When creating album artwork, appearance is crucial. Your cover art is often what catches a potential fan's eye and influences their decision to buy your CD or check out your profile.
Your music might sound fantastic, but the artwork for your single, EP, or album, whether it’s a digital or physical release, deserves careful consideration. Your album art provides another opportunity to stand out and get noticed in a crowded music industry.
However, most musicians don't have the luxury of spending days or weeks creating and perfecting it, so what can you do?
How to create album artwork that stands out
The obvious solution is to hire a graphic designer. While you might know someone who can do it inexpensively, professional services often come with a high price tag. Instead, here are some ways to get excellent, affordable, or even free artwork for your next release.
Come up with a unique and original concept
Start by ensuring you have a solid concept. Spend time brainstorming with your band, or if you're a solo artist, think about what defines and describes you, as well as the themes and trends you embody. This will save time when you face a blank canvas or when sending briefs to designers.
Seek inspiration from other artists
If you're having trouble generating ideas for your album artwork, you can always draw inspiration from other artists' work. Examine the artwork of similar bands and artists you admire and think about how you could adapt their concepts to suit your style. However, make sure your artwork remains entirely original and not just a copy.
Call in the professionals
If you're not comfortable with designing it yourself, consider hiring a professional. Websites like 99 Designs allow you to engage multiple designers who will work on your project based on your brief and budget, giving you the opportunity to choose the best design. Another option is to hire a freelance graphic designer who can collaborate closely with you to craft the ideal artwork. Whether you prefer investing in an experienced professional or supporting a student designer looking to enhance their portfolio, there are numerous affordable and skilled options available.
Design it on your own using free design software tools.
There are numerous excellent free image editing websites and software available that enable you to create album artwork yourself, even if you have limited design experience. While you may not be a professional designer, there are plenty of YouTube tutorials to assist you in navigating various features. Here are some of our top recommendations for free design tools:
Pixlr is akin to Adobe Photoshop but doesn’t require frequent updates. It’s excellent for manipulating images and text, supports working with layers, resizing, and saving in various formats. For more advanced features, consider Pixlr Advanced.
Inkscape emphasizes graphic and image drawing, particularly focusing on vector graphics, which are ideal for logos, technical illustrations, and design compositions.
GIMP is comparable to Photoshop and offers even more extensive features and tools. It can function as a simple paint program, a professional photo retouching tool, an image renderer for mass production, an image format converter, and more.
Use free stock images
If you need a high-quality background for your artwork but lack the skills or tools to design one, consider using free stock images. Pexels is a recommended platform for accessing a wide range of free-to-use images without worrying about copyright restrictions. You can download, modify, and distribute these images freely. For editing and resizing images, Canva is a helpful tool that simplifies the process.
We advise taking the time to develop a unique and visually appealing concept for your artwork. This initial impression is crucial for introducing your music to new listeners and should authentically reflect your style and identity, so take care in its creation.
Additionally, ensure that your artwork includes other visual branding elements such as your music logo. When uploading to HIGHVIBES, keep in mind that the artwork dimensions should be 3000px x 3000px.