Front Cover Analysis of Music CD’s

I like the design of this CD as it is bright and interesting. I like the fact how each of the band members clothes go well with one another, hence the colour. I also like how the colour of the background matches with the clothes, although it does make the image camouflage into the background. I think it would have been better if they had used a different colour background making the image stand out more as the image contributes to sales of the CD.
Also the font used for the title is hard to read. If you are not familiar with the band then you will find it hard to read what it says. The picture is the first thing the buyer will see so it is important that the image is clear and the band members are easily recognisable. The title of the band name is also what sells the CD so it is important to make the title as bold and readable as possible so the audience are able to identify the product quickly standing out from the other CDs on the shelf. I in addition like the fact how all the singers are at different levels and doing different postures this shows each of the member’s individuality and uniqueness. For example Beyonce (the artist lying across the floor) looks sexy and seductive whilst the singer on the left is giving off a more of a laid back sweet look. The fact that the girls are also showing skin and assets increase the sales as it will target older men as well as younger males. Overall I would give this CD cover 8/10.

This group called “TLC” for their front cover they have used mid shots of each of the members. The artists also seem fully clothed which is sort of unusual these days for girl band members to be fully dressed as normally you would find them in very little clothing showing off skin in order to increase sales and popularity, creating a larger fan base. I think this front cover is very plain and boring it’s made up of four colours that don’t seem to go very well with each other in this case (Blue, Green, White, Purple and Black) it seems there are too many colours used at once. The fact that all the band members are dressed in black makes their characters seem dull, boring and lifeless and that is not the message you want to portray especially as performers. The effects also look very cheap. The fact that one of the band members is in the middle and the other two remaining ones are standing either side behind her is showing status. Something that is not good when having a group picture taken unless the status is easily recognisable such as the main singer who always sings the main part stands in the middle. Otherwise this sort of posture and placement of the members may cause favouritism.  There is no sex appeal or femininity within this image. Lastly the name of the band on the CD cover is not neatly presented making it hard for the audience to find the CD and distinguish the CD from others on the shelf.  I would rate this CD cover a 3/10

I like this CD cover as it is plain and simple, but at the same time interesting. The name of the band is clear so easy for the target audience to identify and recognise from the other CDs on the shelf.  The girl’s are also wearing very little clothing to entice the audience and increase sales. They are also wearing sort of the same thing but each having their own individual style. The black clothing contrasts the background making them stand out more. However this look don’t really look like a CD cover picture as they all seem very lifeless and have no energy. They are not doing much with their body and their posture is poor. It seems as if they was unprepared and was not too sure on what they were doing. In my opinion I think that if you are going to do a plain front cover like this one here the band members should at least be doing more than just standing there. I think they should all be at different levels and in different positions. This shall increase sales as it will portray the message that if the group look interesting then their music should be too. Overall I would give this front cover 7/10.

This is one of my favourite CD covers. The reason I really like this one is because it is different from other CD covers as they normally consist of the whole band showing their body and being a long shot. However this one is a close up shot showing their facial beauty rather than their body. This will go against the stereotypes that the medium normally emphasise that women are seen as sex symbols. I like how the picture is divided into three parts. The name of the band is also on the top of the CD making it easier for the market to identify. I also like the colours here it isn’t too bright nor to dull, all the colours go well with one another. The fact that they are also looking directly into the camera grabs the audience’s attention. I also like the way the CD cover has the cold border around it. I would overall give this CD 9/10

What makes a good CD cover by using the analysis above that I conducted?

• Create  a bright and interesting CD cover to entice the audience
• Band members clothes match
• Use a diffrent colour clothing to the background colour of the CD (So image dosent camoflage into background)
• Make sure the font of the title is easy to read
• Make the image clear so band members can be recognised
• Have the band members in diffrent positions and levels
• The singers have their own poses (shows uniqueness andindividuality of the band members)
• Have the girls show a bit of sking to increase sales and broaden the market
• Dont use too many colours on the front cover
• Not use too many effects as it can make the cover look cheap
• Try not to create status by positioning of the band members as it may cause favouritism