10 Music Brand Building Strategies In 2024: Ultimate Checklist

Electronic press kits (EPK) are key for gaining press and are definitely something you want to invest in if you are trying to get your music out to the public. Some artists falsely believe that EPKs are old-fashioned or unnecessary, but they are actually the secret to driving publicity, getting booked for shows, getting your songs on the radio, and taking your overall music brand and career to the next level. 

Your EPK can be a PDF one-sheet or a more comprehensive file that includes at least one high-quality press photo, a band/artist bio, latest press releases, honorable mentions or awards, clickable social links, and of course, music links. 

The great thing about EPKs is that you can blast them out to anyone and everyone that you are trying to get your music in front of. It's a super-easy way for them to quickly get to know you as an artist or band with all the needed information at their fingertips.

Before you can start building your music brand, the first and most important step is to find your niche. A niche is a special quality that makes you different from every other artist. This then becomes your unique selling point that fans can only experience through you. 

Your niche could be your distinct sound, your own sense of style, your special live performances, or the way you interact with your fans. Think about what you want to be known for and identify what sets you apart — then you have your own niche within the music industry. 

For more information on what a music niche is and advice on how to find yours, check out our article here. 

Developing your aesthetic falls into the category of traditional branding, but still plays a crucial role in modern-day branding as well. Your aesthetic and brand image go hand and hand, but typically an artist/band aesthetic can be described as a consistent set of rules or styles that make up their visual or musical identity. 

Every artist has their own look or image. If you are in a punk-rock band, your aesthetic may be black painted fingernails or a monotone logo. Eventually, this aesthetic is what fans will relate to you and your music. Portraying this same aesthetic, look, or image consistently goes a long way to help your brand associate itself with your look.

Merch is quite literally branding within itself. On top of that, it is free promotion for your music. Strongly branded merchandise can be a tool to invite people who have never heard your music to explore it. Furthermore, selling merch has never been easier than it is today, and it’s an excellent source of ancillary revenue. 

It’s important to note that your merch designs are a representation of your music itself. Anyone can slap a logo on a t-shirt and call it a day. But if you want to stand out and make a statement, spend a little extra time and money on professional artwork or designs. Make your merch as unique as your music. Little things like adding a Spotify code to the back of the shirt can truly go a long way! 

As an artist, your job is to be entertaining. That may sound like the obvious but I’ve met plenty of amazing musicians who were just plain out… boring. I’m not dissing my shy or introverted personalities out there, but remember that your music brand should be memorable and what sets you apart from the crowd.  

Even if you feel that you lack ‘star-quality’, the right branding strategies have a way of encapsulating and decorating that. Embrace your inner weirdness and personality when building your brand. Believe it or not, Prince was a shy and introverted person. But he built his brand around extravagant performances, bright colors, funky attire, and an overall eccentric persona.

Band websites are an essential part of building a musical identity and reaching out to new fans. Social media can help with this, but it can also limit your reach as an artist. 

Make a music website that matches your brand as an artist, then drive fans from all of your social and streaming platforms there. Your website will not only be a more permanent, professional space to build that fan community, but you can generate revenue online for your music and merch through your website. 

Having good social media content and a ton of followers is great, but it’s truly not enough these days. You need to have amazing content — not average, and a lot of it. As a musician, your job is to entertain your followers. So give them a reason to follow you, engage with your content, come back to your page, and a reason to share your content with their friends. 

The biggest mistake musicians make with music promotion is using social media platforms strictly to push their music. While this is certainly necessary, you should include other types of content in your posts as well. 

Instead of just releasing a song or music video and saying 'hey everyone, go listen to my new track'... try thinking outside the box and going bolder. Include some behind-the-scenes footage, clips from the song, artwork, or anything else to grab your audience's attention outside of just the music alone.