RESEARCH: CONVENTIONS OF AN ALBUM COVER

Functions and Conventions of an album cover:

Front Covers
1. A simplistic colour scheme
2. A simplistic design
4. Few or no characters
5. Use of a different colour for the band name compared to the rest of the cover
6. Hidden meanings
7. A title that explains to the audience what the album will be about
8. Bold, simple fonts for the band name
9. Similar or entirely opposite font fo the album title.

Back Covers
1. Name of band at very top
2. Name of album beneath this
3. List of song titles, usually centred
4. Barcode in bottom right hand corner
5. Name of record company
6. Copyright and year
7. Who owns the copyrighted material
8. Who the album has been distributed by.

Insides
1. Colour scheme that is the same as the rest of album
2. Blank, plain background
3. No characters
4. Few or no text

Spines
1. Name of the record company in recognised font, or logo
2. Name of band
3. Name of album
4. Both in the same simplistic fonts
5. Code linking to the record company

The Album cover has many functions which include advertising and information to listeners.  The main function of the front cover is to attract the audiences attention. Artists will usually keep the design of their different albums similar to make it easier for audience to pair a specific design with an Artist. The main image will usually give some indication of genre, for example the cover for Louder by DJ Fresh shows a upbeat atmosphere which fits the Dance/Club genre.