Stephanie G. Mathis While branding may appear to be a novel concept in today’s social media-driven industry, it has always played a key role in bringing art and design to life.
It can be difficult for some artists to accept that music is just half of the story. It is crucial to create a brand for your music because:
You will get more fans if you tell them what your music sounds like before they listen to it.
Your personality should be communicated – the more people get to know you, the more likely they are to trust you and feel like they’re a part of your journey. This will lead to a stronger relationship with your fans so that they stick with you for a long time.
Your brand will gain depth if you communicate your values. This can also help you attract your target audience.
You/your band can stand out on the market with a strong visual message or component. This is appealing to new fans and the music industry. It will help you differentiate yourself.
Here are five ways to make your music stand out:
Choose 1-2 colors for the core.
Use these colors for everything, including album art, logos, merchandise design, and tour posters. Avoid black and white if you want your music to stand out. Most artists tend to use black and white as a default color scheme. It won’t help you differentiate yourself.
Select a symbol
You can use a symbol in all your artwork, videos, and social media posts. It can also be an emoji that is relevant to your song or album title.
Choose a theme/motif.
The theme/motif doesn’t have the same tangible quality as a logo. A VHS theme or a style from the early 2000s could be used in all of your content, such as through color-grading and fashion. A recurring character or the beach concept could also be used to inspire color schemes, music videos, and photos.
This category also includes creating the TikTok trend. You might like to consider transitions or concepts that relate to lyrics, mood, or certain contrasting parts of a song. This can reveal a lot about you as an artist and what you felt when you wrote the song.
Clarify the feelings you wish your audience to experience
What’s the message that you want to send with your music and art? This will influence everything from the way you perform on stage to the colors and symbolism that you use in your visuals.
Do you want to inspire and empower people? Do you want people to feel understood and less alone? Are they happy and joyous? They seem to want to party immediately. You should write a mission statement for your band/artist that explains the impact you hope to have with your music. You may enjoy performing and writing, but the mission statement should focus more on others than yourself.
Write down your artistic values. Does your band, for example, have a strong political position on something that is a recurring theme in your lyrics? Clarifying your values as a band or artist will help you with many things, from choosing themes for your videos and songs to selecting who to add to your team. It may not be a good business decision to work with a manager or an agent who doesn’t share your values.
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You have a personal branding.
It is all about how others perceive you. It can have a positive or a negative impact on how people perceive you as a musician/band. Everyone has a brand, whether you like it or not.
Consider these things when creating a strong personal brand:
What’s your reputation?
Do you always arrive late, gossip about other people in your scene, or are you cool? It’s important to be professional in the music industry.
The rockstar era is over. The market is saturated, and people have had enough in the past two years.
How do you contribute to the music scene?
Do you teach music, or are you a graphic designer? Do you support other musicians at local events? You can use these experiences to enhance your brand and help people get to know you by incorporating them into posts on social media.
Your brand can help you gain more exposure and opportunities for business.
You’re on your way to becoming a celebrity as a career artist. You’re basically telling people not to follow you if you keep your social media accounts private. You could also be denying fans who could have been directed to your artist’s page or business opportunities.
Your pages can be a great tool for organic marketing. You can use them for future sponsorships and endorsements. You should build your social media pages alongside your band’s page if you are in a group or band.
Branding is much more than just visuals. Branding is about your voice, your reputation, and who you are. The brand you build now does not have to last forever. You could, for example, use different colors or symbols to represent each while keeping the overall theme/motif the same.
It is important to be consistent with your branding throughout a release.
You will see your core values and mission change much less often, if ever. Even these things, as you evolve and grow as a human being, can be changed over time. Don’t worry about being stuck with a certain image for the rest of your life. You can reinvent yourself anytime. You can’t fail if you do what you feel is best for you and your music at the moment.
