Branding For Musicians: what is branding?

A Short History of Branding

The term "brand" comes from an ancient Norse word meaning "to burn." Originally, branding marked cattle to signify ownership and identify lost or stolen livestock. By the 1870s, this evolved with the advent of intellectual property rights and trademarks, as brands began to protect their unique identities. Brands became a marker for product quality. Over time, brands themselves became valuable—think CocaCola—and started embodying ideas and emotions. People began to buy brands they believed in. Brands became symbols of a certain lifestyle, like Harley Davidson (freedom) or Nike (pushing limits). After lifestyle, branding evolved again, this time into culture creation where brands aim to inspire and lead culture towards positive change, such as Patagonia. So, what does this all mean for you as a musician? It is good news, because where corporations like Apple try their hardest to come across as being human by having CEO's give flashy product presentations, you actually ARE human. In these times of A.I. music creation, the one thing we still have over algorithms. So, with that in mind, what do you think: is it better to be less or more empathic, colourful, distinct, personal, artistic, and emotional in your branding? I know what I think: you have to be human. And not just any human being, but More Of YOU.

An Introduction to Branding

We could debate the definition of branding until we see purple cows dancing (Seth Godin joke), but let’s start with a basic premise. As a musician, consider branding from two angles. First, branding is in the eye of the beholder—your brand is how others perceive and feel about you. It’s the set of perceptions, expectations, memories, stories, and relationships people associate with you. As brand expert Marty Neumeier says, "A brand is a person's gut feeling about a product, service, or company. A brand is not what you say it is; it’s what they say it is."

Second, branding is a promise to your audience—a clear, distinct promise to those who care about you and your work. It means they know what to expect from you. Great artists have clear brand promises. For example, attending a Bruce Springsteen concert, you expect a sweaty, marathon 3-hour set, great songs, rock 'n roll devotion, joy, intimacy (even in a stadium), hope, and a sense of belonging. Bruce and his E-Street Band deliver on that promise, which has sustained their career for over 50 years. What about Willow Smith? Lizzie McAlpine? King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard? Kendrick Lamar? What do you expect and feel about your favorite artists?

Branding is a Compass for Others

Branding isn’t about packaging yourself to sell your music; it’s about focusing your actions so the right people can find you. Branding is a service for others, not a selfish endeavor. It’s like a neon sign in the desert saying "OASIS!". Brands help people make better choices. If I want psychedelic-soul with romantic, funky vibes, I listen to Khruangbin. For melancholic, intricate pop, I play OK Computer by Radiohead. If I want to dance like a wolf and enter a cosmic realm, I need Aurora. For sexy, cool French disco, I reach for my L'Impératrice vinyl. Branding isn’t about controlling others; it’s about providing clear information about who you are and what you stand for.

That brings us to my definition of a brand: “The creative and focused expression of your artistic and professional identity in actions, words, and images, providing others with clarity about what you stand for.”

Branding Empowers You

Besides guiding others, a deeply personal brand benefits you. Tangibly, a great brand means less selling and more requests (acquisition vs. referral). This translates to fewer emails to venues for gigs and more invitations from venues. You’ll receive opportunities, like collabs with other artists or brand partnerships, that align with your personality, strengths, and purpose. Additionally, you’ll feel less competitive pressure because there’s only one you.

Branding also helps on a deeper level. It’s a mindset. Formulating your brand requires self-reflection, self-knowledge, experimentation, and creativity. It takes effort, which is precisely why you should do it—most artists don’t. It’s like my theory on traveling: most people are lazy and won’t walk more than an hour. So, I always walk farther, following trails to beautiful, secluded spots. Branding is similar—it’s about doing the deep work. When done right, it creates a stronger sense of self as an artist and fosters deeper connections between you, your art, and your audience.

Branding is about choosing—focusing on what’s essential and eliminating the rest. For example, if your core values are Friendship, Hope, Empowerment, and Freedom, they guide your actions. Friendship: How can you make your live show feel like a gathering of good friends? Freedom: How can you give your fellow musicians more creative freedom on stage? Hope: How do your lyrics address adversity and inspire hope?

Branding is About Positioning Yourself

According to marketing guru Seth Godin, branding is about being remarkable—worth making a remark about. Remarkability lies in the edges. It’s hard to be mainstream and be remarkable. Your goal isn’t to please everyone but to resonate with those for whom your art matters. To stand out, you need to walk the line between being recognizable by referencing or integrating your genre's foundational DNA, and distinctive by integrating your personality and other symbols from genres, art forms, and society at large. Take Polyphia, for example. They’re recognizably metal but wear sneakers, use white colors (not black), and have unique guitar and drum sounds. They’re edgy, yet recognizable.

What are your edges? What unique elements do you bring to your music and brand?

Make it stand out.

Be remarkable.

That’s branding.