“You know my first week looking crazy due to high demand
Cause people don’t buy music in this day and age
They buy the brand” – Logic, “44 Bars”
Branding is important in every market known to mankind. The product you produce, the story you tell, and the human (or humans) behind it all make up what is known as the brand. The more people you attract to the experience of you, the more successful you will be. People will support what (and who) they believe in.
The sheer amount of music available makes it increasingly important for music artists to understand how to stand out and rise above. You have to make sure you are projecting your authentic self, which will attract those meant to hear your message. Assembling a fan base is crucial to your long-lasting success. Having a dedicated fanbase means having ambassadors that will share your music and message with others.
You can mobilize a fan base. However, before any of this can take place, you have know who you are and how you want to present yourself. You need to have a signature – a particular look, feel, personality. We need to know and recognize your work.
The Rolling Stones logo ranks as the number 1 music artist logo according to Complex. See how many of the Top 25 are from artists that are well-known all over the world. (SPOILER ALERT: Pretty much all of them)
A personal logo can act as your stamp you can put on your album covers, T-shirts, social media, etc. Having a visual brand identity gives you the equipment to cultivate a consistent and accurate message. Great visuals permeating throughout your projects, merchandise, and website give you a cohesive vision to broadcast to consumers, potential sponsors & partners, and record companies. You can even apply brand identities to each project you release. Big Sean, for example, recently released two new singles (“No More Interviews” and “Bounce Back”) and each was accompanied with apparel you could buy. He even adjusted all of his social media to reflect the release of these songs.
Thinking more about your overall branding gives you an opportunity to extend your influence beyond your music while simultaneously drawing new people to your music. You can have the greatest songs in the history of music but, if no one knows about it, you’ll get nowhere. Have an interesting visual style, produce quality branded content, and have an overall game plan on how you want to manage your image and work.
~b.