5 Keys to Building a Strong Music Brand and Persona that Connects With Your Audience

It is said that your brand in music is as much as 80% of your success. A brand is not created overnight but these tips will give you a good head start. 

First impressions are influential and key to music discovery. You have only seconds to hold someone’s attention, so you need to make a lasting first impression. Brands can be powerful that way. Once you identify yours, it will broadcast who you are effortlessly and effectively. There are many aspects of brand to hit, but for the purpose of this post I’m going to focus on persona, message, sound + direction.

When we weave the message and persona of the artist’s brand deliberately and clearly throughout the music, the visuals, the content, and the copy it works together to tell a story and broadcast a clear message. When the message is inherent and authentic in the artist—it is often the determining edge of success. 

Developing a strong persona and brand is a way to improve your connection with your audience. 

1. Clarity

Half the battle in music is deciding who you are and what you want. There are so many ways to go, how do you know which direction is right for you? 

Like most artists, you probably have a lot of musical interests and multiple personas you could inhabit. First of all —that is completely normal. 

Every artist I’ve ever met has a wide listening palette (self-included) – it’s natural. But when it comes to your own brand an identity it’s important to zero in on the qualities you want to project. 

It starts with getting clear on who you are and what you want. Think of your artist persona as an amplified version of you. 

Make a Pinterest board (or vision board). Include images of all the artist images you like that have an image that is close to yours. Include wardrobe, accessories, album covers and nature landscapes you like (yes – landscapes help identify colors and associations that are important to your brand. Only include images you absolutely love. 

2. Authenticity

The other half of the battle is finding a way to be yourself. Sounds simple but somehow is deceptively difficult to achieve. 

The goal is to be you, unapologetically. But seeing yourself objectively is not easy to do. 

Start with writing out an Artist Mission statement. Why do you do music? What got you started in music? Was it a difficult time in your life? What was happening in your life that led you to be a musician? There is important information in the answers that will help lead you. 

Why do you do music now? What do you hope your music will bring to people? Spend time journaling about it to find pieces of your authenticity. 

3. A Mesmerizing Image

 An image speaks louder than words. Your image in music speaks for you. Spend time working on developing clarity and authenticity around who you are and what you want to project and then work on achieving it. Its one thing to know wha you want and an entirely ‘nother thing to know how to get it. 

Go back to your Pinterest board and start to piece together images of you that match. Don’t be afraid to try things. Snap photos of yourself shopping and be sure to include some vintage shops in your lineup. 

Then once you’ve got a handle on the image, plan a photoshoot with a photographer who is open to helping you find your image. Don’t be afraid to try several different photographers to find the one that works best for you. 

Labels spend a lot of money on this. You don’t have to if you have resources, but do spend alot of effort working on your image. The image is your music at first glance. It is often the first thing people see when they come across you. And a powerful image makes people want to find out more and listen to your music. 

4. Sound + Direction 

Someone said this to me early on and it stuck. “Find your genre and stick with it.” It’s true we need to land our music in a lane. Look at the Grammy categories and start there. Then add sub-genres and write out a description that includes the instrumentation and layers that you hear. 

Make a playlist of songs that have the sound you are looking for. Follow your instincts musically. Knowing what you want and how to get it is the key to finding your sound and direction. Take time listening to the sound of music to find your direction, not the lyric or vocal as much. Listen to the sound of the instruments and production. Make a playlist of sounds you want on your record. Narrow it down to 20. Write out notes of exactly what you like about each song – Capture time stamps of instruments and elements you want to bring into your sound. 

Work on developing a sound to achieve the vision you hear in your head. It takes time. 

5. Vision 

You are the architect of your music. Every artist has a vision in their head of what they want. The problem is it’s deep in their brain and we need to bring it out. But one thing is clear. You are the architect of your sound. Yes, a producer can help, but if you don’t know what you want, it can make a mess of things. 

A strong artist brand has these three things: 

• • A strong clear message
  • A powerful image
  • A clear sound + direction  

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Enroll now in our Step Up to the Spotlight Artist Development Program. Step Up your music, your mindset, your brand and your plan! Module 1 in your inbox with registration! Hit reset on your music now!