Lyrics Poster Maker

How to Make a Music Gallery Wall (Without It Looking Messy)

Chris Andersonon February 5, 2025

Gallery walls are everywhere on Instagram and Pinterest. Some look amazing. Some look like someone just threw frames at a wall and hoped for the best.

If you want to make a music-themed gallery wall that falls in the first category, here's what you need to know.

Plan Before You Hammer

Do not just start hanging frames. That's how you end up with 47 holes in your wall and nothing looking right.

Lay everything out on the floor first. Move pieces around until it looks good. Take a photo. That's your blueprint.

Or if you're digital, use painter's tape on the wall to mark where frames will go. Less commitment than actual holes.

Pick a Theme

A good gallery wall has a cohesive theme. For music walls, you've got options:

One artist, multiple songs - All Taylor Swift, all Beatles, whatever

One album - Different songs from the same album, showing the whole story

Life soundtrack - Songs from different periods of your life

Relationship timeline - First dance, anniversary songs, meaningful moments

Genre focus - All jazz, all 90s hip-hop, all indie folk

Mood-based - All happy songs, all sad songs, all pump-up music

Pick one theme. Stick to it. Don't mix "songs I liked in high school" with "classical music my grandma played." That's two different walls.

Frame Coordination (Not Matching)

Your frames don't all have to match, but they should coordinate.

Easy approach: All the same color (black, white, wood, whatever)

Medium approach: Same style, different sizes (all modern, all vintage, etc.)

Advanced approach: Mix of styles that somehow work together (this is hard, be careful)

I recommend just going all black or all white frames. Simple, clean, works every time.

Size and Layout Strategy

Symmetrical layout - Same-size frames in a grid. Very clean, very organized.

Asymmetrical layout - Different sizes arranged to look balanced. More dynamic, trickier to pull off.

Salon style - Frames of all different sizes covering the whole wall. Looks cool when done right, busy when done wrong.

For beginners: stick with 3-5 frames, all the same size or just two different sizes. Don't overcomplicate it.

The Spacing Rule

Frames should be 2-3 inches apart from each other. Not more, not less.

Too close together: looks cramped Too far apart: doesn't look like a cohesive gallery wall anymore

Use a ruler or just eyeball it if you're confident. But be consistent.

Here's what trips people up: you're centering the entire GALLERY at eye level, not each individual frame.

Eye level is usually 57-60 inches from the floor. The middle of your whole gallery wall should hit around there.

Then arrange frames above and below that center line.

Don't put every frame at the same height. That's not a gallery wall, that's just a row of pictures.

Start With Your Anchor Piece

Pick your biggest or most important frame. That's your anchor. Place it first (usually in the center or slightly off-center).

Then build around it. Smaller pieces radiate out from the anchor.

Your anchor could be:

  • Largest frame
  • Most colorful poster
  • Most meaningful song
  • Center of your layout

Everything else supports the anchor.

Mix in Some Variety

An all-lyrics wall can work, but mixing elements makes it more interesting:

Keep the music theme, but vary how you show it.

Color Coordination

Even with all black frames, your POSTERS should have some color coordination.

Monochrome - All black and white posters. Very clean.

Color family - All warm colors or all cool colors.

One accent color - Mostly neutral with one pop color repeated throughout.

Analogous colors - Colors next to each other on color wheel.

Don't have every frame be a different bright color unless you're intentionally going for maximalist chaos (which can work, but it's risky).

Creating Balance

Step back. Does one side look heavier than the other?

Balance doesn't mean symmetrical. It means visual weight is distributed.

A large dark frame on the left can be balanced by several smaller light frames on the right.

If it looks lopsided, it probably is. Move stuff around until it feels balanced.

The Template Method (For People Who Hate Guessing)

Many frame companies sell gallery wall sets with templates. They literally give you paper templates showing exactly where to put nails.

Is this cheating? No. It's being smart.

Get a set, then just make your music posters fit those sizes. Problem solved.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Too high - Don't put your gallery at ceiling height. Eye level, remember.

Too small - A gallery of three tiny frames on a huge wall looks lost. Scale matters.

Unrelated content - Keep it music-themed or don't call it a music gallery wall.

Ignoring furniture - Your gallery should relate to what's below it (couch, desk, etc.)

Perfect symmetry - Gallery walls don't have to be perfectly symmetrical. Loose is fine.

Random spacing - Keep spacing consistent between frames.

Location Ideas

Above the couch - Classic gallery wall spot

Hallway - Long walls are perfect for timeline-style music galleries

Stairwell - Follow the angle of the stairs

Bedroom - Above the bed or on a focal wall

Music room/office - Obvious but good

Dining room - Give guests something to look at

Going Floor to Ceiling

If you have a lot of pieces, you can go big - floor to nearly ceiling.

This is a commitment. Make sure you really love all these songs before you create a 15-frame gallery wall.

Looks amazing when done right though.

Start with 3-5 frames. Leave space. Add to it over time.

Year 1: Wedding song Year 2: Anniversary song Year 3: Song from a trip Year 4: Baby's birth song And so on...

Your wall grows with your life. That's actually really cool.

Mix Horizontal and Vertical

Don't make all your frames the same orientation. Mix portrait and landscape orientations.

This adds visual interest and lets you use different types of lyrics (short quotes vs. longer verses).

Don't ignore corners. A gallery wall that wraps around a corner can look really dynamic.

Requires more planning but makes use of otherwise awkward space.

Light It Right

If you have the setup for it, add picture lights or wall sconces to highlight your gallery.

Not required, but it makes it look more professional.

At minimum, make sure your wall gets decent natural or artificial light. A gallery wall in a dark corner defeats the purpose.

Test Before Committing

Use removable adhesive hooks (Command strips) for lighter frames first. See if you like the layout before putting actual nails in.

Or take photos of different arrangements and compare them.

Commitment issues are valid when it comes to wall holes.

When to Call It Done

Gallery walls can keep growing forever. At some point you have to stop.

Good rule: when the wall feels full but not crowded. You should still see some wall color between frames.

If you have to play Tetris to fit one more frame, you're done. That's enough.

Make Your Posters First

Before you buy frames, create your music posters.

Know what sizes you need. Know what colors you're working with.

Then buy frames that fit. Not the other way around.

Unless you're using templates from a printable music poster service that fits standard sizes. Then buy frames first.

It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect

Gallery walls have a organic, collected-over-time vibe. They shouldn't look like a museum exhibit (unless that's your thing).

If one frame is slightly higher than the others, most people won't notice. You will, but they won't.

Stop when it looks good, not when it's mathematically perfect.

Ready to create your music gallery wall? Start with our custom song poster maker or explore pre-designed templates in various sizes.