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By Emir Santana
They always say never judge a book by its cover, and yet, that is still what
most people do when it comes down to buying a book or a music CD. Face it,
the reality is your album will be next to hundreds of other albums in the store,
so the album's design and packaging needs to stand out, draw attention and
help sell your album.
Your album design has to be professional, intriguing and attention grabbing.
Your music will be partially judged by the professionalism of your album artwork.
If your album looks professional then people will assume your music will also
be of similar quality. Similarly, the opposite assumption will be made if your
album artwork is just the opposite, with subpar artwork and graphics. They
will assume your music is of the same quality, pass your album up and not even
give your album a second thought.
With so much riding on the professionalism of your album artwork, it's important
to make sure you get it right. This is not a place to skimp on quality, hire
the best graphic designer you can find and afford. It's a good idea to save
samples of album covers you like and especially those that have qualities that
you are looking to have integrated into your own design. Look at the portfolios
of several graphic designers to see if they have a consistently high quality
and if you like their overall style.
Once you've decided on a designer for your album cover the next step is making
sure you have professional high quality photos of your band and all its members
for the designer to use. If you have a particular concept you want used on
the cover, the CD or the CD inserts you must have pictures that can be used
in that concept. Even if most of the concept artwork is to be added using PhotoShop
manipulation it is still important that your pictures have you posing in the
right poses to match the concept. For instance, if you are trying to design
an album cover depicting you holding onto a helicopter rope ladder as it flies
through the air you will need the correct camera angle and poses that look
like you are holding onto a ladder in order to properly PhotoShop you into
the scene. You may also need a fan blowing your hair and clothing to make it
look more realistic.
Whatever concept you chose for your album cover design, your pictures and
your graphic designer's ability to integrate them into the concept art will
be what help make the album cover something that will attract new sales and
new fans to you and your album. Make sure your album cover is as amazing as
your music and your album sales will be sure to climb.
About The Author: DJ Emir Santana is a professional nightclub and mixtape
DJ that performs at major concert events and nightclubs around the globe. His
energetic mixes, musical versatilty and highly creative mixtapes keep DJ Emir
Santana in high demand across the country and around the world. Emir also specializes
in graphic art and design services for the nightclub industry and business
sectors. For mixtapes, Designs, and DJ services Call 303-995-0875 or visit:
www.djemir.com
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