What You Need to Secure Your Brand as a Musician
Real talk: The last thing you want is someone Googling your artist name and not being able to find you because you haven’t secured your online brand. It’s so important that you’re actually findable online, which means making sure you’ve claimed absolutely everything. Let’s go over what it means to secure your brand as a musician.
Your name as a starting point
Let’s start here because this is the most important decision you’ll make when creating your brand as a musician. What you decide to go by as an artist is crucial because you need to make sure, before you pick, that everything you need is available. If you pick an artist name, but someone already owns the domain or has the trademark, you’re not going to be findable online (or legal in some cases).
Recently, I was going through the music marketing subreddit, and there was a Dutch artist asking for advice. They gave their musician name, and I tried to find them online, but it was impossible. Famous people with similar names kept popping up to the point where I couldn’t even properly search for them.
So, please, before you dedicate to a name, Google that name. What pops up? Who already owns the online space? Or does nothing come up, and you’re safe to dominate that name?
I’m not saying you shouldn’t pick a creative name or something that you love because you absolutely should. But I am saying that if you can’t actually be found with your name, it might be a good idea to pick something else.
Your trademark
This might seem scary, but it’s important. You need to be able to trademark your name, both within the country and the state you do business in. This is important for several reasons. One, so no one else can take your name.
Two, so you can get an EIN and do self-employment taxes for any money you make. States typically will not let you do business as a different name if you haven’t gotten a trademark with them. And you don’t want to be handing out your social security number to anyone you’re doing business with. You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Get a trademark, get an EIN, and stay both legal and protected.
When you’re getting your trademark in United States, get it through the USPTO. You can get it for Class 9 and Class 41.
Your domain
Buy your artist name as a domain. I personally use and recommend Namecheap for buying your domain. But this is something you absolutely need to own, so no one can buy it out from under you. I’ve written before about how essential a website is if you’re a musician, and that means owning your domain.
Your social media handles
This might be a gimme, but I want to talk about it because you should have the same handles across all social media platforms. The way you help people find you is by making sure it’s all under the same name. If your artist name is taken somewhere (which hopefully, you avoided, but if not), add “music” or “artist” or something at the end, so you can make sure it’s all the same.
Music distribution
This might seem like another gimme, but I want to make sure we’re absolutely clear. Everywhere you release music should be under the same name. Everyone should be able to find your music under the same name for all platforms.
Your brand is such an essential part of being successful as an artist, which means you need to own it. If someone else owns your domain, you’re not going to be able to get a foothold online. So, make sure you’ve secured all of the above.
If you’re looking for future guidance and you’re not even sure about your brand, that’s what I’m here for. Check out the services and reach out.
