Is it time for a new direction in the music business?

There are a lot of reasons an artist or band might want to branch into new genres.  Maybe they’re multi-faceted and want to show off their skills.  Maybe they’ve “said all they have to say” within a certain genre.  Maybe they just want a larger fan base.

Either way, changing or adding genres to your repertoire can be a tricky business, because your existing fans have to be considered.  Lose them, and your career may be in jeopardy.

Ideas For Adding New Genres To Your Style

1 – Release a free demo.

Before going all-in, it’s best to test the waters. You can do this by releasing a free track through social media. Next, ask your fans for feed back to guide you in the right direction.

2 – Sprinkle into your live shows.

If you’re more focused on your live act, try introducing a new style there, in just a song or two.  Surprise the fans, and see how they react.  Or, play one as your final encore, and see what everyone says afterwards.

3 – Create a side project.

Especially in the indie music business, creating a “new” band is usually just a matter of registering a few new online accounts.  A good example would be The Postal Service, which was a side project from Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard.  Rather than gamble the Death Cab “brand” on a new sound, he made a new band instead.

(And then, for better or worse, Give Up ended up being the most popular album he ever released…)

4 – Make a new persona.

If all else fails, re-invent yourself!  David Bowie moved through a few sub-genres this way, and people loved every new character he came up with.  Just be certain that you’re pulling a Ziggy Stardust… and not a Chris Gaines.

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