Maybe you've got a new album coming out but no idea how to create a good-looking album cover design.
Maybe all you know is you don't want it to look like this….
If that's the case, no worries….
I've got you covered! (cheap pun intended ) ????
This post will show you:
1- how to make an album cover online for free; and
2- where you can hire a professional to get a super personalized album cover design at an affordable price.
Either way, you'll come out with a stunning looking album cover to match your stunning sounding music….
Even if you have zero technical skills and no eye for design 😉
Why is Album Cover Design Important?
Mandatory On Streaming Platforms
If you want people to listen to your music, it needs to be available.
If you want your music to be available on streaming services like Spotify or Pandora, you'll need to upload an album cover at the same time as you upload your songs.
Part Of Your Brand
Your album cover art contributes to how your music is perceived.
If people have already heard your music and love it, it doesn't matter too much.
But if you're trying to make a good first impression, you really want to make sure your album cover looks good and professional.
Free Album Cover Art Maker
Getting Started with Canva
The best free online CD cover maker to get started is Canva.
Big benefits of using Canva to make an album cover include:
- access to lots of free CD cover templates (I counted 81)
- all album cover ideas can be customized
- the whole thing is pretty easy to use ????????????
BONUS POINTS:
- you won't need to learn a new and expensive expertise like Photoshop
- if you prefer working on your phone or table, you can download the Canva album cover maker app
Free Album Cover Template Examples
These are all CD cover design templates that are free to access, customize and download on Canva.
Taking It To The Next Level With PlaceIt
Another great option to design your own album cover is PlaceIt's album cover maker.
It's slightly more confusing than Canva to start with but the customization tool they build is really cool and worth a try.
Like Canva, not all album cover designs are free but they're still dirt cheap!
Professional Album Cover Design
Don't have the patience or confidence to make an album cover yourself?
Fiverr is your friend.
It's a platform where you'll find a bunch of freelancers who can design your album cover or mixtape cover very fast and at very competitive prices.
How do you get started?
- signup for a free Fiverr account
- type in what you need in the search bar
- go through the results to find a freelancer that seems like a good fit for you
That's it. You're good to go 🙂
Want even more options? Upwork is another good aggregator of talented and affordable freelancers.
Album Cover Art Best Practices
Whether you decide to get free album cover art from Canva or PlaceIt or hire someone on Fiverr or Upwork to design it for you, here are a few best practices to keep in mind.
Aim for high-resolution images.
Unless blurry or grainy is what you're going for.
Avoid funky fonts.
Unless it makes sense for your music.
When in doubt, keep it simple.
Intricate and goofy is hard to pull off.
Don't overthink it.
Go with your gut and what feels like the right fit for your sound.
If you want people to listen to your music, what matters most is that it's available.
So make it available!
Make an album cover and release your music 🙂
It doesn't take long. You can do it yourself in under 30 minutes.
Or order a professional album cover design and receive it in the next couple of days.
Your choice.
P.S. I always love to see how creative you guys and gals are, please comment on the post to share your own cover art or favorite album covers from other artists!
Come on!
Extraordinary!
????
I put on a rhinestone pastie that was shaped like a gun on my boob and then took a pic then used Prisma app on iPhone to make a cool cover art! 🙂
Now THAT’S what I call creativity and resourcefulness! Well done Natalie 🙂