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Making music is deeply personal, an art form that can transcend boundaries, express emotions, and connect with people on a deeper level. If you’re also hoping to make money through your music, then simply waiting to get spotted and catapulted to the heights of fame isn’t going to work. Whatever genre you’re in, you’re in a very competitive marketplace – bear in mind that Spotify alone adds more than 40,000 tracks every day. So, if you’re seriously looking for a successful career in music, you’re going to have to treat it like any other job, and that means putting in some hard work from the start.
How a great brand will help you stand out
Eye-catching, compelling branding isn’t just for soda cans and fast-food outlets. It’s always been an integral element of being a band or musician, too. Nowadays, with so many new and innovative ways to connect with an audience, the strength of your brand from the outset is what’s going to help you stand out – perhaps even more so than the music you create. Luckily, it’s not as complicated as ad agencies and designers would have you believe.
The essence of branding is authenticity and consistency; your brand as an artist should be a direct reflection of your music. When you’re coming up with a logo and color scheme, think about what your music means and says to your audience. That logo is going to become a vital part of your brand identity, creating a compelling, lasting impression when you use it consistently across all platforms, as explained at https://iconcollective.edu/.
Reach out in the right places
Of course, social media is the way to connect with and start growing your fanbase if you’re on a tight budget. Again, consistency is key. Don’t just use your website and YouTube channel to drop your latest track; give people a real insight into who you are and what you stand for with regular updates, behind-the-scenes footage, and competitions to win gig tickets, meet-and-greets, and merchandise.
The most successful artists have leveraged their personal brand to diversify into a huge variety of areas: Kanye West, Rihanna, and even Olly Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon all have their own fashion lines, and Eminem has recently opened a restaurant named after his iconic lyric, Mom’s Spaghetti. Many epic musicians, from Michael Jackson to Ozzy Osbourne, can be seen on the face of a different form of entertainment, with online casino slot games listed at https://www.bonusfinder.com/ giving fans an interactive way to celebrate their favorite artists. You might not be at that level just yet, but thinking creatively about where to reach out to grow your fanbase further is essential. The level of growth the online casino industry has experienced lately has shown no signs of losing momentum, with many new sites using franchised slots to bring in new players. Sites such as this help curate this experience, highlighting the best casinos available.
Think a little more about your frequent activity, such as choosing the right venue to showcase your music – a heavy metal crowd won’t be interested in an acoustic set – or teasing your next release in inventive ways like the artists discussed at https://www.creativebloq.com/. You’ll see here how even indie artists with little money to spend on promotion can think outside the box and create a real buzz with inventive, clearly branded materials that get people talking.
Whether you’re aiming to make it as an indie or go mainstream with a record company deal, your brand, not your music, will be the first impression that will get you noticed. So, make sure it makes a statement, then get on with making a musical impact!
