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ARTWORK AND DISTRIBUTION ON A DIME




Hello Everyone,
For new bands attempting to get their music into the hands of fans, the issue is how to do this at a low cost but with high impact.  Creativity is key as you try to entice listeners to add your music to their library.  CDs seem “old fashioned”, and if you don’t have an investor, you may not have the financial wherewithal to submit an order for a distributor to manufacture 1,000 CDs.  You also run the risk of having excess inventory if the sales are lower than expected.  Nowadays, artists have become very savvy at alternative ways to distribute their music.  There are various methods for showcasing your music, yourself, and your band.  This includes sites like ReverbNation, SonicBids, PumpAudio and SoundCloud. If you feel the need to have a more defined way to distribute your music that includes analytics, try sites like The Orchard.  This site provides a full suite of marketing and distribution tools.  One word of caution, be sure to check the agreement carefully to fully understand any fees and licensing verbiage.

So you have your music ready, but what about artwork? Even if you’re not a graphic artist or professional photographer, there are various sites that can help you to create a phenomenal “cover”.  Try Flickr, or Webdesigner Depot. Or, if you have the funds to have someone create an album cover for you, consider Design For Music.  Here is a really good article on album artwork designs. It shows that this form of art is still important and appreciated. 

 
I want to also let you know about a great article I read on Music Think Tank.com.  It’s titled How the Digital Music Revolution is re-shaping Album Artwork. The author, Mark Roberts, provides some very creative ways to keep the idea of album artwork alive in the age of digital downloads.  Forget about traditional CD covers; let your imagination go wild! He speaks to the use of memorabilia in place of album artwork, which is a revolutionary idea.  Be sure to stay true to the image your band wants to portray versus going with what seems to be popular.  Your brand is still should always be your guiding principle.

Take Care,
D Leigh


Chapman, C. (2011) Common design styles used in album artwork. Webdesigner depot.com.  Retrieved April 26, 2013 from http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2011/02/common-design-styles-used-in-album-artwork/

Roberts, M. (2013) How the digital revolution is re-shaping album artwork. Music think tank.com. Retrieved April 26, 2013 from http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/how-the-digital-music-revolution-is-re-shaping-album-artwork.html

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