Secrets of the Pros BY GREG HANSEN
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Independent music production will continue to become a major influence in the music industry over the coming years. This series gives solid, proven tips for success.
Why You Need Great Album Design
The Cover Must Reach Your Market. The first questions to ask are: Am I doing this project for self fulfillment, for my own family or posterity, or as a commercial venture to a larger audience? It may be a combination of all these motivations. Good cover art will reach your audience effectively.
If you accurately identify who you are trying to reach, you can package your work in the best format to speak to that audience. Are you trying to sell ice to penguins, or are you taking a piece of your own deep feelings in hopes of touching others who are like minded? What is your own age and demographic, and the genre in which you are clothing your art? Why have you chosen the musical tools you have? Do they best represent you? Do they best represent the audience you hope to reach? Is there a happy place in- between that satisfies both? Knowing the answers to these questions will make you secure with who you are as an artist, and who you are trying to reach. Your cover should be an outgrowth of that expression.
Artist, Songwriter, or Theme album? Your cover should say exactly what your project is, and do it quickly. In order to do that, you need to know those things yourself. Try to see your art from another’s perspective, to get your arms around who you may be musically to another person. Is your project an artist feature, is it about the collection of songs themselves with various singers, or is it for a certain occasion, or desired effect or theme?
You Need to Come Out of the Chute Right the First Time. Bad cover art is the Number One biggest mistake new independent artists make. If you get cousin Vinny to do your cover, and it looks schlocky, you will label yourself forever as an amateur. That will be much harder to overcome on your next project, than to do it right the first time. And it does not have to be expensive to look good, as I’ll explain later.
The Cover is your First, Best Advertisement for your Project. When someone picks up your album off the shelf, what will be their reaction? Does the cover accurately represent the material? Does it stand out from the crowd on the shelf? Generally, you have about three seconds to communicate what your project is and why they should buy it before they lose interest.
Your Cover Should Communicate what the Buyer will get out of it. As much as we all want people to just automatically love our music for who we are, the truth is that people buy music for what it does for them. Will it help them feel a certain way? Will it inspire them, make them dance, or sing along? Will it remind them of fond memories in their personal lives? Will it represent the era in which they grew up, and with which they identify? Will it help them be more spiritual? Will it be fun to listen to? The cover has to answer all these questions, and do it in a matter of moments.
Where Can I Get Help? An easy way to find great designers with an established track record of sales in the industry is by looking at those nominated for awards for album design. You want not only a good design, but one that does all that I’ve discussed above. You also want someone who has proven, by sales and awards, that they reach your target audience. Glance down the list of Pearl Award nominees over the last few years. Also, look at the top selling albums in your market and who designed them.
The last five year’s winners have been Barry Hansen, Scott Eggers, Meridith Ethington, Cindy Ferguson, and Ken Wzorek. Any of these designers could give crucial advice that would help your project.
It does not have to be expensive. Our record company, Eagle Springs Records, recently did a mini album for physical in-store sales in a slim case, with design, barcode, duplication, assembly and shrink wrap for under $1000. Combined with a virtual release online, it makes a very viable method of producing high quality mini albums for a reasonable price.
These tips will help you avoid common mistakes and frustrations in creating, packaging and selling your music.
Greg Hansen is a multi-award winning record producer, arranger, and recording artist in the regional and national music markets.
