10 Tips for Great Album Artwork

How to Create Stunning Album Artwork That Captures Your Music and Engages Your Audience

Album artwork is more than just a visual representation of your music—it’s an essential part of the listener’s experience and can make a lasting impression.

Whether you're an indie artist or running an indie label, great artwork can elevate an album’s impact and help it stand out in a crowded market.

Here are 10 crucial tips to ensure your album artwork is as strong as your music.

1. Take It Seriously

Your album artwork isn’t just decoration—it’s an integral part of your album’s identity. Too many artists and labels make it an afterthought and rush to put something together before release day…

For many listeners, artwork helps shape their perception of your music before they even press play.
Treat your album artwork with the same level of care and professionalism as you do your music.

2. Consider All Your Deliverables

Album artwork isn’t just for the front cover. You need to think about:

Album Covers (Vinyl, CD, and Digital)
Single Covers
Social Media Assets and Website Graphics

Each of these elements should work together cohesively to create a strong visual identity for your release.

3. Consider All Parts of the Canvas

If you're releasing physical copies, your design should account for:

Labels, spines, and tray cards
Vinyl inserts, gatefolds, and booklets
Merchandise and promotional materials

Before finalizing your album cover, consider how the design will extend across all formats and promotional items.

4. Consider the Aesthetic of the Artist or Music

Does the artwork visually match the style and tone of the music? Your album’s design should feel like an extension of your sound and overall artistic vision. Ask yourself:

Does this artwork resonate with my target audience?
Does the packaging format serve the fans who buy physical copies?
Does the artwork help sell the record?

5. Hire a Designer

Just as you wouldn't let an untrained musician mix your album, you shouldn't assume every artist can handle their own design work. Professional designers understand:

Composition, typography, and color theory
Industry standards for printing and digital formats
The technical requirements that prevent printing and manufacturing delays

Hiring a designer ensures a polished, professional product that meets all necessary specifications.

6. Start Very Early

One of the most common bottlenecks in the album production process is waiting for artwork to be finalized. Vinyl manufacturing, in particular, is often delayed due to artwork issues.

Start working on your album artwork during the recording process to avoid unnecessary hold-ups.
Having the design ready early means fewer last-minute complications and a smoother release timeline.

7. Make Sure It’s High-Resolution and Correct File Types

Low-resolution artwork can ruin an otherwise great design. Ensure your files meet industry standards:

Print: CMYK color mode, at least 300 DPI resolution
Digital: RGB color mode, optimized for streaming platforms
Use templates provided by manufacturers to ensure correct dimensions, bleeds, and file formatting.

8. Consider a Label Template

If you run a label, creating a consistent visual identity can strengthen your brand. Consider using:

A standard design framework (like Lo’ihi) across releases
A minimal branding element that ties all releases together
A contractual clause giving the label final approval on artwork

This approach helps maintain a level of quality and aesthetic continuity while streamlining the decision-making process for artists.

9. Test It in Multiple Applications

An artwork that looks great on a computer screen might not translate well across other formats. Test your design by:

Printing it in various sizes at a local print shop
Viewing it on different digital screens and devices
Adding it to your iTunes Library or Spotify to see how it appears in a playlist

Seeing your artwork in real-world scenarios helps you identify any issues before the final printing or release.

10. Don’t Ask for Too Much Feedback

While feedback can be valuable, too many opinions can lead to confusion and second-guessing. Be selective about who you consult:

Avoid asking non-artists for feedback—they may not understand design principles.
Trust your instincts and the expertise of your designer.
Have confidence in your creative choices.

Great album artwork should feel like an authentic reflection of your music, not a design-by-committee compromise.

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Album Artwork FAQs

Does album artwork really matter?

Some musicians might feel like art doesn’t matter. It’s just one little thing. But all those little things add up to make something great. Mastering, a unique narrative surrounding the album, great sounding mixes, great press photos, and great artwork!

I take art seriously, and for a lot of full-length records that a band has worked on for a couple years deserves art that is as thought out as the music. To toil over lyrics and melody and mixes, and arrangements for so long and so thoughtfully, and then to just say “whatever” to the way you package that music, I don’t think that’s right, I don’t think that makes any sense.

Will my vinyl manufacturer do the design and layout for me?

They do, and most of them offer a service for additional pricing. I remember a company who made CDs maybe 15 years ago would offer design services, and they sucked. They looked really bad, but I’m sure things have evolved now, I can’t speak to how well they do now.

It all depends on the manufacturer and what kind of designer they have on hand. I don’t really see the point of going that route, aside from the fact that they know exactly how the manufacturing plant needs the final files for printing.

Can I reuse the artwork for other products like t-shirts and stickers?

You must discuss this with your graphic designer BEFORE they start working on your project. Some designers do what’s called, “work-for-hire” which means that you pay them their flat rate and then you “own” whatever they design during that time. Which means, you can exploit that artwork for future uses like merch, social media, etc.

In some cases, artists will sell their art for limited use (streaming platforms) and require additional payment (or royalties) for use on packaging and merch. Both options are fair and reasonable, just make sure you discuss their arrangement before work begins!

Can’t I just design everything myself?

Yes! Sure! Use Canva or use paper and scissors like Painted Blonde Records does.

Just make sure you’re investing in your label and you aren’t skimping out on design costs because you’re cheap. It could literally make or break an album release. Having said that, in some cases, for some EPs, or for some genres, for example, lo-fi music calls for lo-fi art. I get that.

How much does a graphic designer cost?

I just checked Fiverr and you can get cool designs between $50 - $250. In fact, one person I saw on Fiverr was offering three packages. $250 for just a digital artwork that you’d use on Spotify, then $500 for a digipak, and then $700 for a bigger package with a booklet and mockups.

Overall, I think you can expect to spend $500 for a great job.

Should all the artwork on my label look the same? Like Blue Note, etc?

If you want to have any sort of visual consistency to your releases, even something as simple as having the Catalog ID on the cover or spine, or if you want your label logo in the top right corner of the releases…. Or if you want to go crazy and say that the label decides the artwork and the artist must conform to their design template.

Regardless of your approach, be sure that you have it in writing (by way of a “style guide'') so that each newly signed artist knows your design parameters BEFORE they agree to sign to your label.

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