Skill: Album Cover Art Generation
Purpose
Generate professional album cover art for songs and albums using AI image generation (Nano Banana MCP / FLUX / Midjourney). Each cover is informed by the song's mood, genre, persona, and brand guidelines.
Trigger
When the user requests cover art for a song or album, or when /generate-assets is called.
Cover Art Requirements
Technical Specs
| Platform | Size | Ratio | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming (Spotify/Apple) | 3000x3000 | 1:1 | PNG/JPEG |
| Suno | 1024x1024 | 1:1 | PNG/JPEG |
| YouTube thumbnail | 1280x720 | 16:9 | PNG |
| Social media | 1080x1080 | 1:1 | PNG |
| DistroKid upload | 3000x3000 min | 1:1 | PNG preferred |
Default generation: 1024x1024 (scale up for distribution)
Visual Style System
Brand Foundation
ALL covers must follow these rules:
- •Dark backgrounds — Deep navy (#0F172A), black, or dark gradients
- •Neon accents — Cyan (#43BFE3), purple (#AB47C7), gold (#F59E0B), emerald (#10B981)
- •Glass/chrome/metallic textures — Premium 3D look
- •NO clay/pastel/cartoon — Never cute, toy-like, or childish
- •Typography: Clean sans-serif, minimal text, artist name + title only
Persona-Specific Styles
| Persona | Visual DNA | Color Palette | Textures |
|---|---|---|---|
| FrankX | Futuristic tech, neural networks, glass architecture | Cyan + navy + gold | Chrome, holographic, circuitry |
| Lyssandria | Mystical landscapes, celestial bodies, sacred geometry | Purple + silver + blue | Crystal, starlight, silk |
| Draconia | Dark power, volcanic, war machines, dragon motifs | Red + black + gold | Obsidian, fire, metal |
| AI Music Academy | Clean, educational, warm tech | White + blue + green | Paper, wood, screens |
Genre-Specific Treatments
| Genre | Visual Approach |
|---|---|
| Hip Hop | Urban architecture, neon-lit streets, studio equipment, chains/crown motifs |
| Electronic/DnB | Abstract waveforms, particle systems, data visualization, club lighting |
| Rock/Metal | Raw textures, concert stage, amplifiers, fire, distortion effects |
| Orchestral | Concert hall, sheet music textures, instrument details, dramatic lighting |
| World/African | Earth tones with neon highlights, tribal patterns reimagined in glass/chrome |
| Japanese | Torii gates, cherry blossoms, neon kanji, cyberpunk Tokyo, anime energy |
| Ambient/Healing | Water, crystals, nature-tech fusion, bioluminescent, sacred geometry |
| Pop | Bold colors, clean composition, fashion-forward, aspirational |
| Latin | Warm metallics, dance floor silhouettes, sunset gradients, rhythmic patterns |
Generation Process
Step 1: Analyze the Song
Read the song's metadata and extract visual cues:
code
Song: "Trust in Yourself" Genre: Pop Punk, Symphonic Mood: Empowering, building, climactic Persona: FrankX Duration: 2:18 Visual cues: confidence, rising action, orchestral meets raw energy
Step 2: Compose Image Prompt
Structure: [Subject] [Style] [Lighting] [Mood] [Technical]
code
A lone figure standing at the edge of a glass cliff overlooking a neon cityscape, arms raised in triumph, symphonic sound waves materializing as glowing purple and cyan energy ribbons in the air, dark navy background, volumetric lighting, cinematic composition, hyper-detailed 3D render, 8K quality, album cover art style
Step 3: Generate Variations
Always generate 3 variations with different approaches:
- •Variation A: Literal interpretation of the song's theme
- •Variation B: Abstract/symbolic representation
- •Variation C: Persona-focused (artist portrait/silhouette)
Step 4: Present to User
Show all 3 with reasoning for each. Let the user pick or request modifications.
Step 5: Save and Register
Save selected cover to public/images/music/covers/{song-id}.png
Update the song's asset status in the content studio.
Prompt Templates
Single Cover (General)
code
[Describe scene based on song mood], dark navy background with [accent color] neon highlights, glass and chrome textures, cinematic lighting, volumetric fog, album cover composition, hyper-detailed 3D render, professional music artwork
Album Cover (Collection)
code
[Unifying theme for album], showcasing [number] interconnected elements representing each track, cohesive color palette of [primary] and [secondary], dark premium aesthetic, glass morphism effects, album artwork, square composition 1:1, museum-quality digital art
Animated Cover Base (for video hooks)
code
[Same as selected cover] but with subtle motion elements: floating particles, gently pulsing light, slow camera drift, designed for seamless loop animation
Quality Checklist
Before finalizing any cover:
- • Dark background (not white, not pastel)
- • Brand colors present (cyan, purple, gold, or emerald)
- • No text baked into the image (add text in post-production)
- • Premium quality (not cartoon, not clay, not emoji-style)
- • Mood matches the song's genre and energy
- • Persona style guide followed
- • 1:1 aspect ratio for primary version
- • File saved to correct directory
Anti-Patterns
- •NEVER generate covers with text/typography baked in (it renders poorly)
- •NEVER use bright white or pastel backgrounds
- •NEVER use clip art, cartoons, or flat design
- •NEVER generate generic "music notes floating" imagery
- •NEVER ignore the persona's visual DNA
- •NEVER reuse the same composition for different songs