical format since the CD
Tim Bailey
He added: “We can learn so much about music consumption and fandom from K-Pop. Nine million copies have been sold since 2017 in the genre from the likes of Seventeen, Blackpink and more. Whilst the avid collecting of exclusive photocards which has helped drive K-pop sales will be a less prevalent sales driver to rock and metal fans, rock fans similarly love the bands they follow.
“They want music that can be held in their hands, a piece of art to get lost in. A tangible, immersive experience that connects them to their favourite artist.”
Muzlive owner Joe Seok said: “We believe that every artist has their own superfans and understand that a single physical album sale creates more value than 1,000 streams. I think now is the time for us to try something new, and I hope that the KiT album will become a new alternative in the music market. I am very pleased to embark on this innovative endeavor with Tim and Earache Records.”
Those Damn Crows’ upcoming album, God Shaped Hole, will be the first chart reporting album released on KiT on April 11. The format is chart reporting with OCC, ODC in Germany and ARIA in Australia,
The album is available to pre-order exclusively via Earache.com/KIT alongside a wide selection of catalogue and frontline titles.
Penfriend’s new album, House Of Stories, will be the first completely independently released chart-reporting KiT album in the UK (April 18).
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