ConventionsALBUM DESIGNS & MAGAZINE ADVERTS

Album CoverAcross most genres of music, there are several conventions that remain constant across the front covers of albums. Lots of them feature the artist in some way, especially in more mainstream genres that rely on an artist’s character and personality. Genres such as electronic music that rely less on that personality feature the artist less often.

Even if it does not feature the artist, it will usually instead feature imagery typical of the genre, or another aspect of the artist’s image.

Duran Duran – Duran Duran/RioDebut albums often showcase the band, as they will not be known the audience at large. When they become more famous, they are often given more creative freedom to experiment with covers that are more unique and do not directly relate to the band as much.

Aphex Twin – Richard D. James albumThis unnamed album was actually made as a counterpoint to other Electronic albums. Aphex Twin decided to have his face as the sole element of the cover because every other electronic album ‘had to have a computer chip or something’.

Mayer Hawthorne – Man About TownThe artist’s identity is established as someone who is always well dressed, which also alludes to the soul influences on the album. There is also elements of enigma with the nondescript backdrop.

Cut Copy - In Ghost ColoursThe cover showcases the band, while also fitting with the ’colours’ idea provided by the title.

Ladyhawke – Wild ThingsShowcasing the artist’s appearance, fitting of the pop genre. There is also a slightly retro image to this, such as the font on her shirt, the slightly faded colours, and the ‘Recorded In Spectacular 100% Stereophonic Sound’ text that would have been placed on albums when stereo sound was new. All of this gives hints as to the album’s overall sound

The Knocks - 55Not all albums that feature people on the cover show the band. In this case, an unknown woman is the focus of the cover in the unusual setting of a kitchen. The band is nowhere to be seen. This is fitting with the background role of production that the band takes, all vocal roles are by guest artists. The anonymity of the band helps to establish that.

Justice – Cross / WomanThese two albums feature the band’s logo, the Christian cross, as the focus of the cover. This not only gets the band’s branding across, but also alludes to the band’s faith (which as a break from convention is not reflected much in their music).

Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels / Run The Jewels 2 / Meow The JewelsThe two albums and one remix album released by Run The Jewels feature variations on the same image. The hand gesture portrayed is the band’s signature, developing their image.

Celldweller – CelldwellerAn image showcasing a praying statue being surrounded by metallic vines. This image has obvious symbolic value, while the contrasting imagery of metal and ensnarement with stone and spirituality is a conflict fitting of the genre.

Flight Facilities – Down To EarthThe main image is of a plane landing in the Outback, with the two members shown standing next to it. This establishes the ‘flight’ theme of the band, as well as alluding their Australian origins.

Aphex Twin – SyroThis album cover is styled like a receipt, showcasing how much the cost of the album goes into every single aspect of its production. It is also unusually formatted: the album folds out to reveal that the list goes on for several sides. The green circle containing the artist logo, name and album name is also a removable sticker on the plastic wrap the album is packaged in.The album cover is also optimised for each version. The CD and vinyl versions are different to reflect the different processes and pricing of each version. The digital version meanwhile only features the sticker.

Miike Snow – Miike Snow/Happy To You/iiiAll of Miike Snow’s album features their logo of a jackalope, but shown in different ways. Their first album shows it forzen in a block of ice, the second shows an image of someone running away, and the third shows colourful spheres. This serves to give each album its own identity, while keeping the band’s image consistent throughout,

Obey The Brave - SalvationMetal albums often contain very specific genre imagery in contrast to the more freeform nature of other genres. These are usually illustrations rather than photographs, and imagery focuses on supernatural themes such as Death in this example. Collectively, metal albums are often seen as part of a collective mythology of hellish landscapes and eternal conflict.

Back CoverCompared to the diversity found on front covers, the back covers are far more standardised. They most often feature a track listing, pricing and barcodes, as well as copyright information.

There are cases however where that is not provided, in which case the track listing is often inside. An occasionally seen use is to place the barcode on the plastic wrap the album is on. After it is bought, it is then taken off allowing the album art to be unobstructed.

The back covers of albums, as seen here, can be quite similar. Common similarities include:• The tracklisting.• An image of the artist.• Copyright information,

including the record label.• Pricing and barcode.• CreditsUnlike the front cover, the back cover rarely contains artistic elements such as artwork and imagery unrelated to the artist. The back cover can sometimes then be seen as an opportunity to explore the artist’s identity if the front cover fails to do so.

Inside CoverThe inside cover is most often some additional artwork that fits the theme of the album. If a tracklist or copyright information is missing from the back cover, then it will most likely be on the inside cover instead.

The contents of the back and inside covers are largely interchangeable, with whatever doesn’t appear on one likely appearing on the other.

Conventions seen include:• A track list with additional information, including

track credits and sample listings.• A history of the band or record.• Lyrics.• A continuation of the imagery and themes of the

other covers.• Further copyright information.It is also common to see the inside cover be used as a booklet, containing the prior information, in addition to further artwork.

Magazine AdMost magazine adverts for albums feature the artwork of the album, alongside information related to the availability and contents of the album.

Because it is first and foremost an advertisement, recognition of the product being sold is the most important aspect, followed by details of it’s sale. The album artwork is almost always featured on the page for this reason. The exact details may vary, but as shown to the left can be broken down into many distinct aspects.

Because these advertisements are most often run in music magazines that already cater to the correct demographic, there isn’t often a need to directly establish genre. Generic conventions are still used to attract audience interest.

Magazine adverts contain several consistent conventions:• The artist’s name prominently displayed, followed by the

album name under it.• The album’s artwork displayed.• The release date, or an ‘Out Now’ indication.• Any major songs, usually previously released singles,

featured on the album.• Reviews of the album, both scores and quotes.• Information on where the album can be bought, as well as

the formats it is on.• The record label that the album is being released on.

Conclusion Overall, albums and their related advertisements follow a clear set of conventions that I will make sure to follow when I create my own. I will ensure that the artist is given some level of focus, in addition to the enigmatic front cover.

My back cover will be standard in that it contains copyright and a track listing, while I wish to use the inside cover to display the artist whom is in more focus than the front cover.

Next, I need to research the conventions of my specific genre in order to establish what imagery I can use or break convention with.