The importance of branding in the music industry
On 24 November 2018, in the rationalist setting of the former GIL in Rome, a new edition of For Friends Not For Brands was held entirely dedicated to the interaction between branding and the music industry. Several personalities from the Italian independent music scene participated, who informed us on how brand design is also applicable to emerging artists. Filippo Manni, CEO of NUtone Lab and Coordinator of the Sound Design department at IED Roma, Lucian Beierling, Product & Customer Success Manager at Soundreef, Land Ho + Sxrrxwland, creative and collective artistic studio, and Valerio Bulla, Musician and Graphic Designer revealed what is meant by Brand Artist and how this concept can determine the success of a musician. Every artist together with their music is in essence a brand – a spokesperson for the values with which their audience identifies. It is also on the basis of these shared values that the audience decides whether to follow them, and the communication that supports their launch or that of their latest work must therefore reflect these values. Here, the music industry comes into play, which must be able to guide the artist and offer them pathways in line with their way of being. Our speakers’ talks offered an interesting point of view often not thought of when approaching music as a consumer. We thank you very much for your insights!