You must have heard of the old wise saying ‘never judge a book by it’s cover’ but can you find a new book without a cover?
The design of a single/album cover is a crucial aspect of the album itself. Although it might seem that a single/album is all about the music, the artwork is the face of the album, which means that it’s the thing that gives potential listeners their first impressions. Your album’s first impression is central to its success. We have outlined 3 reasons you need a good artwork for your materials with examples of how a good album artwork should look like.
1) Visual Engagement:
You need a good artwork to attract listeners to your music. Essentially, an album’s artwork is the equivalent of a book’s cover. Even though we are told to never judge books by their covers, we still do! You may create beautiful music, but without attractive artwork, it may go unnoticed. Good album artwork is visually appealing yet incorporates the music and musicians into it. In order to attract listeners, make sure your artwork
does not only look very creative and interesting, but also represents your brand. It may be unwise to advertise your music incorrectly. Below is an example of an album cover that fulfills this purpose.
This mix-tape cover thoroughly summarizes the songs as well as the artist during this period in his career. The famous “ghana must go” material sewn in agbada form, the travelling bag and hat illustrates the artiste as a traveler infusing the Ghanaian and Nigerian sound to create a new genre of music. The placement of the title, Accra To Lagos, is unique and forms a comforting border that completes the artwork. Overall, the design of this mixtape cover perfectly combines Mr Eazi’s style with the purpose of the album in a way that visually attracts listeners.
2) Visual Summary:
You need a good artwork to exemplify your songs on the album. Your music is the most important part of your album. This means that the artwork should give a visual summary of your songs. Try finding images or colors that set the scene for your songs, whether it is happy and flowery or angry and noisy. Here is an example album cover that fits this purpose.
This album artwork is unique and visually striking. The new school funky swag the artiste pulls behind a huge green background gives the viewer a feel of summer. The title itself is also casual and modernly fresh, which is fitting for the image itself. All of this creates a particular vibe that exemplifies the album’s songs as a mixture of summer Afro-pop music.
3) Artistic Expression:
You also need a good artwork to express yourself as an artist. Creating music is a form of creating art, which makes musicians artists. Your album cover should also display your individuality as an artist and illustrate your style. Try not to limit yourself with this purpose. Allow your creative talents to flow onto paper as you design something truly representative of you and your brand’s artistic expressions. You should invest in a creative graphics designer who can bring your thoughts to life.
In conclusion, album artwork is an important part of your music. Without it, your album is like a book without a cover. Creating good album artwork takes time, but it is well worth the effort and investment. Be sure to consider the above purposes as you work with a designer to create what you want. Keeping your audience in mind while still showing your artistic and musical expression is central in making your album cover.
