Wondering how to become a successful music artist? In today’s world, it takes more than just the tracks you create. Fans are looking for a real connection with artists and so you need to be able to build a personal brand that reflects your values, morals and ultimately what you stand for.
Successful artists in 2024 have a strong social media presence, a loyal fan base and a message to share. Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Well what a lot of these artists have gone through is something called Artist Development, which used to typically be offered by management and record label companies. We know that this is a crucial step in the music industry so at Access Creative College, we offer this as a programme to get you well ahead!
What is Artist Development?
Artist Development is a journey where you work with a range of industry experts to perfect your overall brand and essentially, business. Entering the Artist Development stage of your music career is the fine line between doing it as a hobby to turning into your full career.
Creating an Identity as an Artist
It starts with introspection. In Artist Development, you’ll embark on a journey of self-discovery. Analyse your brand, identify strengths, acknowledge weaknesses, and explore the scope of opportunities and threats in the music landscape. We’re literally starting from scratch here!
Brand yourself up again
Once you’re fully deconstructed, this is where the real work begins. You will take everything from industry and fanbase feedback to looking into what the competition is up to. From here you will then work on your overall story; who you are, why you started your music journey and what you’re trying to achieve with your artistry.
The above then forms the skeleton of your overall branding. It’s time to get creative, build your overall look, look into what colour schemes and imagery resonate with what you’re trying to showcase and start to formulate your look.
You will also start to build on your music development; songwriting alongside fellow artists, recording original music and building your network.
Examples of Successful Music Artist Branding
- Taylor Swift: From polaroid-heavy nostalgia to the villainous Reputation era, Taylor Swift constantly reinvents herself, showcasing a masterclass in marketing. However she is always recognisable with her branding and how she executes it across social media platforms and beyond.
- Ed Sheeran: A simple light blue square marked the beginning of Ed Sheeran’s successful branding campaign for his album Divide. The colour and design is now notable all over the world, even without any wording!
Showcasing Your Artistry
The stage is your canvas. You’re on the other side of your Artist Development journey and now it’s time to put all of that work into action. When it comes to your stagecraft, social media promotion and songwriting, you will always have in the back of your mind the business element of your music – meaning you can push that serious side out to the industry.
Elevate Your Musical Journey with Artist Development
The Access Creative College Artist Development programme isn’t just another music course. Taught by industry professionals who have been there, done that, you will not only come out with newfound skills but with a finalised brand, portfolio, and product—ready to take on the world. So if you’re serious about taking your music career to the next level, check out the Artist Development course at Access Creative College.
We’ll see you on the main stage!