Universal Music Enterprises announced today the "Playlist Your Way," a digital-physical hybrid package with a greatest hits CD and a download card that can be redeemed for a podcast on the artist as well as the choice of six additional tracks and/or a full-length original studio album. Looks like the main point is to get CD buyers to test drive digital downloading. Another stated benefit is the podcast as a replacement for the more limited information that can be offered in a CD booklet. (More information, less practical.)

It's a throwback of a concept: Using a physical distribution system to promote digital downloading. Hey, whatever works. If that's how you reach potential customers, that how you reach them.

The press release does not give pricing information, but Amazon.com lists 16 "Playlist Your Way" CDs with an August 5 street date and a $10.99 list price. All 16 titles are already being sold as used items by third parties. They're going for less on eBay.

Strikes me as a crafty way of getting around retailers' requests for lower prices. A $10.99 price is a good one, but not as low as catalog prices could go. If additional digital content, which can be distributed in an affordable manner, can help labels hold the line on wholesale prices, this may turn out to be a profitable product. In any case, it will probably turn out better than that other physical-digital hybrid, the ringle.