iTunes moves forward by looking backward, to something we all missed. But about that name...

There are a hundred variables surrounding product naming. No matter what you choose, you can rest assured that many will think it’s the dumbest thing they ever heard. With that in mind, let’s discuss Apple’s decision to call their newest iTunes feature “iTunes LP.”

I find this interesting because there are serious pros and cons to this decision, and it’s fun to imagine yourself being in the room.

iTunes LP is Apple’s way of making the album more appealing. The LP format delivers the album art and liner notes that have been the principle casualty of the online music revolution. If you have enough barnacles, you will recognize the LP name, because that’s what they used to call vinyl albums. It stood for “long-playing.” But does that reference matter — or have any value at all — to the person who’s buying online music today? Or would they have been better off with a more human, more descriptive name?

On the positive side, iTunes LP is indeed long-playing (compared to a single song), and a good reason to buy the album instead of individual tunes. And there is a certain nostalgia that comes with the term. On the negative side, probably only a small percentage of music lovers today are old enough to have that nostalgia. For them, LP is just a couple of letters — about as imaginative as XP. Plus, if you want to get technical, LP refers to the recording format, not the goodies that were a by-product of it.

Naming experts will rightfully tell you to just shut up, because once the first reaction is behind you (a week?), a name is a name. LP is already starting to feel okay. I just find it fascinating because Apple had the opportunity to give this concept a more imaginative name, but didn’t. What would you have said when the table turned to you for an opinion?