1ns and 2s with DJ-Sticha - Building a brand as a Musician

Nzalo kaNdaba ngiyabingelela,nginethemba ifestive season isaniphethe kahle,ijob yijob though so umsebenzi uyaqhubeka come rain come wind.Namhlanje I'll break down a lighter topic but very important ngoba without it(branding) you won't go anywhere.
So you are a musician,your music is great and you want to be noticed by fans,clients and record executives.You need a strong outstanding brand that will help you get noticed easy.
You need to brand yourself,your music and your packaging.Branding includes your name,your images (logo, album artwork), and your
text (your story,your tagline).These
components make up your Brand Toolbox.

Whether you're a solo musician or a large group,there's simply too much information about you and your music for new fans to easily digest.Branding is about distilling your identity
into its key components.There are
four ingredients to an effective brand a good brand:

1.Accuracy.Your stage name should be the unique identifier of your music and give people a clear sense of what your band and its music is about.Before choosing a name.Google it to see if it's unique to use.It does not help to call yourself a common name like MIKE.Neither does it help to have a name like Mr Alcohol while you sing Gospel.Or have a gothic image while you are an R&B artist.

Accuracy-House duo Liquideep and Trio Mi Casa just to name these two,have a unique name which cannot be confused to any other band

2.Impact.Your brand should convey its message quickly and easily.Have a
slogan special to you.Have an image
that can only be pointed to you.The
cooler your logo the more likely your
fans will promote it and purchase
branded merchandise.

3.Repetition.The key to an effective
brand is to use it repeatedly.It's crucial you brand everything from your website,Facebook Page,Twitter
account,Album sleeve,Music videos,
posters,and so on.Your brand is what
fans will identify you with.After all,why else would anyone buy a T-shirt from a musician?Your brand gives
merchandise its value.

Repetition - R&B group Boyz II Men has maintained the same font for over a decade.

4.Consistency. Because repetition is
the key to strengthening your brand,
consistency is critical.Once you decide on what font to use to write your name,stick to it on all singles and albums.Don't keep changing your logo or theme.

Consistency – Sean Combs is a bad
example of consistency in his name.
Over the decades he has moved from
Puffy to Puff Daddy,P Diddy, and
Diddy - Dirty Money

Nginesicelo nje kuma artists wakithi please do us all a favor and take your branding seriously,ngoba the majority of your Cds artwork,ibukeka as if yenziwe ngeSamsung phone.Get a professional graphic designer akwenzele into that represents you as a brand.Spend money to make money as people we judge a book by it's cover that's not a secret,if your artwork looks like iwallpaper yeNokia 3310,trust me there are few people abazothenga iCd lakho uma bengakaze bawuzwe umsebenzi wakho,uma umculo uwenzela izwe lonke make sure wenza izinto ngendlela,kodwa uma uwenzela abangane bakho it's fine use iSamsung phone for artwork designing.

Asabelane ngolwazi,Asikhule emculweni

Let's meet again on Friday,take extra care of yourself and have a Happy prosperous New Year!!!

OkaMpangazitha umtwana uyabonga.

Facebook:DJ-Sticha Mixking

Twitter:     @DeejaySticha