My Music And Song's

Archive for March, 2010

Album covers are conspicuous in their expression of the bands’ visual side. An album cover says “I’m a painting with words”. The cover may be symbolic, a summary of stage performances, propaganda-like, the artwork of a band member or simply designed to grab more sales.   Some are so simplistic in nature that two colors can say everything there is to be said. Whatever the message conveyed, album covers should artistically parallel the sound of the music.

When music first became available in a home listening format, it was engraved on large wax disks. Stored in compressed paper sleeves, the  artwork reflected the classical music popular at the time. Black and white printing was the only kind available.  At first, classical works of art were sketched and then printed on the covers. For example, the Venus de Milo was printed for Korsakov’s musical styling. As the technology of photography developed, a few select albums had photographs of classical art printed on them. People from that time would have been shocked at how the album cover would evolve.

During the 1940’s, some album covers were both photographic and printed in color.  Some covers were airbrushed paintings, or pastel drawings. The popularity of these impressionistic photographs quickly waned, as the album cover gave way to color photographs. Many of the new covers depicted the feel-good sounds of the albums, with people frolicking on the beaches or in fields. Other covers featured photographs of the artist or band itself, with the person or band performing on stage or simply in front of a microphone. A few albums today use the same concept.

Band merchandise ideas do not have to stop at shirts and hats, however. You can get your band name or logo printed on just about anything you can imagine. You can get water bottles, buttons, posters, or even running sweats if you want. You will be surprised to see what people will buy with your name on it if they love your band. When they use or wear these items in public, everyone around them will see your band name. Chances are good that at least a few of these people will remember your name and may come to see you play the next time you have a show.

Don’t forget about the most important piece of band merchandise. If you have a CD, people will buy it. You can look around for good deals on studio time, and you may be surprised how cheaply you can record an album. Printing CDs is not as expensive as you may be thinking either; so don’t discount the idea before you look into it. Just remember to be prepared before you go into the studio so you don’t waste a lot of money getting it right. Have it ready to go before you go in and ask to record live pass to get it done quickly.

Band merchandise is often a huge seller at a concert. Many fans love to have a t-shirt or other item to remind them of the special night they spent in the company of their favorite artist. Band merchandise can become valuable, depending on who the artist is, and whether you were able to get it autographed or not. It’s not just the big artists that have merchandise, however, local bands can get stuff made up as well, and they may find that this is a great investment for their future. Not only can they make extra money this way, this is always one of the best ways to get your name out there.

If you want to have band merchandise printed up for your band, you might be worried about price. You might be surprised to find that this endeavor is cheaper than you ever imagined. You can find local printers who can prints things like hats and t-shirts for you, and it won’t cost you a fortune. Each of these items may only cost you three or four dollars apiece. If you sell them for ten or fifteen, you are making an excellent profit. You can also get handbills printed up. Though they aren’t technically considered band merchandise, many people like to save these as well.