Music is dying. Music is Thriving. Which is it?
Music is dying if you believe the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). Music is a growing business if you believe Apple, Google, Spotify, Yahoo Music, Artist Direct, My Space Music, Pandora and hundreds of other options. They’re right – all of them. The ‘good ol days’ are gone. Everything lives in phases – music […]
Typographic Movie Posters that Pack a Punch
A poster should be imaginative and witty or else it’s just another piece of marketing trash. It should get people’s attention the second they see it. And the image and message of the poster should retain in their heads for at least 5 minutes after that. Designers do this by making really brilliant designs. They brainstorm […]
10 Great Music Marketing Ideas
Here are 10 music marketing ideas from the Music 3.0 Internet Music guidebook. It’s easier to sell your music if you add extra value to it, so it helps to think outside the box when it comes to distributing your music. Thanks to Bruce Houghton of the great music blog Hypebot for numbers 7 through 10. 1) Develop a package […]
CD Packaging: Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology
Visual Dialogue referenced the graphics and color palette of original Folkways JAZZ LP covers in creating an entirely new design for Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology. The package combines a 200-page book and 6 CDs inside a translucent slipcase, befitting what Time magazine reviewed as “the single best introduction to America’s great musical form.” Jazz: The […]
10 Reasons to Buy Music on CD
1. Flipping through racks of discs is more fun than the telephone book precision of an online music store. You never know what mis-filed gems you’ll stumble across. 2. CDs are rarely copy protected so you can load them onto whatever devices you have without risking arrest or enormous civil penalties. 3. You get cover […]
CD Packaging: Sewed CD Cover
You can actually sew your messages or artwork on this cover! Sew cool, isn’t it? This was designed by the Singaporead-based agency Asylum in 2008 for the Christmas songs by Eunice Elizabeth Olsen and Rennie Gomes. “We have created a sleeve where you can customize your message [or artwork] to your loved ones. You can […]
CD Packaging: Last Days On Earth- Pow Pow
It looks like the art director/designer was playing with his Stabilo Boss Highlighter while cooking up an artwork concept for this album. Maybe he got so frustrated because he’s been sitting for hours with a blank sheet of paper…out of his frustration, he starts to scribble using his green highlighter…and then, voila! At first, the […]
Yes, You still Need to Replicate CDs!
Everyone’s streaming so why spend hundreds of dollars when you can sell your music without the risk of losing lots of money? Making CDs cost a lot of money and requires a lot of time-and yes, the reports show that the CD format will not last long- but there are plenty of advantages of making […]
Vinyl Packaging: Strong Arm Steady- In Search of Stoney Jackson
Artist: Strong Arm Steady Album: In Search Of Stoney Jackson Producer: Madlib Design: Lewis Heriz Year: 2010 Note: I love the lines, the texture, the colors, and the psychedelic urban feel of the whole Vinyl packaging. I also love the contrast of the front and back of the vinyl packaging- The front is overloaded with […]
Musician Tips: Intimacy is Key!
It rhymes so it must be true! As most of us already know, INTIMACY is one of the main ingredients in creating loyal followers and superfans. Fans will pay attention to you more if you make them feel that they’re special to you. If you are a musician who wants to be more intimate with […]