How to Build Your Music Brand
The words “brand” and “branding” are so ubiquitous that it is hard to even remember their real meaning. According to Wikipedia, a brand is “a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that distinguishes an organization or product from its rivals in the eyes of the customer.” Creating a brand for music is a particularly difficult task, as a musician’s work tends to be varied and is often in a state of constant evolution.
More often than not artists neglect some key elements when establishing their brand. We don’t suggest that you alter the music itself for the sake of branding; this almost never works. There are, however, several things you can do when it comes to the presentation of your music that will help a great deal.
Find Your Target Audience
You may want to appeal to everyone, but that’s generally not a realistic goal. In this initial phase, work on getting to know your fans and determining who your “target audience” of future fans would be. With your own fan base, especially if you have started drawing more people than your friends and family, you will want to interact with them to get a sense of who they are, what connects them and what their shared interests and behaviors are. Once you know who these people are, it will be easier to put your music and image in front of them in an effective manner.
Determine What Makes You Unique
This piece of advice might seem obvious, but if you let what’s popular influence you too much, you might find yourself straying from who you are. You don’t want to constantly rebrand yourself to fit in with what’s getting a lot of attention. You won’t necessarily keep a following this way. If people are going to like you and your music, it’s because you’re being yourself. Know and accentuate what makes you and your music unique and allow that to shape and mold how you promote yourself. In this way, you can now refine what parts of your music and image you can spend the most time promoting.
Stay Consistent
Now that you know who you are targeting and have identified what parts of your music and image are the most unique, it’s time to make sure that you stick to some kind of ongoing theme. This is not to say that your brand can’t evolve, but at least for a series of singles or an album cycle, it is wise to have your logo, artwork and overall aesthetic remain somewhat consistent. People are so overwhelmed with new stimuli it is key to give them something to hang on to. Part of creating your brand will include a logo, photograph or piece(s) of art that you will become known for.
Building your music brand plays a large role in the marketing and success of your career. By implementing the above tips, you will be creating a strong platform to share your work. Eventually, if your music is good, you’ll begin to attract fans and industry influencers and your music will get attention. Of course, feel free to Contact us for assistance with building your brand.
