Album Covers [Coventions]

Here are a random selection of 4 album covers, an i shall analyse them in three different ways below :

[Conventions]

Font :

• Artists name
• Album name
• Main image
• Simplistic colour scheme
• Simplistic design
• Few or no characters
• Use of a different colour for the bad name compared to the rest of the cover
• Hidden meanings
• A title that explains to the audience hat the album will be about
• Bold, simple, fonts for the band name
• Similar or entirely opposite font for the album

Spine:

• Name of record company in recognised font or logo
• Name of band
• Name of album
• Code linking to the record company

Back Cover:

• Name of bad at very top
• Name of album beneath this
• List of song title, usually centered
• Barcode in the bottom right hand corner
• Name of record company
• Copyright and year
• Who owns the copyrighted material
• Who the album has been distributed by

[Categories]

• Image Type
• Release date
• Genre
• Country of origin
• Mainstream/ niche?
• Realism
• Style

[Purpose of album covers]

1. To advertise the contents of the music product
2. To convey the artistic aspirations of the original artists
3. Show genre
4. Identify the artist

By Tom Gudgeon