As musicians, we like to focus much more on music-making than on music marketing. However, both are important. While building a successful music brand might look a little bit different than building a successful peanut butter brand, many of the principles are much the same.
This process isn’t some mythical idea that you can think about later. If you’re making music, building a successful brand starts now. Luckily, if you’re reading this, that means you’re aware that something needs to change. Maybe people are hearing you, but they aren’t listening. Maybe you get good feedback, but your listeners aren’t sticking around. Maybe you haven’t sung a single song in public, but you want to know what’s in store for you.
No matter where you are in your career, the goal remains the same: be so distinct that audiences recognize you and your sound without having to work for it.
Branding helps get you fans as well as retain them.
The Importance of Brand Identity in the Music Industry
Getting brand identity right is always important, but perhaps more so in the music industry than in any other field. Locals are going to gravitate towards their favorite local grocery store, but they often won’t listen to an artist simply because you come from the same town as them. You’re competing with endless other musicians for the time and adoration of people all over the world.
A strong brand will help you connect with your target fans, get you more gigs (you read that right), and even attract the attention of record labels. What fans, managers, and record labels don’t want to see is someone who doesn’t understand their own message. Your brand identity tells them that you know and are willing to fight for your unique sound.
The Three Cs
Before we look specifically at what makes a music brand great, we’ll discuss some business basics for branding to help you know what to expect. The business world has been doing this since the dawn of capitalism, and it’s still working. That means there must be something to learn here, right?
Don’t worry. I won’t throw a bunch of business jargon at you, and we’ll take it in small chunks so that you don’t have to absorb too much at once. These are what’s known as The Three Cs:
Clarity
Clarity is crucial from both sides of the fence. Your fans need to know your music, what it means, and what it stands for. You need clarity to understand who your audience is, what they want, and how they connect with what you can offer. This helps you know exactly how you fit in the music business and how to make the most of your position. For example, if you’re a men’s hat business, it wouldn’t display proper clarity for you to advertise in a magazine primarily found in hair salons. Who wants to cover up their expensive haircut with an expensive hat?
Consistency
Having a consistent brand strategy means people know what they’re getting when they sign up to be a part of your community. This doesn’t mean your music needs to sound the same every time. It means that you need to be consistent as a person. Your logos, fonts, colors, venues, and even your fashion need to have some cohesion. By the time a person sees you for the second time, they should be able to list things that they know about you in a few words. “He always wears denim.” “Sing has a nose ring.” “His logo is a flower with a cityscape behind it.” “Her style is bluesy with a techno edge.” You get the point.
Commitment
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Commit to the bit”? With branding, it’s incredibly important to commit to the bit, especially if you’re a singer. Music is a means of expression. It’s incredibly revealing. For better or worse, if you’re not 100% in, your listeners will know. This is true with any business, no matter the field. If you’re not committed, no one else will be either.
Defining Your Voice and Style
Now that we’ve got generalities out of the way, it’s time to dwell on what it means to build your brand as a music artist. What you need, whether you’re an independent artist or you’re working with a label, is a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Essentially, you need to be able to explain and act out what makes you different from all the other artists in the world. It could be your values, it could be your style, or it could be something else. Whatever it is, it needs to be backed by the perspectives listed below.
Understand Your Audience
This falls under the Clarity portion of building a brand. If you don’t know or don’t have your target audience, you’re essentially shooting in the dark. I’m not saying that you have to pick an audience and cater to them. Instead, you need to know what audience you’re already appealing to so that you can clarify your message and really drive it home.
Choose Your Visuals
Your range or other factors may somewhat limit your musical style, but your personal style is entirely up to you. Who you become through your visual identity, including elements such as clothing, artist or band logos, music videos, album covers, merch, and socials, is entirely up to you. However, it’s important that each of these many elements enhances your music and doesn’t detract from it. Many artists work with graphic designers and stylists to achieve a professional level of coherence so that they can create music without dwelling too much on other things.
Develop Your Vocal Style
If you’re a singer, your voice is automatically at the center of your music career. It has a big job: communicating your intentions, reflecting your personality, and expressing your emotions. What you don’t want to do is be so all over the place that people are so busy trying to figure out what you’re doing that they miss the message. Music is an incredible opportunity to reach the hearts and souls of people across the world. With a consistent style, you may just have the kind of successful career that has a lasting impact.
Build An Online Presence
When it comes to marketing materials, social media is, by far, the most bang for your buck. You can reach billions of people without spending a cent. Your music can be heard by people who might otherwise never have heard it. Even your values can be on display constantly if you want, which is far more exposure than a single sentence on an occasional talk show. While you build your brand effectively with an online presence, such as social media and a website, make sure it stays consistent with everything else you’re doing.
Don’t Be Afraid to Grow
Changing paths abruptly isn’t the same as growing. Fans love to see a musician grow, develop, and build. Refining and updating are often part of the process and align with all three of our Cs. Don’t be afraid to use all of the experience you’ll gain as the years go by. That’s what will make your music unique in a recognizable way.
How It’s Been Done (And Why it Works)
If you need proof that brand identity is important, all you have to do is take a look at some of the industry professionals who have become household names.
Creedence Clearwater Revival chose to target the working man. They wrapped their brand around mixed blues, country, and folk, pointing their messages at the hearts of their audiences. Listeners can’t get away from the poignant way this band calls them out and faces their fears.
Shakira fused Latin music with pop, but she didn’t stop there. Instead of leaning only on her music, she took her affinity for dance and combined classic Latin steps with belly dancing in a way that no one had seen before. She’s instantly recognizable and ferociously memorable.
Brandon Lake picked out disenfranchised Christians and seekers and made them feel seen. His lyrics speak directly to the concerns and journeys of these groups, even while his sound draws in elements of modern pop. It makes him catchy, but still moving in a way that resonates with many.
Paramore is the next evolution of 2000s pop-punk. They bring in threads of emo and modern alt-rock, as well as new wave and even funk. What makes it work is their consistency and commitment to the bit. People who love Paramore can’t live without Paramore. When you combine their sound with their raw, emotionally intense lyrics and guitar-driven ballads, the outcome is music that sticks around.
Taylor Swift is a perfect example of unabashed growth. She began with country roots and grew into her voice, her style, and her performances. Her current style leans into pop and indie-folk with occasional flares of alternative rock. What you can’t escape with Swift’s music is her storytelling. She is determined to get her narrative across in her lyrics, and that makes her music cause deep feelings in her listeners.
What This Means for Your Singing Career
It’s likely that you’ve had some uncomfortable feelings about the idea of “self-promotion.” It’s something that a lot of artists really struggle with. We’re good at expressing our feelings (as long as there’s a catchy tune and a kick drum), but we can’t bear the thought of actually asking someone to care.
The solution is simple: Don’t think of it like that.
Easier said than done, I know. If you’re rolling your eyes, do me a favor, and read the next bit before logging off.
Creating music is hard work. It’s literally an art form. The world is blessed to have artists such as yourself who are willing to do what it takes to create beautiful things. The truth is, many people will resonate with your music, your lyrics, and the heart behind them. You’re voicing the things that they might have otherwise let suffocate in a tiny corner of their soul. The way they thank you for your hard work is by listening to your music, coming to your performances, and telling others about you.
But they can’t do that if they don’t know you exist.
Building a brand is so important for exposure because it’s what causes your message to stick. A good song with a forgettable title could get left in the dust. A moving performance that’s a one-off breaks trust. Merch that doesn’t match your vibe doesn’t get purchased. This task, daunting as it may seem, goes so far beyond whether or not you make long-form YouTube videos.
Properly identifying and implementing your unique brand identity creates a sense of security for new and old listeners. Once they visit, they never want to leave. Your community becomes a safe space for them. They know what they’re getting, and they love it.
It is a lot to think about, for sure. I know… you’re already trying to write music, record it, perform it, and everything in between, but if you want to find the kind of success that takes your name down in music history, you can’t stop there. You can’t give up when it gets hard because the music industry is relentless. It will be hard work from the first note you sing.
If you’re going to put in the work to create great music, why not put in the work to make sure people hear it? You’re already halfway there. Do yourself a favor and keep going. Build the brand with clarity, consistency, and commitment. Most importantly, be true to who you are and what your music means. That integrity from the start will serve you for as long as you’re an artist.
Listeners can tell when you’re giving it your all. It’s what brings your music to life. Bring your voice, your authenticity, and your gumption to the stage, and people will respond.
