Album Cover Analysis

Album Cover Analysis

Typical Features of Album Covers

• Album Title on front
• Artist Name on front
• Album Title on spine
• Artist Name on spine
• Band Motif
• Photo of Artist on front (particularly debut albums)
• Picture of Artist on back
• Bar code on back
• Track List on back
• Record Company Logo on back
• Copyright information, licensing etc. on back
• Sticker on front listing a few of the most well known tracks, awards won or parental guidance information
• Serial number on spine
• Record Company Name on Spine
• Accompanying Booklet (Photos of artist, thank-you page, lyrics)
• Artist's official website address on back
• CD itself decorated

Ways of Categorising Album Covers

• Band/Solo Artist
• Decade
• Country of Origin
• Ordinary Album/Greatest Hits
• Record Label
• Age of Artist
• Type of Album ( e.g. Soundtrack or Christmas album)
• Live/Studio
• Single/Double CD
• Colour Schemes
• Artist pictured/ not pictured
• Format (CD/Vinyl)
• Male/Female/Mixed Artists
• New Album/ Re-release of old album in new format
• Already established Artist/ Debut Album
• Card/Plastic
• Glossy, Large Budget/Cheaply Made, Independent
• Single artist or band/Compilation Album of many Artists

Purposes of Album Covers

• To make money through selling album
• To serve a decorative purpose and look nice in some-one's CD collection- fans like to improve and up date their collections regularly

Purpose of a Front Cover

• Grab buyer's attention to pick up the album and in particular new fans
• Inform the audience of what the album is
• Promote and image for the artist
• Connote a particular genre

Purpose of Back Cover

• Informer buyer's of the album content
• To further the promotion of the artist

Purpose of the Spine

• Allows for easy identification when the CD is in a CD rack, making it more convenient