The internet has changed the music industry in ways that nobody could've predicted only a few decades ago. For a very long time, musicians had to go through a very complicated and costly process to record and release an album. Today, they can record it from the comfort of their home and release it independently on the internet as soon as they finish the mixing and mastering process.
The rise of digital music production and the EDM genre took this to a whole new level as well. Artists from across the globe no longer had to concern themselves with vocals. They could reach a global audience even if they don't know how to sing or if they don't know English.
Today, I'm going to show you how text-to-image AI tools can make this whole process even easier. Despite it being affordable to make music in this modern era, you still have to do marketing and branding. In order to make your music appealing to an audience, you have to hire at least a few designers who will make designs for your albums and singles.
The term "starving artist" exists for a reason. People who are passionate about creating art often aren't attracted by conventional ways of earning money. They don't have the funds needed to pay designers, marketing teams, etc. With generative AI models like Dall-E 3, you can create covers for your songs and albums in an affordable way. Not to mention that you'll also have access to the ChatGPT 4 large language model that you can use to figure out how to effectively market your music online.
How to Write Dall-E 3 Prompts for Album Covers
Each music genre has its own aesthetic that's usually featured on album covers. That's why I feel like it's important to provide the AI model with information on what type of music genre an album cover design is for. Although this isn't something set in stone, I believe that it will make the overall cover better.
The prompt you write for an album cover should always concisely describe the overall theme of the album. Since I'm only showing you how to use the Dall-E 3 generative AI model, I will make up some themes that I feel are popular in different music genres and use them to create the cover designs.
I want to mention that there is no wrong or right way to write prompts. You simply describe the scene you want to see created to the best of your abilities. Of course, as you get used to writing prompts consistently, you will get better at it.
What's particularly interesting about the Dall-E 3 model (if you use it through your ChatGPT Plus subscription) is that you also get access to a large language model known as GPT 4. Unlike nearly all text-to-image models, Dall-E 3 has better understanding capabilities for plain text. Despite this, I still structure my prompts in a certain way to get the best results possible.
10 Dall-E 3 Prompt Examples for Album Covers
There are so many different popular music genres that I felt like it was only right to include most of them in this article. I tried my best to make covers for all the different genres I think are popular today. Here's what I created for you today.
prompt #1: R&B album artwork, a cosmic lounge where the R&B artist lounges on a velvet nebula, surrounded by constellations that pulsate with the soulful rhythm of their music, encapsulating the celestial charm of R&B
One of my favorite modern R&B artists is Miguel, and I could picture him putting out an album with a cover similar to this one. I always find that R&B speaks to my soul, and I personally believe that the soul is bound to cosmic matter. That's why when I think about this genre of music, the cosmos always comes to mind.
prompt #2: EDM album artwork, a cybernetic metropolis where EDM deities manipulate neon soundwaves, turning cityscapes into a pulsating sea of electronic energy
Wow! This album cover is incredible. I love the central figure in this image, even though his hands look a bit weird. I also like the neon colors featured here. All in all, this would be a great album cover in the EDM genre.
prompt #3: metal album artwork, a forge of mythical landscapes where metal warriors forge their instruments from molten lava, unleashing sonic storms upon colossal beasts, epitomizing the epic and heavy nature of metal
Out of all the genres that I included in this article, the only type of music that I don't listen to is metal. It's just not for me. But that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate some of the most popular album covers in this genre. In my opinion, metal bands have usually used some of the best artwork I've seen for their albums.
prompt #4: rock album artwork, a cosmic voyage where rock gods ride meteorites through asteroid fields, guitars blazing with cosmic fire, capturing the adventurous and larger-than-life spirit of rock
This is a bit too colorful in my opinion, but I could picture some bands using artwork like this for their album. The only thing that I don't like is that there is too much going on in this image. I think that it would be a lot better if there were fewer details in the artwork.
prompt #5: blues album artwork, a vintage juke joint at the crossroads of reality and fantasy, where the blues artist's guitar strings unravel into ethereal ribbons that weave through the fabric of time
Music is very fascinating because it quite literally touches the soul. There is something so beautiful about sound that's very hard to explain. This artwork turned out better than I expected. The colors here blend perfectly.
prompt #6: funk album artwork, a cosmic dance floor with funkadelic aliens grooving to the beat, surrounded by intergalactic pyramids that emanate funky vibes across the universe
Alright, this is an interesting design. If there is a music genre that aliens would immediately like, I think it's funk. This type of music is so groovy that it automatically puts you in a great mood. I love the retro clothes these aliens are wearing. If we ever encounter an alien race, maybe we should send them a funk album.
prompt #7: punk album artwork, an anarchic cityscape in chaos, where the punk band members are graffiti artists tagging rebellion on towering walls, capturing the raw energy and rebellious ethos of punk rock
If a punk band used artwork like this for an album during the 1990s or the early 2000s, I bet that it would be one of the most memorable album covers of all time. Even though this image is incredible, I feel that in this day and age, it looks a bit outdated. But that's just my personal opinion. There might be people who really like this.
prompt #8: trap music album artwork, an urban labyrinth where trap beats manifest as pulsating neon lights, with the trap artist at the center, surrounded by skyscrapers that reverberate with the bass-heavy rhythms of the genre
I'm not sure that I ever saw a trap album cover even remotely similar to this one, but that doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. It seems to be a bit too colorful to represent what trap music is about. Yet again, music is all about creativity and exploring new ideas.
prompt #9: metal album artwork, a dystopian landscape where metal titans emerge from the ruins, wielding guitars as weapons, surrounded by smoky atmospheres and thunderstorms
The characters here look absolutely amazing. I love how big they are compared to the buildings in their surroundings. I also really like the inclusion of a female character within the group of titans.
If you take a step back and look at the prompt, it's a really simple description. It just dawned upon me how good Dall-E 3 is at making these artworks. I have said in some of my previous articles that Dall-E 3 is superior at creating illustrations. On the other hand, Midjourney is currently the best option for creating photorealistic images.
prompt #10: R&B album artwork, a celestial concert where R&B stars perform on a stage made of constellations, their soulful melodies blending with cosmic vibes
I started this article with an R&B album cover, so it was only right that I end it with one as well. And this one also has a cosmic theme. I'm not sure why artists in this genre don't incorporate more cosmic elements in their artworks. I think that these elements would resonate with a lot of fans. I feel like I'm on a cosmic voyage whenever I listen to this type of music.
Final Thoughts
Since I closely follow what's happening in the world of artificial intelligence, I know that certain companies are working on creating text-to-music AI models. This will be a huge leap and I expect new genres to be created once this type of technology is made available to the public. Until that happens, you can at least use AI to create beautiful designs for album covers.
Part of being an artist is embracing new ways of thinking. I'm aware that certain musicians aren't too fond of AI, but like any groundbreaking technology, it's only a matter of time before it becomes prevalent in all industries. In my opinion, it's better to focus on how you can use this technology instead of ignoring it.
If you're not a musician but instead want to focus on selling your AI-generated designs, you can likely find a ton of indie artists online that would be happy to pay for a cover. The elasticity provided by generative AI models means that you can easily talk with musicians and bring their visions for an album cover to life.
