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How to use mood boards for creative direction

Mood boards in Orphiq aren't just for inspiration - they teach Apollo your visual identity so it can give you better recommendations. Your references actually work for you.

Written by JC Sanchez
Updated over 2 months ago

🖼️ Two types of mood boards

Vision board (Mythos → Vision)

  • Your overall artist aesthetic

  • Colors, moods, and visuals that define you across everything

  • Informs Apollo's understanding of your brand

Project mood board (Music → [Project] → Mood Board tab)

  • Specific to one release (single, EP, album)

  • Visual direction for that project's artwork, content, and rollout

  • Can be different from your main Vision board

Use your Vision board for your core identity. Use project mood boards when a release has its own distinct vibe.

📸 What to upload

Add images that capture the feeling you're going for:

  • Album covers you love

  • Photos that match your energy

  • Color palettes and textures

  • Fashion, architecture, nature - anything that feels like your sound

  • Screenshots from videos or films that inspire you

Minimum: 5 images to run an analysis. More images = richer understanding.

🔮 How to add images and analyze

For your Vision board:

  1. Click Vision in the left sidebar (under Mythos)

  2. Click Add Images

  3. Upload at least 5 images

  4. Click Analyze

For a project mood board:

  1. Go to Music → click on your project

  2. Click the Mood Board tab

  3. Click Add Images

  4. Upload your images

  5. Click Analyze

Important: Analysis doesn't happen automatically. You must click Analyze after adding or changing images for Apollo to process them.

👁️ View your analysis

After Analyze completes, click View Analysis to see what Apollo extracted from your images - colors, mood, visual themes, and how they connect to your creative identity.

Apollo references this analysis when suggesting content ideas, release strategies, and creative direction.

🔄 Updating your boards

Your visual direction can evolve. When it does:

  1. Add new images or remove old ones

  2. Click Re-analyze to refresh Apollo's understanding

You can update as often as you like. Each analysis replaces the previous one.

💡 Pro Tip

Your Vision board and project mood boards can be completely different. If your overall brand is dark and moody but you're releasing a summer single with bright energy, give that project its own mood board. Apollo will adapt its recommendations for that release.

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