By Clint Sanchez · Published · Updated · 3 min read
Quick answer
A band should hire a graphic designer because fans see the visuals before they hear the music, and those visuals shape how the band is perceived. A designer has a direct effect in four places: YouTube thumbnails and channel art that earn clicks, album cover art required before a release goes on iTunes or CDBaby, show flyers that fill rooms, and a website that presents tour dates and music well on phones.
Key takeaways
- Fans usually see a band's artwork before they hear a single note, so graphics are the first impression.
- YouTube is the second most visited website in the world after Google, so a band needs channel art and thumbnails designed to be clicked.
- Cover art has to be finished and vetted before music can be uploaded to platforms like iTunes and CDBaby.
- Show flyers, lyric videos, and motion graphics all extend a release beyond the audio itself.
- A band website needs a developer for the build and a designer who understands what a musical act has to communicate.
- Most fans visit a band's site from a phone, so the graphics have to translate to mobile.
- A graphic designer belongs in the marketing budget, not as an afterthought after the music is done.
Baton Rouge bands compete for the same weekend crowds at the same handful of rooms, and the flyer that gets shared in a Facebook event is often the only marketing a show gets. A designed poster, a matching Instagram tile, and a YouTube thumbnail that looks like the same band give a local act a level of polish most of the bill does not have.
Seriously, does a band need a professional graphic designer?
A well-designed image can serve as a strong marketing tool.
As an artist or musician, you need to hire a Band Graphic Designer to help you share your music efficiently.
Hiring a great graphic designer for your band will help your music get to more people quicker, allowing you to focus on making incredible music.
A graphic designer can also help shape your audience’s perspective since the graphics serve as a visual representation of your band.
There are four ways a graphic designer can have a direct impact on your marketing efforts:
Youtube.
A great band graphic designer can help you promote your music through YouTube. YouTube is an incredible platform for any creative entrepreneur. It is the second most visited website in the world, second only to its owner, Google. Knowing this, any musician wanting to build their brand must maintain a YouTube presence.
Want this handled for you? We build and market websites for Louisiana businesses, and we will tell you honestly if you do not need us.
A graphic designer can work on the graphics displayed on your channel, including the video thumbnails, since their design entices people to click on the video. We can create wonderful motion graphics, lyric videos, or any video to accompany your music. A graphic designer can also work on the channel art displayed on your home page. We know what artists want and need and specialize in graphic design for bands and artists.
Album covers.
Before many people hear any music, they’ll see the content first. It’s important to use enticing cover art for your CDs and MP3s. If you’re a newbie artist longing to share your music with the world, making the music available on various platforms such as iTunes and CDBaby is appropriate.
Before the music is uploaded to these websites, the cover art needs to be designed and vetted by a graphic designer. Our experienced band graphic designers have created album covers for everything from local artists’ mixtapes to Grammy-award-winning artists’ mainstream releases.
Show flyers.
Show flyers still sell tickets. A band graphic designer who knows your look can turn one flyer layout into a printed handbill for the venue, an Instagram square, a story slide, and a Facebook event cover, so the show reads the same everywhere it is posted. Consistent flyers over a year of gigs do more for name recognition than any single poster.
Websites.
In the current digital age, it’s important to maintain a strong online hub. A website is good for relaying information regarding tour dates, available music, and artist news. Even though some artists don’t maintain an online presence, many successful artists understand the power of the internet. A good website needs the assistance of a web developer, but it also needs the artistic vision of a band graphic designer who knows the specific needs that a musical artist has. Many people visit websites from their mobile devices. In this case, a website’s graphic design must translate well to mobile devices.
These four portals directly allow any musician to partner with a graphic designer and make a huge impact. Since graphic design plays a massive role in all four portals, you must include a graphic designer in the marketing budget to make sure your music reaches a larger audience. Stay tuned for a discussion of those four portals in the following article.
Just as Taylor Swift uses her website and SEO to dominate the digital world, your band can do the same with strong graphic design and a solid web strategy. Learn more about how Taylor uses SEO to build her online empire in our article, ‘SEO According to Taylor Swift‘.
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BlakSheep Creative is your go-to agency in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for creating videos, websites, and graphics that convert and result in more bookings for your band. Check out our graphic design services page, or contact us today to get started!
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About the author
Founder & Lead Developer · Denham Springs, LA
Clint has built and marketed websites for 26 years, since founding BlakSheep Creative in 2000. He is also a 29-year firefighter and a 23-year member of IAFF Local 557, which is where the bias toward plain answers over sales copy comes from.
- Veteran-owned
- Firefighter-owned
- IAFF Local 557
Common questions about digital marketing
What does a band graphic designer actually make?
Why do YouTube thumbnails matter for a band?
Do I need album art before releasing music online?
Can a band just use a free template for flyers and covers?
Does a band need a website if it has social media?
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