Branding is a truly critical component of music marketing.  A lot of people don’t like to think of themselves as “a brand” but it’s simply unavoidable in the music business.  

When someone looks at a picture of your band, or one of your albums, or even your logo, it should give them a good idea of what you’re all about.  It’s partly music marketing, but it’s also partly just self-identification.  If you’re in a particular genre, you need a brand that clearly establishes what kind of music you play.

Basically, branding is just another form of storytelling.  It helps establish exactly who you are, and what your appeal is.

Three Ways To Help Build your Brand 

1 – Be Consistent 

Branding only works when it’s universal.  Once you settle on a logo, put that logo on everything, the exact same way every time.  When you have a good design, you should figure out the precise Pantone color numbers for the exact shades of color in it, along with mathematical proportions on the shapes involved. 

It sounds “Type A” but this is the only way to guarantee your logo is always your logo.  It also helps prevent bootlegging and knockoffs.

2 – Show, Don’t Tell

There’s always room for a bit of self-promotion, but by and large, you should rely on actions rather than words.  Don’t tell people your concerts are high-energy; make them SO high-energy that anyone who attends one will go around talking about it themselves.

Your branding is working if fans are saying the things you’d like them to say, without you putting the words in their mouth.

3 – Know Your Competition

Branding is largely about standing out, and that means you should be that which your competitors are not.   Use them as a guideline for what not to do, so you can find your own story to tell.

Or, put another way: if you set your album beside other albums in the same genre, would you even be able to tell the bands apart?  If not, you need to differentiate yourself more.

How will you brand yourself in 2015?