Pre-orders for the soundtrack to New Moon, the sequel to Stephenie Meyer’s vampiric romance Twilight, opened today, and among the packages is a limited-edition $500 extravaganza that only 50 people will get their hands on. The big hook of the package, however, is ETA: not really something that represents a bit of a bet on the part of Chop Shop Records, the label arm of the music-licensing firm responsible for soundtracking such shows as Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, and—yes—The O.C.


The package offers:
New Moon Soundtrack CD on release date, Oct. 20th
MP3 download of the featured single MEET ME ON THE EQUINOX by Death Cab for Cutie on Sept. 13th
Weekly “Twi-insiders” email alert premiering exclusive New Moon information including artist confirmations, clips of music, artist interviews and lyrics, and more!
New Moon sticker sheet
Digital MP3 download of the entire soundtrack 72 hours before release on Oct. 20th
Limited Edition Death Cab for Cutie t-shirt
New Moon poster
Twilight Soundtrack Commemorative Plaque for sales over 2 million units, with your name on it!


So a plaque for over one million units, I can see the markers guaranteeing—but the double-platinum plaque? I understand that Twilight fans are what one might call passionate, and they’ve certainly shown their willingness to spend cash on the movie’s various tie-ins before—including the soundtrack; as of late July, the original album, which featured Paramore, Muse, and Iron & Wine, among others had scanned some 2.15 million copies—and that these platinum plaques are something of a hedge; they are, after all, for albums shipped, not actually sold. (To wit: Former Creed singer Scott Stapp’s ill-fated solo effort The Great Divide is certified platinum, even though it probably return-shipped gold.)


But to these skeptical eyes, betting that an album anchored by a Death Cab For Cutie single will cause two million copies’ worth of demand simply because it’s tied to a movie teeters over the line between “ballsy” and “dumb,” especially in this record-sales-depleted age. (Which, it should be known, is even weaker than the climate that welcomed the Twilight soundtrack to stores last November.) Nothing against Death Cab, who apparently are genuine fans of the flicks, but they ain’t exactly Paramore, you know? Unless that rumored Thom Yorke track makes it in, I’m going to hope that these special-edition purchasers get a guarantee that they’ll get some sort of backup award.


EDITED TO ADD: Haha, I am clearly out of my Twilight depth, as the eagle-eyed Skwerl pointed out. The plaque is for sales of the original soundtrack, which, yes, has sold more than two million. Mea culpa! Dear Abby wet-noodle time! Although I do wonder just how big this gambling-on-indie strategy will pay off for the Chop Shop folks. (And I’m glad that I got to reiterate that Scott Stapp point!)


Pre-Order The New Moon Soundtrack [Official site]