An album cover can say a lot about the record inside. There is a lot of information that needs to be communicated on the cover and it needs to sell the album as well. This makes the album serious real estate when it comes to the selling of the record. Because of this, a lot of record studios have reduced their album covers to a template; the album cover template is designed to make sure that all of the relevant information is shared quickly and that the cover itself looks great. While this does create a cookie-cutter feel to the company’s records, it does ensure that the albums look great and helps sell the records.
The Needed Information
Not only does it need to look good, but every record needs to get across a certain amount of information. It needs to list the group and the album label, but it also needs to list the songs on the album. It also needs to list the company information, copyright information, and any relevant business information. If there is an inside to the cover, it also needs to list all of the liner notes, which can include lyrics, production stories, and all of the usual acknowledgments. In short, there is a lot of information that needs to be conveyed by the cover and it all needs to look good.
The Outside Appearance
Any record needs to look great. The problem is that record companies have a particular look for their records; the look was created because the executives know that certain looks sell well and that records that maintain that look do well. Thus, while it may not be the most imaginative look, and it can give the records a decided cookie-cutter look, those records tend to do well. In an era where websites rely on a certain format and their visitors get used to that format, that look may even help them sell better.
All of this means that an album cover template may not be the most original creation in the world, it was designed to sell the album. This can usually only help the album, and given the importance of appearance in today’s world, that sameness may actually help it. In short, a template may give the album a vanilla appearance but it also helps to ensure the success of that same album, helping the band itself to become a success in the long run.
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