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5 Minute Read
There’s something quite therapeutic about flicking through vinyls at your local record store. Whether you know exactly what you’ve come in for or you’re searching aimlessly through the sea of album covers, waiting for one to jump out to add to your collection.
From the iconic Beatles stroll across Abbey Road to the flying pig of Pink Floyd’s Animals, album art has long been an intrinsic part of everyone’s relationship with the music they love.
(Left: The Beatles - Abbey Road, Right: Pink Floyd - Animals)
We will dive into how the industry has evolved over the years and why album art remains as important as ever when it comes to your next release.
Contents
Evolving Industry
The industry has seen some dramatic changes over the past 30 years and that has largely been a result of technological advances.
The internet has become more communication based since the turn of the century and Web 2.0. This resulted in the rise of illegal file sharing, facilitated by the company Napster. Their introduction of peer-to-peer software allowed users to store and distribute their MP3’s. Users were now able to download and listen to unlimited amounts of music and all for free. This was exacerbated by the launch of the iPod in 2001 which allowed consumers to store their illegally downloaded music on a handheld device. This posed a significant threat to the music industry.
Apple launched iTunes in 2003 in a bid to help solve the issue that the music industry was facing but to little or no avail. Digital downloads became the norm and partly made up for the decline in physical sales, however, it could not keep up with the effect that piracy was having on the industry.
Spotify then changed the industry again in 2008. They introduced a streaming platform that allowed consumers to listen to endless amounts of music, legally, for free, and on any device whether it be their computer, tablet or phone.
Music Consumption Today
The evolution of the industry has changed the way in which consumers interact with music. The traditional long form of an album was the industry standard, with the tracklist curated in a specific order. This conscious decision has taken time to truly portray the musician’s vision. The rise of streaming has disrupted this by changing the way in which music is consumed with 33% of music engagement being through audio streaming services, the largest of all engagement methods. The long form of an album has been replaced with singles in playlists, often taking the music out of the context it was originally intended. The industry has evolved a lot since the days of physical releases yet the purpose of album artwork has remained the same, to attract listeners to your music.
The rise in streaming and the changes it has made to the industry has perhaps raised the significance of album artwork and its ability to catch the attention of the consumer. The vast choice of music right at their fingertips makes it harder than ever to keep them from skipping to the next track. Whilst the music is the most important part of retaining attention, the album artwork can still play a huge part in this.
Playlists
This change in the industry and consumer habits has unfortunately meant that musicians no longer make money from their music (directly). Whilst this seems counterintuitive, artists need to adjust their perspective on what streaming companies are. Spotify (and all other streaming services) aren’t a revenue source, they are a promotional platform.
One of the main principles of advertising is is to place your ads as close to the purchase point as possible. This is why Google Search is one of the largest advertising platforms in the world, providing relevant ads to customers as they’re actively searching for an item or solution to their problem.
Spotify has 422 Million active users worldwide making it the best advertising platform for music, allowing you to reach potential fans whilst they’re already consuming music, bringing them one click away from your artist page.
Traditionally, musicians will actively try to get their music plugged on the radio to increase exposure. Whilst this is still a valuable option for a musician, the rise in streaming has seen an increase in the demand for getting music playlisted.
One advantage of this over radio plugs is that the consumer is not only listening to your music but they’re also digesting your brand. If someone likes a song in a playlist, the album art becomes the listener's first step to digging deeper into that artist. It’s the art that leads to discovery and is the bridge between liking a song and learning more about the album and the artist.
All streaming services are similar in design, with the font and layout of the player remaining consistent for every song, the only unique space is where the album artwork lies. Now, we’re always told to never judge a book by its cover but without listening to the music, it’s the artwork that leads the consumer to your music and has the potential to turn passive listening into active listening and casual listeners into super fans.
Attracting Labels
When growing a fan base and determining whether you want to release your music on your own or attract the attention of record labels, it can often be a difficult decision. Despite this, there are some key principles that labels look for when signing an artist that can benefit a musician at any stage of their career.
Nick Gatfield, former president and CEO of Sony Music UK, argues that an artist needs to make a noise for themselves online, particularly through social media. Album artwork and the branding that goes along with it is of utmost importance in portraying yourself as a professional and dedicated musician. It can help differentiate yourself from others competing for the same attention and even within the same genre. Strong, consistent branding creates a unique perception to audiences that can tighten the relationship between yourself and your potential fans.
Choosing The Right Artwork
This can often be a daunting task for any musician. Here at Cover Design Agency, we specialise in providing a professional and cost-effective design solution for musicians. We can help bring your vision to life and give your new release the album cover it deserves.
We have a variety of services that can help achieve this that are perfect for all needs and budgets:
Our most cost-effective solution with prices starting at just £19. These designs are simple but professional and you can have it delivered in under 24 hours.
These one-of-a-kind pieces of art are designed by artists from all over the world and their uniqueness can really help your music stand out from the crowd.
Need a more bespoke design solution that meets all your specific needs? Get in touch with us about our custom album design solution where we can help you create consistent branding that portrays your professionalism as a musician but is also affordable.