Please Insert Disc 2: When CD-ROM Extras Were the Peak of Pop Culture

There are certain phrases that will instantly catapult you back in time. For me, one of them is:

“Enhanced CD-ROM Content.”

If you know, you know.

It’s the early 2000s. You’ve just left Woolworths with a shiny new single — maybe S Club, maybe Busted. You get home, shove it into the family computer, and suddenly you’re living like a tech queen. The disc whirs so loudly you’re convinced the computer might explode, but it’s worth it. Because this isn’t just a song. Oh no. This is a whole experience.

The Family Computer Struggle

Step one: beg your sibling to let you on the PC. Step two: insert disc. Step three: pray.
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it crashed everything so badly you had to pull the plug out of the wall. (Sorry, Mum.)

And if it did work? You were rewarded with a tiny two-inch window of pure pixelated glory.

The Actual Content

The official music video — smaller than a postage stamp but somehow life-changing.
A “making of” clip that took an hour to buffer and lasted approximately 42 seconds.
“Exclusive wallpapers” — basically one blurry JPEG that immediately became your desktop background.
Maybe even a secret “behind the scenes” gallery if you were lucky.

Did it look good? Absolutely not. Did it feel like you were in a secret club with the band themselves? YES.

Why It Was Everything

This was pre-YouTube, babes. If you didn’t catch the video on Top of the Pops or CD:UK, this was your only chance to see it again on demand. It felt exclusive, like the band was letting you into their world. Honestly, enhanced CDs walked so streaming platforms could run.

🌟 Daisy’s Corner 🌟

Oh babes, don’t even try to tell me this wasn’t culture. Enhanced CDs were basically Narnia. One minute you’re blasting Reach, the next you’re in a pixelated wonderland where your fave band is talking directly to YOU. Forget Blu-ray extras, this was luxury. Icon behaviour. Honestly, Spotify could never.

Outro

Sure, streaming is convenient now. But did Spotify ever crash your mum’s PC and give you a virus just for trying to watch Busted’s backstage antics? Didn’t think so.

Enhanced CD-ROMs: clunky, chaotic, unforgettable.