The unsavoury nature of middle-men in the music industry aside, some of us just enjoy having a physical product to hold and look through. It's maybe not the case with a lot of artists, but most of the bands I'm into do put a lot of effort into packaging etc, and I find it a very satisfying experience to look thorugh the lyrics, artwork, and various extras that have been included as part of the complete package. The German label "Inside-Out" are particularly good for going the whole nine yards on packaging quality, even if their roster does range from the sublime to the ridiculous.