How to think of your brand as an artist

Branding gets talked about a lot in the music world—especially if you’re independent and trying to stand out. But most of the advice on how to tighten up your brand tends to feel pretty corporate or it’s not specific enough for musicians.

So let’s break this down in a way that can help you assess what your current brand situation is—not as a marketing exercise, but with the goal of helping fans connect with you and your music in a stronger and more meaningful way.

What is your brand, really?

Your brand is the impression people have when they think about you as an artist or band. It’s not just your music. It’s your visuals, your language, your tone—and how you deliver all of it holistically.

And, whether it’s intentional or not, you already have a brand.

So the question becomes: is it clear? Is it consistent? And does it truly represent you and the music you’re making?

Judging a book by its cover

Let’s face it, people are pretty quick to judge. Before they’ve even heard a full song, they’ve already picked up on your visuals, tone, and vibe. If those things don’t gel, it’s harder for them to understand what you’re about—and more likely they’ll move on.

But when everything lines up, it builds curiosity and connection. And helps fans better see the vision for who you are and what you’re about.

Start with the music

Most importantly, your brand starts with your music—everything else is built on top of it.

Ask yourself:

• What does my music sound like?
• What emotions or ideas does it carry?
• What kind of visual world does it live in?

If your music is raw and emotional, your visuals and tone should reflect that. If it’s playful and bold, that should come through too. You’re not trying to match everything exactly—you’re just trying to create a world that feels cohesive.

Where alignment shows up

Branding isn’t about building a persona. It’s about making sure what you’re putting out feels like it’s coming from the same place. Here are a few areas to check:

• Photos: Do they match the mood of your music? Are they consistent in tone? (And keep in mind: chaos can be a form of consistency too.)
• Videos: Even short clips or live footage should feel like part of your world.
• Color choices: Are you leaning toward certain tones or palettes—or are they all over the place?
• Typography: Do your fonts support the vibe, or were they picked without much thought?
• Logo (if you use one): Does it represent you and your music, or is it just filling space (or worse, creating confusion)?
• Language and tone: Do your bios, captions, and emails sound like you? Do they match the tone of your lyrics, your site copy, or how you talk to fans?

None of these need to be perfect. But they should feel connected.

Study the brands you already love

If you want to sharpen your eye for this kind of alignment, try looking at artists you already love.

Pick 2–3 of your favorite artists right now and do a quick breakdown of how their brand works. You already respond to it—now try to figure out why.

Ask:

• What does their music sound and feel like?
• How do their visuals (photo/video) support that feeling?
• What color palettes or tones do they use often?
• What’s the vibe—slick, messy, surreal, cinematic, handmade?
• What fonts do they use (on their site, merch, covers)?
• Do they have a logo? Is it consistent across platforms?
• Read their artist bio—does it feel like the same voice that’s in the music or lyrics?

You’re not looking to copy them—you’re training your eye to recognize alignment. The goal is to get clearer on how different elements work together to create a feeling.

And when they do, a few things happen:

Fans recognize you more easily—on stage, in their feeds, on a t-shirt. They feel more part of something. And that visual cohesion can signal to industry folks—labels, managers, publicists—that you’ve already put in the work to shape your identity. That you’re not waiting for someone else to define it for you.

If you collaborate, talk it out

If you’re in a band or work with other artists, make it an exercise to walk through or discuss your brand together. What kind of atmosphere are you all trying to create? What does the music feel like visually?

This is where things can start to feel a little corporate—so make it your own. No need to overthink it. Even just sharing images, references, colors, or tone ideas in a shared folder or chat can help you stay aligned without turning it into a branding workshop.

Check in regularly

Your brand shouldn’t be fixed in place. It should grow as you do.

Every so often, ask:

• Does what I’m putting out still reflect who I am as an artist?
• Is anything I’m doing creating confusion?
• Does it all feel like it belongs together?

If the answer is no, it might be time to realign—not rebrand.

And this can actually be a fun way to build momentum—especially ahead of a new release or tour. A visual or tonal shift that reflects where you’re going creatively can give fans something new to grab onto.

Final thoughts

You don’t need a big concept. You don’t need to perform or polish everything. But you do need to be intentional.

When your music, visuals, and voice all reinforce each other, people understand what you’re about more quickly—and they’re more likely to care.

That’s what a brand really is: a clear, honest way to show people who you are and what your music stands for.

Supertape helps you stay on-brand with custom fonts, colors, logo, and layout across your site, newsletter, smart links, and link in bio—so everything looks and feels like you.