Album cover art & the vinyl resurgence—mastering the art of album cover design

We live in a world where fashion, food trends, and design styles make comebacks every now and then. And music is no different—in recent years, we’ve seen a revival of vinyl. This comeback has created a diverse group of collectors, music fans, audiophiles, DJs, store owners, and many others.

We could list many reasons why we love vinyl: great sound quality, the nostalgic feel, the sensory experience, and how cool that turntable looks in your living room. But a key element of vinyl’s timeless success is clear: album cover art. 

Vinyl and an iconic album cover art go hand in hand. In this article, we’ll explore how these two elements play a big role in shaping a growing industry and creating the ultimate musical experience for fans and listeners.

The music industry is evolving rapidly—especially with four-fifths of recorded music now consumed via streaming—and many artists still struggle to receive fair compensation for their hard work. Popular apps like TikTok, where many artists are being discovered, often fail to provide adequate pay.

However, for the first time in 20 years, physical music sales are going up—not just among older generations but also among younger ones, who are embracing the vinyl craze.

This renewed interest has even inspired its own annual event: Record Store Day. Since April 2007, fans around the world have been celebrating independently owned record stores. Several vinyl records are released specifically for this event, giving fans the chance to buy special collectibles. One-time releases from 2024 included songs from artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Kate Bush, David Bowie, The Doors, Elton John, Sonic Youth, and Chappell Roan.

During times of lockdown, people began discovering new hobbies at home. With a yearning for nostalgia and tangibility, vinyl filled those needs. If this industry was already growing before COVID-19, the 2020 pandemic helped boost sales even further. The RIAA stated that the vinyl craze made $626 million in 2020, a 46% increase in sales over 2018.

During the pandemic, little rituals kept people happy during the difficult months. For some, it was having vinyl records delivered. People loved opening their package, checking the album cover art, taking the record out, putting it on the turntable, and just listening to the music. It was a simple but satisfying way to spend those long, confined days. 

Over time, some people got so into collecting vinyl that it became more than just a hobby. It’s now something they regularly budget for and are constantly adding to their collections.

Music fans crave a deeper connection with the bands and artists they love, and it’s hard to achieve that with music streams. Physical formats provide that sense of closeness—almost like holding a piece of the artist in your hands. And, of course, if the audio quality is great, that’s even better. And the return to analog isn’t just about vinyl; cassettes have made a surprising comeback as well. According to Luminate, a data analytics company that tracks music consumption across formats, cassettes went “from 81,000 U.S. sales in 2015 to 440,000 last year, a 443% increase”.

Younger generations are drawn to this compact audio format. It’s portable, more affordable than vinyl, and, for many, entirely new. Both independent bands and bigger names are experimenting with it, and it’s only a matter of time until this format becomes more popular.

Taylor Swift’s influence has boosted vinyl and cassette sales in recent years. Her last album, The Tortured Poets Department, sold 859,000 units in its largest sales week in modern history. 

Billboard reports that “Swift has the top four biggest vinyl sales weeks in history… reflecting not just the industry-wide popularity boom for the format, but her own evolving strategy and emphasis on physical media and fan-focused collectibles.”

Also, Taylor Swift is responsible for two best-selling cassettes of 2023. Data from Billboard reveals that 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), sold 17,500 and 11,500 copies respectively. 

Swift served as Record Store Day’s global ambassador in 2022, stating, “Record stores are so important because they help to perpetuate and foster music-loving as a passion… Those people and shops have had a rough few years, and we need to support these small businesses more now than ever”.

People really love nostalgia, and it’s all around us. Customers want to connect with things they missed out on, while those who experienced them want to relive those memories. That’s what’s happening with vinyl.

Vinyl or cassette, it doesn’t matter which one you choose—these formats offer something completely different from the streaming services we all know by now. Without the option to shuffle tracks or skip songs, people have to take the time to listen to an album, creating a deeper connection with the artist and their work—something you don’t get as much these days.

Buying a vinyl record feels like owning a piece of art. An album cover design is the first thing people see, so it represents the music itself.

A great album cover grabs attention and makes people want to check out the music, connect with the album, and ultimately boost sales. While marketing and aesthetics work hand in hand, there’s always an artistic vision behind album cover art, elevating it beyond just commercial appeal.

Sure, there are design trends that come up when designing an album cover, but each album still features a unique artistic choice. It’s rare that different pieces of album cover art will look the same—unlike movie posters, for example.

Yes, almost anything can be an album cover. But what makes a good one? While personal preferences are subjective, there are key design principles to consider that can help an album cover stand out. It’s not an easy task! 

Here are a few elements commonly found in famous album cover art:

Consider the album’s main topic or theme. What messages do the songs convey, and what visual elements best represent these themes? Turning the album’s story into eye-catching and memorable cover art is essential for making it a hit.

Beyoncé goes real deep in Lemonade, touching on themes like infidelity, Black feminism, African American culture and identity, personal growth, resilience, and empowerment. Plus, Billboard named Lemonade as having the best album cover art of 2016—and they’re definitely right about that!

The best album cover art features a consistent and memorable color scheme. Using color is another powerful way of portraying a mood or vibe that captures the essence of the album.

Check out these colorful album cover designs:

How elements are placed in an image is also an important consideration when designing an album cover. Following the rule of thirds can be a good starting point, which basically is dividing an image into nine parts with two horizontal and two vertical lines. Placing key elements along these lines or intersections will give the album cover art balance and draw attention to the key parts of the composition. 

Here are four examples from some famous album cover art designs:

We love these cool album cover designs by Caroline Polachek, PJ Harvey, Olivia Rodrigo, and Weyes Blood. You can see the rule of thirds applied magnificently, along with all the other design principles we’ve discussed when it comes to designing an album cover. 

Decorating a wall can be tricky. We often consider art pieces when planning our design. Sure, you could go for one of those high-tech frame TVs that display art when they’re off—because who doesn’t want to have a digital Van Gogh on their wall? But nothing really compares to putting together an album cover wall with the art of your favorite records.

Designing an album cover is truly an art form. For some, these covers are considered art pieces that deserve to be displayed at home, forming a unique album cover wall with art, especially if it’s a record that took ages to find. For many, vinyl isn’t just about listening; it’s a way to showcase appreciation for a particular album. This not only sparks conversations with friends but also displays the current music that the household is enjoying.

Collectors and vinyl records are a perfect match, and collectors are key to the vinyl industry. They’re more than just fans—they help keep the market alive and growing. Their love for vinyl has been a major factor in its comeback.

Collecting records isn’t just about owning cool album cover designs and listening to high-quality music. It’s about being part of a vibrant community that celebrates vinyl through record fairs and swap meets, fostering connections and sharing a love of music. Plus, collectors play a big role in supporting local record stores and pressing plants, keeping the whole vinyl scene alive and thriving.

Many collectors share an obsession with finding a hidden gem—a piece of music that reshapes their collection and expands their taste. This search is called by some crate digging, and it’s an extreme sport among vinyl lovers. Whether it’s at record stores or yard sales, crate digging is all about looking through stacks of records in hopes of discovering something special. It’s in these unexpected places that rare and magical vinyl can be found.

Music and creative album cover design are often shaped by the demands and strategies of a big marketing machine. This is hard to ignore—both labels and artists need constant income to survive.

In the music industry, some marketing moves lead to even more album cover designs. Remixes, deluxe editions, re-releases, bonus tracks, and alternate versions usually follow after the album’s first release. Labels use these strategies to maximize the success of an album when it’s doing well. But if sales are low, they’re less likely to spend on extra content, even if fans are asking for it.

Artists like The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, and Charli XCX have released various album covers and vinyl variants, including both original and colorful pressings. While this can be exciting for fans, it often leads to them spending more to collect every version. This approach can turn vinyl into a merchandising item rather than just a way to enjoy the music.

Of course, releasing so many versions and creating multiple album cover designs can have a negative impact on the environment. Manufacturing multiple vinyl variants increases plastic waste and energy consumption. Each variant requires new production runs, which can aggravate the environmental concerns. 

Billie Eilish and Coldplay are taking steps to support the environment. They’re using recycled vinyl, selecting eco-friendly packaging, and choosing plant-based inks along with water-based varnish.

Whether you’re collecting, listening, or just showing off some album art on your wall, vinyl records give you something special that digital music can’t. They bring back that real, hands-on connection to music—a way to step away from the endless digital noise, AI, and social media. Sometimes, it’s nice to just slow down, drop the needle, and take a break.

We want to share our passion for music with you, so let’s review some ideas from Envato to help you recreate one of this year’s most famous album covers: Charli XCX’s Brat album cover. 

The Brat album cover is pretty minimalist, but when you listen to the music and lyrics, you can find tons of themes and inspiration for designing an album cover or even a music poster. 

This is the mood board for the Brat album cover-inspired design we’re going to create. We’ve pulled together elements from Charli XCX’s songs “Apple” and “Sympathy Is a Knife.” We’ve included a photo of a girl with an edgy, effortless look and dark hair similar to Charli’s, as well as a matching font and complementary design elements.

Why not use Envato assets to help you recreate the vibe of the Brat album cover? Envato offers a wide range of design assets, including fonts, textures, stock photos, graphics, and more.

Here’s what we came up with using the assets below—go ahead, give it a try, and unleash your creative side.

You’ve only seen a glimpse of what you can find on Envato. If you liked our items for creating amazing album cover art, you’ll love the creative assets that Envato offers.

Are you working on a music project? Envato offers a wide range of audio files with different moods to suit any mood or style. Complement your music projects with other creative assets, including video lyric templates, album cover art mockups, and more!