{"id":4200,"date":"2022-01-24T05:07:56","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T05:07:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/"},"modified":"2022-01-24T05:07:56","modified_gmt":"2022-01-24T05:07:56","slug":"cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/","title":{"rendered":"Cover art design tips to ensure your music goes live"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Why_making_acceptable_cover_art_is_so_important\" >Why making acceptable cover art is so important.<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Does_cover_art_still_matter_in_a_streaming_world\" >Does cover art still matter in a streaming world?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#But_how_do_I_make_good_cover_art_without_spending_a_bunch_of_money\" >But how do I make good cover art without spending a bunch of money?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Here_are_the_most_commonly_asked_questions_about_cover_art\" >Here are the most commonly asked questions about cover art:<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Q_Do_the_covers_for_each_of_my_releases_need_to_be_unique\" >Q: Do the covers for each of my releases need to be unique?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Q_Does_the_text_on_my_art_need_to_match_the_metadata_exactly\" >Q: Does the text on my art need to match the metadata exactly?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Q_Are_abbreviations_allowed\" >Q: Are abbreviations allowed?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Q_Can_I_put_my_record_label_on_the_artwork\" >Q: Can I put my record label on the artwork?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Q_Do_I_need_to_put_a_Parental_Advisory_warning_on_my_artwork_if_my_music_is_explicit\" >Q: Do I need to put a Parental Advisory warning on my artwork if my music is explicit?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Q_Does_even_my_featured_artist_information_need_to_match\" >Q: Does even my featured artist information need to match?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Q_Can_I_use_copyrighted_imagery\" >Q: Can I use copyrighted imagery?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Q_Can_I_put_the_name_of_the_artist_Im_covering_on_the_art_for_my_cover_single\" >Q: Can I put the name of the artist I\u2019m covering on the art for my cover single?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Q_Can_I_use_a_watermarked_image\" >Q: Can I use a watermarked image?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Other_artwork_minutiae\" >Other artwork minutiae:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Do_NOT_include_the_following\" >Do NOT include the following:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Heres_a_few_things_that_ARE_allowed_though_we_still_get_asked_about_it_a_lot_by_artists\" >Here\u2019s a few things that ARE allowed, though we still get asked about it a lot by artists:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Here_are_the_guidelines_for_the_art_file_itself_when_youre_on_the_CD_Baby_Art_Uploader_page\" >Here are the guidelines for the art file itself when you\u2019re on the CD Baby Art Uploader page:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Here_are_two_ways_to_get_an_album_cover_setup_for_free_or_less_than_5\" >Here are two ways to get an album cover setup for free (or less than $5):<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Option_1_Using_a_Canva_Album_Cover_template\" >Option 1: Using a Canva Album Cover template<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/24\/cover-art-design-tips-to-ensure-your-music-goes-live\/#Option_2_%E2%80%93_You_can_use_an_image_you_already_have_and_work_within_Canva_to_organize_it\" >Option 2 \u2013 You can use an image you already have and work within Canva to organize it.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_making_acceptable_cover_art_is_so_important\"><\/span><b>Why making acceptable cover art is so important.<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-container\"><\/div>\n<p>\nIn the streaming era, you need cover art for every single and album you release. Not only should that artwork LOOK good; it also has to meet the visual guidelines of the big streaming platforms if you want your music to stay available online.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_cover_art_still_matter_in_a_streaming_world\"><\/span>Does cover art still matter in a streaming world?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><strong>Back before streaming and even downloads, when record stores ruled the music world, an album cover was often all a shopper had to go on when they were browsing the shelves.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>How many unsuspecting teens in the \u201880s stumbled onto Iron Maiden in a store and bought <\/span><i><span>The Number of the Beast<\/span><\/i><span> or <\/span><i><span>Piece of Mind<\/span><\/i><span> sight unseen and sound unheard due solely to Eddie\u2019s grisly mug staring back at them? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Take a look at these covers and tell me you wouldn\u2019t be horrified\/intrigued if you came across them among the racks without knowing who the artist was:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28591 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/The-Number-of-the-Beast-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Cover art for The Number of the Beast\" width=\"387\" height=\"387\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28592 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Piece-of-Mind-300x294.jpg\" alt=\"Cover art for Piece of Mind\" width=\"387\" height=\"380\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>But it\u2019s not just Maiden \u2014 or even heavy metal \u2014 that makes iconic cover art a priority. Throughout the history of popular music, musicians have chosen to adorn their albums with immediately recognizable covers. One glance at the Schizoid Man on the cover of King Crimson\u2019s landmark prog debut <\/span><i><span>In the Court of the Crimson King<\/span><\/i><span> and you know you\u2019re in for a wild ride into the experimental side of rock.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28593 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/In-the-Court-of-the-Crimson-King-300x298.jpg\" alt=\"Cover art for In the Court of the Crimson King\" width=\"387\" height=\"384\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>Similarly, Joy Division\u2019s choice of a simple data plot visualization of radio pulsar signals centered against a black background was a perfect representation for the stark, cold post-punk sound on <\/span><i><span>Unknown Pleasures<\/span><\/i><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28594 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Unknown-Pleasures-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Cover art for Unknown Pleasures\" width=\"387\" height=\"387\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>And we can\u2019t forget the endlessly imitated cover of Dr. Dre\u2019s <\/span><i><span>The Chronic<\/span><\/i><span>, featuring a portrait of Dre framed in a design similar to the Zig-Zag rolling papers he used to wrap his album\u2019s namesake.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28595 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/The-Chronic-300x226.jpg\" alt=\"Cover art for The Chronic\" width=\"387\" height=\"292\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>For all these classic albums and hundreds more, the cover art is a window into the music therein. <\/span><span>Thing is, it\u2019s still that way today. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Even in the age of endless listening for all, the cover you choose for your single or album plays an essential role in representing your music before someone even clicks \u201cplay.\u201d Heck, having professional-looking cover art might be even <\/span><i><span>more<\/span><\/i><span> important now than it was in the physical media days of yore.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span> <strong>Modern listeners are given more options for music consumption than ever before. If you\u2019re scrolling through Spotify looking for new tunes, are you going to click on an artist who couldn\u2019t be bothered to represent their work with something at least professional, if not eye-catching? Or are you going to queue a song whose art looks like an MS Paint experiment gone wrong?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>And for your own music: you put all the hard work into creating it. Why not wrap it in a pretty package?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But don\u2019t just take our word for it. The digital platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) demand artwork that is at the very least legible and consistent with their guidelines. The guidelines listed below are in place to encourage a good user experience, and to avoid misleading or confusing info on cover artwork.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"But_how_do_I_make_good_cover_art_without_spending_a_bunch_of_money\"><\/span>But how do I make good cover art without spending a bunch of money?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span> Later in this article we\u2019ll show you a super easy (and cheap!) way to design your own art, but before you start on that we\u2019ll explain the digital platforms\u2019 artwork guidelines, so you know exactly what to include and what to avoid.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Keep in mind, these rules aren\u2019t about limiting your creativity. They\u2019re in place to protect all parties involved (you, your distributor, your listeners, and the music platforms). It\u2019s about creating a good experience for fans, avoiding things that could be confusing, incorrect, or offensive, and making sure your cover art is an invitation to your music, not a warning sign that listeners should turn around and listen to someone else.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Yes, even in the ever-changing realm of digital music, there are rules to follow if you want your music available where people can access it. How does CD Baby know these rules? Because we\u2019ve been successfully distributing music to dozens of platforms for over 15 years, and those platforms send us their submission guidelines. Artwork is the most common hangup for artists when submitting their music. Our knowledge of these rules ensures your music goes live and stays live. <a href=\"https:\/\/members.cdbaby.com\/sign-up\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">It\u2019s just one of the many reasons to distribute music with us<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Here_are_the_most_commonly_asked_questions_about_cover_art\"><\/span><a><\/a>Here are the most commonly asked questions about cover art:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Do_the_covers_for_each_of_my_releases_need_to_be_unique\"><\/span>Q: Do the covers for each of my releases need to be unique?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>A: Yes. Every single release should have a unique cover, so as someone scrolls through your discography they can identify each release by the cover alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Does_the_text_on_my_art_need_to_match_the_metadata_exactly\"><\/span>Q: Does the text on my art need to match the metadata exactly?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>A: Yes. The text on your cover art needs to exactly match the info you entered for your release (artist name, title of the album or single, etc.). If you entered \u201cBlueprints\u201d as the album name, it can\u2019t say \u201cThe Blueprint\u201d on the cover art.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Are_abbreviations_allowed\"><\/span>Q: Are abbreviations allowed?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>A: Sort of. Full abbreviations are okay, but not partial abbreviations (for instance, \u201cATM\u201d is fine, but not \u201cAT Machine\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Can_I_put_my_record_label_on_the_artwork\"><\/span>Q: Can I put my record label on the artwork?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>A: No. While this is popular in underground hip-hop and EDM scenes, the major platforms do not permit the label being on the cover art.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Do_I_need_to_put_a_Parental_Advisory_warning_on_my_artwork_if_my_music_is_explicit\"><\/span>Q: Do I need to put a Parental Advisory warning on my artwork if my music is explicit?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>A: Parental Advisory warnings are not required, since there is an \u201cexplicit content\u201d tag on the platforms. But if you include a Parental Advisory warning in your cover art, there must be at least one track with explicit lyrics.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Does_even_my_featured_artist_information_need_to_match\"><\/span>Q: Does even my featured artist information need to match?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>A: Yep, that needs to match too. If you have a featured artist listed in the text on your cover art, that featured artist must be included in the metadata for the release.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Can_I_use_copyrighted_imagery\"><\/span>Q: Can I use copyrighted imagery?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>A: Absolutely not. Some sectors of the Internet may be the Wild West, but copyright infringement is never okay. Don\u2019t use characters, logos, or products that belong to other people, companies, or institutions. Just put a piece of tape on that Red Bull can so we can\u2019t see the logo. And we\u2019re sorry, but this also includes the Wu-Tang logo.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Can_I_put_the_name_of_the_artist_Im_covering_on_the_art_for_my_cover_single\"><\/span>Q: Can I put the name of the artist I\u2019m covering on the art for my cover single?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>A: No. The name of the artist you\u2019re covering is not allowed on the artwork for your release. Otherwise it looks like it\u2019s them performing and not you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q_Can_I_use_a_watermarked_image\"><\/span>Q: Can I use a watermarked image?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>A: No. If you use a stock image, PAY to download the image without the watermark. And no, calling your album \u201cGetty Images\u201d doesn\u2019t make it okay.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_artwork_minutiae\"><\/span>Other artwork minutiae:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Don\u2019t use the phrase \u201cThe Original\u201d if you\u2019re referring to a cover song (because duh).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Avoid stretching your image to a different aspect ratio. That leads to blurriness (not the artistic kind), pixelation, awkward borders, or some other form of aesthetic assault.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Avoid upscaling your image to a larger size. You\u2019ll likely be committing the same crimes as above. For instance, taking an Instagram photo with a filter and then blowing it up to 3000\u00d73000: yeah, that\u2019s gonna look like crap.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\n<div class=\"iframe-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_NOT_include_the_following\"><\/span>Do NOT include the following:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Contact info<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Advertising messages (\u201cBuy my new single!\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>References to contextual time (\u201cBrand new!\u201d \u201cJust released!\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>UPC barcodes (those go on the back cover of a physical product)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>References to product format (CD, vinyl, digital single, rpm, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Availability (\u201cAvailable on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Nazi logos or other hateful crap (there are laws in some territories \u2013 and also it\u2019s gross)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Gruesome images of graphic violence, or images that refer to violent content in the music (Cannibal Corpse is cool and all, but their older gory art is only there because it\u2019s grandfathered in)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Pornography (we know it when we see it \u2013 so does Apple)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Pictures of a clear CD jewel case or any other physical media. (First, it\u2019s been done already. Second, it\u2019s not allowed)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>A blank white or blank black square image with no text<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Avoid excessive or irrelevant text\/information<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Text messages<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Images that include a bunch of text<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>\u201cYeah but Kanye\u2026\u201d \u2013 Nope<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_a_few_things_that_ARE_allowed_though_we_still_get_asked_about_it_a_lot_by_artists\"><\/span>Here\u2019s a few things that ARE allowed, though we still get asked about it a lot by artists:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Casing rules don\u2019t apply to cover art, so you can have all caps or lowercase or whatever mix of the two you want<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>You can use the same image for every single, as long as the text differs on the cover for each one<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>You can have an image with NO text, but you can\u2019t reuse that image (without text) for another release<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>It\u2019s okay to use the name of the artist you are covering, if:<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>It\u2019s a tribute release (and not just a one-off cover song)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Your artist name appears larger than the artist you\u2019re covering<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>You must have \u201cTribute to\u201d larger than the original artist name<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Karaoke tracks must include \u201cOriginally performed by\u201d on the cover art<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Karaoke tracks must be designated as such in the \u201ckaraoke\u201d genre<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Fan art \u2014 as long as it\u2019s clearly distinguishable from the original (It\u2019s okay to use your own drawing of Totoro on your cover of the Totoro song, but not if it\u2019s SO GOOD it looks like the original)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Public Domain images \u2014 but be prepared to provide proof that what you\u2019re using is in the Public Domain<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Stock art \u2014 as long as you\u2019ve read the usage guidelines and are following those rules<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Your social media handle \u2014 as long as you don\u2019t mention WHICH social media platform<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Here_are_the_guidelines_for_the_art_file_itself_when_youre_on_the_CD_Baby_Art_Uploader_page\"><\/span>Here are the guidelines for the art file itself when you\u2019re on the CD Baby Art Uploader page:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span>A square image<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Preferably 3000\u00d73000 (so it will look good when scaled down). It\u2019s always better to have art that is too large than too small. Remember that you can scale down a large image without distorting it, but scaling up a small image will make it look blurry and pixelated<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>A .jpg or .png file (and putting \u201c.jpg\u201d at the end of a .pdf filename, while creative wishful thinking, doesn\u2019t work to convert the image file)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>The color calibrated to RGB \u2014 if in Photoshop; no CMYK or uncalibrated image files (Tip: open a .png in Paint and save as a .jpg and it will automatically convert to RGB)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>Okay, that\u2019s a lot to think about, and if you\u2019re a new artist looking to dress your first release with some proper visuals \u2014 or if you\u2019re an experienced artist just looking for some quick artwork on the cheap \u2014 we\u2019ve got a few tips for you. If you don\u2019t want to go through the rigmarole of hiring am expensive designer with Photoshop expertise or learn the complex design techniques yourself, you can actually create simple but effective cover artwork yourself in very little time and little to no money.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Here_are_two_ways_to_get_an_album_cover_setup_for_free_or_less_than_5\"><\/span>Here are two ways to get an album cover setup for free (or less than $5):<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Option_1_Using_a_Canva_Album_Cover_template\"><\/span>Option 1: Using a Canva Album Cover template<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>Canva is a freemium tool that helps you design just about anything. They have a whole section of professional-looking album cover templates for you to get started. It\u2019s quick and fun to use their tool, too! <\/span><i><span>And<\/span><\/i><span> it\u2019s a heck of a lot cheaper than buying Photoshop, or paying someone who has it to design your cover art. We encourage you to get into Canva and play around.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\n<div class=\"iframe-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s a walkthrough of how to build an album cover using Canva:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span>Go to Canva\u2019s album cover section <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canva.com\/create\/album-covers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>here<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Click on \u201cStart Designing Your Cover\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>You\u2019ll have to create an account. It\u2019s free.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>On the left-hand side, you can select any of the templates. When you hover over the template, it will show if it\u2019s free. If it\u2019s not free, it\u2019ll usually cost $1. In this graphic below, we\u2019ve chosen a free template.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Canva\u2019s templates default to 1400\u00d71400. While this is acceptable for the platforms, we recommend using an image that\u2019s 3000\u00d73000, since that will scale better for future use. If you begin with an album cover template, you CAN use the \u201cResize\u201d tool to make your design 3000\u00d73000, but that is a feature only available to Canva Pro members (ummm, can you say \u201cfree trial,\u201d anyone?)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28597 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-1-1-300x175.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 1\" width=\"379\" height=\"221\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>6. Now that we\u2019ve settled on the template, let\u2019s update the text for our album. Let\u2019s say we\u2019re releasing a single called \u201cBoogie Sunset\u201d and the artist\u2019s name is Good Cheese.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We can click on the text in the graphic and type in what we want:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28598 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-2-300x296.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 2\" width=\"360\" height=\"355\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-28599 \" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-3-251x300.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 3\" width=\"343\" height=\"412\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28602 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-4-1-1.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 4\" width=\"297\" height=\"239\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>At the end, hit the \u201caA\u201d button to make sure you have proper casing for your work. Otherwise, it won\u2019t pass inspection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>After updating the artist name, you can tweak the font shape and size and rearrange the text blocks:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-28603\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-5-300x298.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 5\" width=\"342\" height=\"340\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28604 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-6-300x300.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 6\" width=\"342\" height=\"342\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28605 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-7-300x300.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 7\" width=\"342\" height=\"342\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>7. Last thing before our album is complete\u2026let\u2019s get rid of the white space by clicking and moving each piece of the template:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28606 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-8-297x300.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 8\" width=\"342\" height=\"345\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28607 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-9-298x300.png\" alt=\"Canva insrtuctions 9\" width=\"342\" height=\"344\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>8. Everyone is familiar with step 8. We\u2019re going to look at our album draft and ask ourselves, is it good enough?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We obsess over the font choice and the colors. It could always be better.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We regret our band name. Why did we pick Good Cheese?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>9. Somehow we decide that yes, the album cover is good enough. And we love Good Cheese (and good cheese).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It took us 20 minutes and $0 to get our album cover done!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Our next step is to download the image so we can upload during our submission process. Click the download button in the upper right corner. And then choose either a PNG or JPG as the file type:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28608 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-10-300x237.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 10\" width=\"342\" height=\"270\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28609 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-11-300x221.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 11\" width=\"342\" height=\"252\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28610 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-12-300x232.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 12\" width=\"343\" height=\"265\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>Our album is exported as a PNG file and ready for a submission.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Option_2_%E2%80%93_You_can_use_an_image_you_already_have_and_work_within_Canva_to_organize_it\"><\/span>Option 2 \u2013 You can use an image you already have and work within Canva to organize it.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>Many album art covers show an image of the artist. If you have a smartphone, it\u2019s likely you already have plenty of photos that could serve as an album cover. (Just make sure they\u2019re high resolution and not blurry.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s a walkthrough of inserting an image into Canva:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span>Go to Canva.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Click \u201cCreate a design\u201d and choose 3000\u00d73000 as your custom dimensions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>On the left-hand side, go to the Uploads section:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28611 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-13-300x166.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 13\" width=\"369\" height=\"205\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>4. Click on \u201cUpload an image or video\u201d and choose your image.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>5. Once it\u2019s loaded, you can drag your image into the blank canvas:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28612 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-14-300x144.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 14\" width=\"369\" height=\"177\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>6. You may need to resize the image to fit the canvas:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28613 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-15-300x144.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 15\" width=\"369\" height=\"177\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>7. We can add text or other fun stuff to the graphic. The left-side menu will give you all sorts of options. But we decide to go with just the image.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>8. We can download the resized image in Canva by clicking the download button in the top right corner. Make sure to choose a PNG or JPG as your file format:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28614 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Art-inspection-16-300x223.png\" alt=\"Canva instructions 16\" width=\"369\" height=\"274\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<p><span>And that\u2019s it! Once you download the image file you can upload it on the Art Uploader page. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As long as you\u2019ve followed the artwork guidelines we outlined above the inspectors will approve the art, which ensures it passes the standards of the digital platforms and will not be pulled. Beyond that it\u2019s down to your creativity and visual brand as to whether your cover artwork will grab someone\u2019s attention enough for them to click <em>play<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/releasing-music\/common-cover-art-mistakes-that-will-get-your-music-removed-from-streaming-services\/\" target=\"_blank\">Cover art design tips to ensure your music goes live<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">DIY Musician<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why making acceptable cover art is so important. In the streaming era, you need cover art for every single and album you release. Not only should that artwork LOOK good; it also has to meet the visual guidelines of the big streaming platforms if you want your music to stay available online. Does cover art still matter in a streaming world? Back before streaming and even downloads, when record stores ruled the music world, an album cover was often all a shopper had to go on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4200"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4200\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}