This post contains an excerpt from the Music Marketing Club Podcast Episode #2.
Branding is the identity that you give to the vision that you have for your music so that it is memorable. Being memorable and distinguishable is the whole point of branding. Let’s break it done further into the 5 elements of branding for musicians.
#1. Brand Positioning
Brand Positioning includes such elements as understanding your niche, so for a musician, this would mean understanding your genre or sub-genres and how you fit in. Being aware of and understanding your target audience. What is your value proposition, that is what is the benefit such as the emotional, social, or entertainment value of your music and artistry, and how do you differ from others in your genre or scene? Even as a musician, it’s really important to understand what your differentiators are, why are you different, and what makes you stand out. This is helpful to include in an artist bio, EPK (that’s an electronic press kit), your booker should be clear about this in their pitches, etc.
So, in summary, brand positioning is all about understanding what you stand for, what your scene is, how you fit in but also how you stand out. That’s a lot right off the bat, but this is where people get lost, so take the time to think about it.
#2. Brand Messaging
Brand Messaging includes such elements as your brand voice or tone, your brand story, such as your origin story, value, and mission, the narrative associated with your brand or music, do you have a slogan or tagline, what is the message that your band or music stands for, and this can evolve with every release
#3. Brand Identity
Brand Identity includes such elements that probably came to mind first when I said the word “branding” for musicians, and that would be visual elements such as a logo, color palette or color story, typography, or a visual style, such as gothic, minimal, romantic, grunge, etc. These visual components help to create a strong visual presence for a brand and greatly help to increase brand recognition. You want your brand ID to be comprised of elements that are cohesive and work well together visually, while also being easy to remember and identify. Consistency is very important when designing a brand’s ID, as it ensures uniformity across all of the brand’s assets.
#4. Brand Image
Brand Image to me is very anthropomorphic. It helps to think of a person and their image, so components such as reputation, perception, and emotional connection all help to construct an “image” of the brand. So think about your brand’s perception and reputation with fans. Are you consistent with sharing content, do you want to be? How does your brand emotionally connect with fans?
#5. Brand Experience.
This is where it all kind of comes together.
Brand Experience is closely related to but more tangible than Brand Image. Brand Experience includes the quality of the experience of your music, through elements such as merch, live performances, promos, social media, etc. How does your brand interact with fans? How are you growing your fanbase in relation to your music?
For more on how branding fits into the bigger music marketing picture, download the FREE Musician’s Marketing Guide (PDF).
