This is a sponsored editorial in partnership with Vista Create
So, you’ve spent countless nights creating cool tracks for true connoisseurs of the good old rap. You put so much effort, heart, and soul into music and lyrics. You also considered tons of publishing options, and now you’re finally ready for a long-awaited release.
So, what can you do to create a truly eye-catching and conceptual album cover art? Let’s try to wake up your design genius right now.
Consider Your Audience
First things first, think about those who are first to see your new album and try to anticipate the reaction of your intended audience to your creation.
If it’s too naïve, simplistic, unprofessional, or insipid, the chances are good that many of your listeners won’t even bother to give your music a try.
Check out cover artworks of the most successful rappers. You shouldn’t imitate iconic performers. More so, you shouldn’t borrow any elements or overtly plagiarize. Instead, try to find out what exactly might have hooked people that looked at, say, Drake’s Nothing Was The Same or Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City album covers.
Note that your cover needs to be able to tell your story and convey the original spirit your album is permeated with.
To create an effective design, you can use the same tool you use to craft effective Facebook covers at https://create.vista.com/themes/facebook-cover/funny
You have everything at hand to create masterpieces that won’t be inferior to those of Drake or Lamar!
Colors are the Key
As with any artwork, you need to wield colors as a powerful weapon when crafting your album cover. Colors or the absence thereof can go a long way toward helping you provide a glimpse into a fascinating world of your music, entice, tempt your listeners to download your tunes, and much more.
So, the right color palette can act as an effective call for action per se. The wisely selected colors allow your fans to form the right opinion about your album. So, prior to going for a certain palette, consider how you want your fans to feel when listening to your compositions.
Also, think about and explore the colors that are traditionally used by rappers for designing their album covers. If your album is more about fun and entertainment, you may want to go for vivid and bold colors. If you aim to send melancholic vibes or are looking for something that can best reflect the philosophical message of your songs, opt for subdued colors or go completely monochrome!
Add in More Identity
Whether you are a self-made musician working your way up the musical Olympus or cooperating with a reputable record label, chances are you already have some visuals representing you and your creativity. Ideally, you should place such recognizable visuals, e.g. images, calligraphy, signature fonts, and the like, on your album cover. By doing so, you’ll ensure your listeners will recognize your brand.
Still, if it’s your very first album and you haven’t established your own music brand, as well as your unique artistic image, you can experiment even more whilst creating your cover art. Think of imagery that can best represent you as a rapper and the type of music you’re creating for your listeners. Make sure your preferred fonts, pictures, and other visuals are consistent with the image you aim to create. Of course, you can go the tried and tested route and use your own photo as a primary visual, especially when you’re just starting out. But if you want to create something more sophisticated or outside-the-box, there are still plenty of options to explore.
Ask For Professional Help
There are lots of professional designers out there who can help you put together an effective album cover. Well versed in the art of cover making, they can choose a great color palette, wisely arrange the selected images, apply gradients, shades, and employ a wide variety of tools that can enhance your album cover design.
Nevertheless, you should keep in mind that such professionals can assist you with putting your creative ideas into action. But for this, you should create and get inspired! Still, if you don’t have enough money to afford hiring a specialist, don’t get upset. You can still get the required assistance for free if you contact the right people via dedicated social media channels. Or simply ask your friends for help and their impartial opinion!