Music, story, and imagery are the power trio of great music marketing.
Yes, the music has to come first; otherwise, what’s the point of the marketing?
But for audience reach, publicity, and career growth, the story you tell about the music and the colors and photos you represent it with are extremely close second and third.
New fans might even find the words and visuals more important initially because that will attract them to check out the music.
Promotional photos used for a release, tour, or re-brand tell the story of your music visually. They set the tone, give an impression of the vibe and sound of the music, and compel listeners to take the next step to get to know you.
Having great photos often tips the balance for music journalists choosing between artists to cover, and you will never get a cover story or even a feature in a magazine or blog without great, high-res promotional photos.
Hiring a professional photographer to shoot you and a stylist to create a beautiful vibe is the ultimate when you need new promo photos, but sometimes money is too tight, and you have to make do with what you already have.
Below, you’ll find various ways to refresh old promo photos for use in new campaigns.
All of these were created in Canva, some using the free version and some with options from the Pro version. Try Canva Pro free for 30 days - my Pro Canva sub is the one subscription in my life I have never regretted.
This is the photo I’m starting with. It was taken by Natia Cinco, a badass pro photographer in Nashville who I highly recommend!
Your first refresh option is to make it black and white. This creates a very different mood and a dramatic look.
The next option is to remove the background. By removing the background, you can add any color you want, which allows you to tie an old photo in with a new style or color palette for your brand.
Another interesting look is using Duotone, shown below, which was added to the background removal. Duotone replaces all light shades in the photo with one color and all dark shades with another. It creates a classy, modern vibe.
Removing a photo's background can be even more dramatic by adding a gradient fade so the subject appears to be coming out of the darkness.
Making it black and white increases the intensity of the drama.
Adding a color tint to a photo can change the overall energy. Adding a cool tint makes it feel more moody and dark.
And adding a warm tint gives it a more positive vibe and vintage glow.
Lastly, cropping the photo to focus on the subject’s face makes the image feel more intimate and personal.
And if you’re really stuck, you could use AI to turn yourself into graffiti art….jk.
This is the first in a new series I’m writing about the essential elements you need for triumphant music marketing.
Check out my coaching and marketing services here if you’d like one-on-one help with your music career.