The document reviews conventions used in music posters and digipaks. For posters, the main conventions are a large central image of the performer, large readable fonts (especially for the artist name), limited colors, and key release details. For digipaks, conventions include multiple related images across panels, the largest image on the front, text details like the tracklist and credits, continuity of fonts and colors across panels, and genre-appropriate color schemes. The conventions help quickly convey key information to potential buyers.

1. Reviewing the Forms &
Conventions Used in
Posters & Digipaks

2. • Before creating my ancillary products I looked at existing media products in
order to gain a greater understanding of what conventions made these pieces
effective.
• These steps were part of my preliminary tasks, but I am now reviewing these
conventions so that I can later consider which conventions I have used in my
products, and how this has contributed to their overall effects.

3. Forms & Conventions of Music Posters
Posters are often published in music magazines to advertise new CDs, as they
can specifically target audiences interested in that genre of music – Ie rock CDs
can be advertised in rock music magazines.

4. Main Image:
-Main image is usually of the performer
-Main image is usually central
-Usually takes up a large proportion of the page
This helps fans of the performer to quickly and easily recognise when the star has
brought out a new product, so they can be excited and potentially look to buy it.
Furthermore, performers images are usually very important, so this gives the audience
another opputunity to look at the star and idolize them – making the styling of the
performer very important on a lot of music posters.

5. Font
• There is usually a limited amount of font as the poster would be something an audience member
would be likely to quickly scan whilst flicking through a magazine, rather than study carefully.
• Font is usually large, once again so it can be read quickly and easily.
• The name of the artist is often the biggest font on the page – they are the recognised and established
feature, not the album name.
• New artists may have their name smaller as it is unrecognised so therefore wouldn’t create excitement,
album name or ‘debut album’ might be larger.
• Colours can vary greatly but a poster wouldn’t usually have much more than three or four colours to
make it look professional.

6. Additional Conventions
• Date of release is usually visible to create excitement and inform potential
customers of when they can but the product.
• Record label name/symbol
• Artist name is usually either at the top of the poster or in the middle, as
these are the two locations that are looked at first.
• Posters are usually constructed carefully to not look too busy - the
information needs to be seen and understood quickly and easily.

7. Forms & Conventions of Digipaks
• Digipaks are a form of cd with four to six panels that allow an artist to
display and present CD’s in a more creative way. It means that the case can
carry a theme across the panels and show a greater level of creativity than
normal CD cases.

8. Images
• Usually multiple images across the panels
• Images are nearly always connected and relevant to eachother – maybe the artist in
different poses but wearing the same outfit, or in different outfits but in the same
location etc
• The biggest image is usually on the front cover
• Any images used behind the cd holder are usually less important, as they are less
likely to be noticed
• A lot of artists use special effects to make images more unusual and interesting

9. Text
• Text throughout the digipak includes:
• Album name & artist name on front cover
• Track listing and names of people who have contributed to the album (ie
producers) on the back
• Name of album & artist on bind
• Often ‘thank you’s’ on inside panel
• Record label name on front and/or back

10. Font
• Name of artist is usually the largest font
• Album name large but smaller than artist name
• Usually some continuity between fonts across the digipak – ie album name
font on front cover might be the same as that used on the bind.
• Font used when listing producers names is usually very small and positioned
at the bottom of the back panel

11. Colours
• Didgipak will usually have a colour scheme
• Colours should be appropriate for genre – Ie dark colours of rock music,
bright colour for pop music etc
• Font should all be in readable colours – I.e. light font against light
backgrounds would be uncommon.