Gig posters are an underappreciated tool within the music industry. A well-designed gig poster can attract attention from potential audience members and provide insight into who you are as an artist. These media pieces are made to catch the eye of any person on the street or on social media and convince them that it is undoubtedly worth their time to stop in and check this show out. If you’re designing your own poster or working with someone to get it designed, you might be a little curious about what it takes to make a good gig poster. We went ahead and compiled some tips for you to help with the process.

When it comes to designing a good gig poster, the most important part is making sure that the people performing are well represented. If it is exclusively one artist’s show, that makes it easy to make sure that their name is front and center. For multiple artists, you can change the sizing and placement based on how popular they are or what portion of the overall show they will be covering. The important part is that everyone gets listed so fans can look for them.

Many music artists do not double as graphic artists, so this is a general tip from the world of design. There are a lot of cool and tempting fonts out there, but your biggest concern is always going to be making sure that people can easily read the content on your poster from as far away as possible. This will help them to stop and look at it rather than just pass it by.

Depending on what kind of event you’re playing, you might want to include your logo or album cover on the poster to draw attention. This can be a beneficial approach, but it isn’t the only one. You can also use general design elements like patterns or fun imagery like fireworks displays to make people curious. A popular approach for certain genres is to make gig posters look like party advertisements. It will automatically draw the attention of people looking on social media or walking by as they consider what kind of event it will be.

In the event you’re doing any kind of special performance, consider giving it a name. Naming a gig is a great way to make people that much more interested in it. This is particularly effective for specialized gigs around holidays. If your performance is going to have any specific kind of theme to it, giving it a name instead of just focusing on yourself can be an effective way to draw in a wider audience. Using this approach is particularly helpful if you are not to a point where people will automatically recognize your name as an artist.

There are plenty of ways to utilize coloring to make people more interested in attending your gig. You can use bright colors to catch their attention or genre appropriate colors to show them what kind of event it will be. This can help the right people find their way to you. Your goal is to make them curious about what you have to offer, so make it stand out with good color choices.

A big part of designing a good gig poster is making sure that everything is formatted well. You’ll want to take the time to make sure that all of your poster elements are aligned and organized in a way that makes sense. A clean finish is crucial for giving your show credibility.

The difference between the gig everyone wants to attend and the gig that is actually a shady house party is poster quality. If you want people to come to your gig, your poster needs to look like it was made by a professional, not someone trying to lure people to a random location. Use high quality images, weather-resistant paper for displaying it outside, and make sure everything is crisp and colored appropriately.

Designing your poster doesn’t just mean slapping your name on it and expecting people to show up. Tell people the details they want including when the gig will be, when the doors open, what the age group is, and how much it will cost. These are the questions that people will have, so getting ahead of them can make it easier to convince them to attend your show.

If there is anything about your show that might attract more attention, make sure that you list it. You might want to focus on the venue name if it’s popular or a sponsor name that people will recognize. Big brands help you to sell tickets. If an energy drink company is backing your show, use that information to show people that you are worth investing in.

When it comes to designing a gig poster, the most important design tip is to make sure that your poster is completely original. Don’t just look for another poster and modify it to meet your needs. If you want your poster to stand out, you need to make sure that it is completely customized for your gig. Instead of going with basic techniques that will make other people overlook your poster as just another show, focus on making people want to look at your poster because it stands out among the rest. It will get you a larger audience in the long run.

The right gig poster can do wonders for pulling in a crowd for your next show. Since so much of your success as a music artist is built on being able to draw a good crowd, using every tool in your toolbox to make that possible can help you prove to promoters and agents that you are absolutely worth investing in. Remember, a gig poster is just an informational piece that invites people to your gig. Your job is to make people look at a piece of paper and decide that it looks like a good way to spend a night. Focus on speaking to your audience and selling them on an experience so they know for certain that they want to go.

Discovery Music Group works with clients from around the globe, including artists, labels and festivals. We offer a wide range of services tailored towards independent or established/signed artists and brands. With years of experience in many styles of music, our team aims to help grow your music career with our branding, marketing, promotion, and contacts within the industry to take your career to the next level.