Album and CD Covers

Album and CD artwork helps you recognise a release, check its track listing and keep your music collection organised. Finding the right image starts with identifying the edition you own, then checking which parts of its packaging you need.

Match the Artwork to Your Edition

Search using the artist and album title, then narrow the results by format, release year, label and country. For artists such as Zero 7 or Gary Numan, include the album title to keep results focused on the release you want.

Compare the track listing and printed identifiers with your copy. A catalogue number is especially useful: look on the spine, back cover or disc. The Discogs catalogue-number guide explains where these numbers appear.

A familiar front cover is only a starting point. Check additional details before pairing it with a back cover or booklet from another listing.

Identify Each Part of the Packaging

Front Covers

The front cover provides the main visual identity of the album. Look for complete edges, clear lettering and colours that resemble your physical copy. Avoid cropped thumbnails when you need to inspect small details.

Back Covers and Tray Inserts

Back covers commonly show track titles, a barcode and label information. For a jewel-case CD, check whether the scan includes the spine panels. These matter when identifying packaging or preparing an insert that fits the case.

Booklets and Other Inserts

Booklets may contain lyrics, credits, photographs and recording notes. Check page order and completeness, particularly when scans show two-page spreads. Keep disc artwork, inner tray images and separate inserts labelled individually.

Find Clear, Complete Images

MusicBrainz’s cover art guide explains how artwork can document a release beyond its front cover. Use the release details alongside available scans to assess whether the images match your edition.

Inspect images at full size. Check for blurred text, missing edges, reflections and missing booklet pages. If preparing a physical insert, measure your case and preserve the image’s proportions before printing.

Organise Artwork for Digital Listening

Keep each edition in its own folder, using clear filenames such as front.jpg, back.jpg and booklet-01.jpg.

For MP3 collections, cover images can be embedded in track metadata or saved alongside the music files. MusicBrainz Picard’s artwork documentation explains its image-saving and embedding process. Keep the original scans separately so detailed artwork remains available when you need it.