As a new artist releasing an album for the first time, it is one of your goals to get as much attention as possible. You are willing to experiment and do whatever it takes in order for people to talk about your album, your gigs, your posters, and of course, let’s not forget- your CD artwork. This is the time that you’re creating a brand for yourself and your band. One of the best ways to do this is by making a CD packaging that everyone will surely talk about. A creative CD packaging will not only make your album more attractive to fans, it will also make people(columnists, critics, bloggers, magazine writers)talk about your band.
Here are some of the best ways to get them talking about your CD artwork:
First things first: Create a buzz-worthy packaging.
I know this is a given and I should not have included this on the list but hey, some people do not know what’s buzz-worthy and what’s ho-hum! Buzz-worthy means something is extremely, extremely awesome you can’t help but click and share. Some album artworks look good but they’re remarkable. Yes, remarkable is the word. If you want to go viral, you better have something remarkable. It could be as to-the-point but unforgettable as Animal Collective’s Post Pavillion or as astrounding (and also unforgettable) as Spiritualized’s Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space. If you are not so sure of your concept and design, try asking the opinions of 20-50 people first.
Document everything. Shoot good, hi-res pictures of how you did your CD packaging- from conceptualization, revisions, to manufacturing. If your album art is more interactive and 3-dimensional, then I greatly recommend that you create a video demonstrating how to assemble it.
Make a press release. One advantage of having a creative CD packaging is that you have more things to talk about aside from your album release. Create a press release about your awesome album packaging and send it to bloggers.
Give free CDs to writers. Make a list of good music bloggers and send them CDs to review. Be ready for bad reviews though. It doesn’t mean that they’d praise your stuff just because you’re sending them freebies. If you’re scared of bad reviews, stay away from hard-to-please critics.
Get interviewed by bloggers. Aside from blog reviews, it’s also a big plus if you get interviewed by bloggers. Approach the credible ones with reallygood reputation and traffic. You don’t want to have thoudands of interviews all over the web. Only choose the good ones.
Throw a contest on Facebook. Post pictures and reviews on facebook about how awesome your CD packaging is. Then throw a contest with your CD as the prize. You have to be strategic. You have to spread your awesomeness like a virus. Try to come up with something where they have to ask their friends to vote for their entry. Maybe a sketching contest or a band logo? Come up with something fun. The prize should be great so lots of people will join, of course. Well, unless you’re already a hotshot.
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