Must-Read: The Art of the Album Cover
“How can something so square be so hip?” Designer Richard Evans, The Who’s in-house designer for 35 years, sets out to answer this question in the new illustrated history of the 12in album sleeve. In this glossy hardback, he provides a comprehensive overview of over 70 years of album covers. Evans recognizes that everything changed […]
20 Reasons Why Bands Don’t Make It (by an A&R man)
Here are 20 common reasons why some artists never make it to the next level written by experienced A&R/Producer Loren Israel. Even if you do not enjoy everything he says, he has been involved in the business enough to speak the truth. However, some of the stuff seems dated by a few years and a […]
Featured Designer: Joshua Marc Levy
About Joshua Marc Levy: Joshua was born Jan 27- the same day as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lewis Carroll. He graduated SVA with honors in 1998 and worked in Entertainment Advertising and the Record Industry afterward. Shortly after leaving SVA, he won many awards including Young Guns, Art Director’s Club and a “First Place Student […]
Vinyl Packaging: Bob Hund Fantastiskt
Would you buy a single worth $3,650? The Swedish rock band Bob Hund released their single Fantastiskt (fantastic) as a 12″ one copy vinyl record that only allows 30 playings. The record was placed on a turntable with the lyrics etched on the turntable lid. It sold on eBay for US $3,650 and became the […]
Viral Marketing- the good,the bad, & the ugly
Viral marketing campaigns use mystery, fun, and often, deception to help create buzz for a new product. Sometimes such campaigns succeed; sometimes they backfire. Let’s take a look at these cases and try to see what they did right and wrong. Court TV “Hi Steven,” it began, cheerily enough. “Do I have your attention now? […]
Featured Designer: Chris Rubino
About Chris Rubino: Chris’s works have been exhibited in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and the U.S. He recently has created designs & illustrations for such clients as The New York Times, Banana Republic & The NY Public Theater. Rubino’s work has been strongly influenced by his screen-printing background making limited edition posters for bands such […]
DVD Packaging with HANDS
Horror films love hands in their movie posters and DVD artwork. Hands can show struggle, pain, anger, and desperation. And as we all know, hands are used to slice, chop, and strangle among others. Here are movie posters and DVD artwork that use HANDS. Of course, we’ll start with Psycho. _____________________________________________________________ Unified Manufacturing is a custom […]
Indie Musicians: “Grunt Work” is What Building Your Music Career is All About
Replace Your Misconceptions As a consultant and educator, it’s my job to replace your misconceptions about the music business with a dose of business savvy. It’s not surprising that so many artists don’t have a clue about how much grunt work is required to build the foundation of their career. We consumers see only the […]
The 3 Musts of Promotional Products
Don’t simply print your band name on a piece of shirt just for the sake of having promotional items. You have to give good attention to your promotional products in order for it to be effective. Be strategic and smart when it comes to your promotional approach, design, distribution, and the overall marketing plan. Promotional […]
Indie Musicians: The Dos and Don’ts of Touring
Touring is so much fun! Well, as long as you never complain. Or go to the toilet. Or eat. The Guardian‘s Indie Professor made a fun but sensible list of the do’s and don’ts of touring. This list is by no means comprehensive, but it will undoubtedly be useful to any band on tour. 1) Pack […]