How do I change the picture on a music album?

ByJael Lawler

Album art, also known as cover art, refers to the illustration or photograph featured on the outside of a music release like an album, single, cassette, or digital download. Album art visually represents the music, artists, and overall themes/aesthetic of a release. It helps identify and brand the album while promoting the music inside. Changing album art allows you to refresh the look, better match the contents, fix mistakes, or make the cover more visually appealing. You may want to update artwork when re-releasing an album, marking a special edition, celebrating an anniversary, or just giving your music a new face. The album cover is often the first impression listeners get of your work, so crafting compelling art is an impactful way to attract attention and properly showcase your songs.

Locate the Album File

The actual album file is stored in different locations depending on the device and music service used. On a computer, digital albums are usually stored within the music player’s library folder, such as in iTunes Media or Windows Media Player’s music folders. The specific file path varies between operating systems. For example, iTunes stores music in the “iTunes Media” folder on Windows, often located at C:\Users\(username)\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media (Source: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251721363).

On an iPhone or iPod, the files are stored in an encrypted database, making them inaccessible to users without jailbreaking. According to Apple, this protects copyrighted materials (Source: https://www.tunecable.com/apple-music-tip/where-apple-music-downloads-are-stored.html). The actual path is /var/mobile/Media/iTunes_Control/Music. For Android devices, files are usually located under /sdcard/Music or a similar folder.

For streaming services like Spotify, the files aren’t actually stored locally. The music is streamed from Spotify’s servers. However, you can make
local downloads for offline listening, often stored in the Spotify app’s data folder.

iTunes

Here are the steps for changing album art in iTunes:

  1. Open iTunes and locate the album you want to change the artwork for in your Library.
  2. Right click on the album and select “Get Info.”
  3. Click on the Artwork tab in the pop-up window.
  4. Delete the current artwork by clicking the x icon in the top right corner of the album art preview.
  5. Click “Add…” and select the new image file you want to use from your computer.
  6. Click “OK” to save the changes.

The new album artwork should now be updated in iTunes. You may need to close and reopen the app to refresh the thumbnail view. Changing the artwork in iTunes will also update the image on synced iOS devices.

Change Album Art in Windows Media Player

Here are the steps to change the album art image in Windows Media Player:

  1. Open Windows Media Player and navigate to the music album you want to edit.
  2. Right click on the album and select Properties from the menu.
  3. In the Properties window, click on the Album tab.
  4. Click on the graphic in the Album Art box. This will allow you to select a new image file to use as the album art.
  5. Browse your computer for the image file you want to use. Supported formats include JPG, PNG, BMP and GIF.
  6. Select the new image file and click Open. This will update the album art displayed in Windows Media Player.
  7. Click OK to save the changes.

The new image file will now be displayed as the album art for that music album in your Windows Media Player library. You can follow these steps to change the art for any album.

Android Devices

Here are the steps for changing album art on an Android phone or tablet:

1. Open the Files app on your Android device and navigate to the Music folder. Locate the album folder that contains the song you want to change.

2. Tap and hold on the existing album art image file, usually named “albumart.jpg” or something similar. Select “Delete” to remove it.

3. Next, find the new image file you want to use as the new album art. Make sure it is saved on your device storage or SD card. Tap and hold on the new image file and select “Copy.”

4. Return to the album folder from step 1. Tap and hold in the empty space and select “Paste” to paste the new image file into the folder.

5. Rename the pasted image file to “albumart.jpg” so your music player recognizes it as the album art.

6. Launch your Android music app, like Google Play Music. The new album art should now be visible when viewing that album.

Some music apps may require manually refreshing the library or restarting the app to show the new album art. You can also clear the app’s cache if it still shows the old image.

iPhone/iPod

To change the album artwork on an iPhone or iPod, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Photos app and navigate to the album whose artwork you want to change.
  2. Tap Select in the top right corner and select the photo you want to use as the new album artwork.
  3. Tap the share icon in the bottom left corner and scroll down to “Use as Key Photo”
  4. Select “Use as Key Photo.” This will set the selected photo as the new album artwork.

According to idownloadblog.com, this change will sync across all your devices where the album appears including iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

One thing to note is that if the album is synced from iTunes, the change may revert back when you sync again. To avoid this, it’s best to change the artwork directly in iTunes before syncing.

Online Streaming Services

For music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, changing the album art can be done through the app or desktop interface. Here are the basic steps:

Spotify

In the Spotify app:

  1. Go to the album page
  2. Tap the 3 dots next to the heart icon
  3. Select “Edit” and then “Change album image”
  4. Choose a new image from your photos

On desktop:

  1. Right click the album and choose “Edit Info”
  2. Click the image icon to upload a new one

For local files, you’ll need to update the art in a music app like iTunes first before syncing to Spotify (source).

Apple Music

In the Music app:

  1. Go to Album page and tap ellipsis
  2. Choose “Change Album Artwork”
  3. Select a new image

On desktop in iTunes:

  1. Right click the album and pick “Get Info”
  2. Click the art and select “Change Image”

Alternate Image Sources

There are many places online to find alternate album art images that you can use to customize your music library. Here are some options:

Stock image websites like Depositphotos have large libraries of high-quality album art style images you can license and download. Make sure to follow proper attribution for any images used.

Do an image search on Google for the album title and artist name. Filter the results for reuse/commercial licenses. Other image search engines like Flickr or Shutterstock may have options too.

Check out artist fan sites and blogs, which often host album art and images that could work. Always follow proper attribution guidelines.

Consider creating your own custom album art using photo editing software. Add filters, textures, elements to make it unique.

Using alternate album art can help give your music library a more personalized look. Just be sure to use properly licensed images and give attribution when required.

Image Editing Tips

Making small tweaks to an image can help personalize it and make it suitable for your album cover. Here are some simple edits you can make:

Crop the image to better frame the subject or create a square composition. Many album covers use square layouts.

Adjust brightness, contrast, saturation and other settings to get the right look and feel for your music. Increase vibrancy for more energetic genres or create a muted black and white edit for softer songs.

Overlay textures like grunge or watercolor effects to add visual interest. Subtle grain or light leaks can further customize the image.

Add custom graphics like your artist name, lyrics or shapes using the text and shape tools. Position them thoughtfully without overcrowding.

Blurring the background brings focus to the main subject. Use a gaussian or radial blur for a dreamy effect.

Convert the image to black and white and add color splashes on key elements. This creates a dramatic look.

Mirror parts of the image to get a kaleidoscopic effect.

Apply filters like posterize or pixelate for a retro, lo-fi aesthetic.

Simple tweaks like these can make your album art stand out. Experiment to find a style that represents your music.

Concluding Advice

In summary, changing the picture on a music album is a relatively straightforward process once you’ve located the actual album file. The steps will vary slightly depending on whether you use iTunes, Windows Media Player, an Android device, or an iPhone/iPod. But essentially you’ll need to:

– Open the album details and look for the Artwork or Album Art section
– Click Edit or Replace Artwork to choose a new image file from your computer
– Save the changes to update the artwork

Some additional tips for changing album art successfully:

– Make sure the new image is a high resolution JPEG or PNG file for best quality (source: https://www.iconcollective.edu/album-cover-art-tips)
– Adjust the image cropping if needed to fit the album thumbnail layout
– Consider an alternate image source like AlbumArtExchange.com if you can’t find the artwork
– Use image editing software to touch up or customize the new artwork

With the right file and steps, you should be able to refresh your album artwork easily. Just follow the process for your music app or device, and ensure the new image fits the album thumbnail layout. With a quality image and a few edits, your album can have an eye-catching new look.

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