Posted on October 7, 2022

The Best Way For Artists To Create The Ultimate Brand Message

By Yvonne Martin

What is the definition of branding and how does one create the ultimate brand message?

Simply put, it is an organized guide to your company’s look, feel, or vibe. Be it the more physical assets like colors, shapes, styles, and themes, as well as the non-physical assets such as tone, mission, and vision.

For music branding, the artist has to create a personal brand and then adapt the main branding guidelines to each album or musical asset that is being created. 

Through verbal and nonverbal cues, your brand communicates its distinctive value proposition and personality with this family known as brand messaging. The objective is to have these different elements aligned in a logical order, that can convey what you stand for as an artist. 

Ultimate Brand Message tips to follow when thinking about what kind of message you want to work with. 

1. Identify properly who you want to talk to in different groups
2. Have a clear mission statement and vision for your art
3. Create a visual identity that includes all elements from shape to color to a soundscape
4. Fine-tune your story and journey as an artist that has led you to this point

The individual color or accessory item is empty when alone, if you are creating a well-differentiated brand in comparison to the market, think of the hows and whys in your message. Fans may be inspired and motivated by your messaging, which will encourage them to engage with posts, listen to more music, and spread the music themselves.

To build your ultimate brand message, ask yourself these key questions:

1. Why do I make music?
2. Why do I play this style of music?
3. How do I feel when I make my music?
4. What is the feeling when I listen to my music?
5. How do I want others to feel when they listen to my music?

The story of your brand is ultimately told by the combination of Albums, performances, and designs that you put forward, and how that story is told is controlled by your marketing team and your public relations agency. 

What steps should you take to create an ultimate brand message that your target market would love?

Your target audience and distinct musical assets are two things you need to know like the back of your hand. Decide who you are, what you perform, and who you do it for.

Your brand message must respond to these inquiries:

1. How do you set yourself apart from your rivals?
2. What sets you apart from the competition?
3. Which messages make sense to the people you’re making this for?
4. Whom are you trying to reach?
5. What are they concerned with?
6. Does your company’s messaging have a plot?
7. What objectives has your brand set out to accomplish?
8. What values does your brand uphold?
9. Why should they care about you?

Keep in mind that your brand message responds to the “why”. As you answer these questions and start to sketch out your brand identity, keep in mind that these answers will evolve over time but will maintain their core elements. 

Core elements for your market-friendly brand message

To align your brand with the fans, create fan personas that reflect their distinct characteristics and objectives. Maintain your attention on the brand positioning that will be catering to these personas.

The persona is there to represent your audience or at least the most common audience member you are catering to. When writing any content, ask yourself, “Is this true to my crowd’s values?”

Connect with your audience: 

Use your buyer personas and brand messaging document while creating content to make sure you’re discussing topics that are pertinent to your audience.

Avoid being flawless:

Neither people nor brands should be perfect. Avoid making excessive promises and conveying your perfection because doing so will come out as dishonest. Albeit the message is perfect the person behind it seldom is.

Spread your message far and wide: 

Consider your brand messaging in everything you publish and all of your marketing choices. Your text needs to convey your brand message whether you’re writing it for your website, crafting slogans for packaging, or marketing an event.

The MPT Agency’s ultimate suggestion for a brand message: “Keep it Simple”

Ensure simplicity. People won’t relate to you if your brand’s personality or core beliefs are unclear or difficult to understand. The last thing you want to do is to develop a brand message that confuses your audience.

With MPT Agency, your music and your brand message are one and the same. We align both these elements and do not really focus on which one comes first. After all, as a musician you are expressing your story through a song, the brand message is the way that song is put together.

Make sure you check our blog on the EPK, which is one of the key tools that describe your brand to the world. We also regularly post artist tips and insights on our socials. Follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.

Posted on September 30, 2022

The Ultimate Truth Behind Media Interviews, Tips & Tricks For Musicians

By John Reynolds

To Ace A Media Interview you need to accept the ultimate truth behind media interviews. One of the finest methods to inform your audience about who you are in your own words is media interviews. However, going on an interview is nerve-wracking, especially if your career is just getting started.

Interviews frequently do not feel natural. It’s hard to shake off the sense of being recorded or the fear of saying poorly chosen words that harm your career.

In truth, media appearances are another sort of performance. They are quite helpful for gaining new fans and creating buzz. But, you have to put in the same level of preparation that you do for a live show. 

Since interviews are all about your biggest passion —your music— there are more media outlets than ever seeking to interview musicians. Magazines, blogs, podcasts, radio and television programs, YouTube channels, etc.

In all the scenarios you will either be contributing background information and quotations for a story as the subject of the interview. Or the audio/video of your interaction will serve as the article’s actual content. Therefore, you should have thought out some of the topics before getting on the phone or the air with a journalist.

Pretty Much Everything We Know About Interviewing

Sure, you can certainly wing it and still deliver a captivating interview if you are quick-witted and self-assured. But for the rest of you, here are some tried-and-true pieces of advice to ease follow.

Stay Calm

Interviews are just conversations. Keep in mind that the interviewer possibly feels the same way if you are feeling nervous. Reporters and journalists are taught to carry on uninterrupted conversations. 

They’ll frequently take extended pauses since they know you will have to talk more to fill the awkward quiet. Do not give in to the pressure. It is OK to take your time and consider your response before responding.

Be Sincere And Honest

It is OK to avoid being “politically correct” or to support topics you do not genuinely care about. Both interviewers and readers can see straight through it. 

Consider your fanbase’s moral standards and passions, and reach out to those you share. Otherwise, you risk being the target of an internet witch hunt. After all, is defending your position on the day’s most controversial issue worth endangering your career? Definitely not.

Investigate the team behind media interviews

Before engaging with a newspaper or channel, do some research to make sure that your morals are aligned. To make sure it is a good fit, research its demographics, topics, and overall reach. Look up previous articles written by the journalist you will be chatting with. This might help you anticipate their questions.

Give a chance to smaller, regional blogs despite that. You never know what companies those bloggers may eventually work with. Additionally, visitors of smaller blogs sometimes follow them with far greater devotion, potentially creating devoted followers.

Be Well-Prepared

Unless there is an urgent matter, arrive on time for your interview. Don’t change your schedule because it is very unappealing. It can harm your reputation with prospective publishers forever.

If you are doing an email interview, make an effort to use proper grammar. Copy editing is ultimately their responsibility. But doing your part shows the reporter that you are aware of their time-consuming duties. 

Be professional! This benefits you in the long run since journalists communicate with one another.

What’s Your Story?

Do you know the details of your musical journey? What’s the best part? Why would a stranger be interested in your music or story if they had never heard of you? 

Get it. Know it. Bring to a boil. 

Do not give everything away! Reserve the best material for each interview you are on.

Practice Makes Perfect: a fundamental Truth Behind Media Interviews,

Ask yourself questions frequently. Create some intriguing responses to make sure you have covered all the essential parts. 

Then, say your response loudly. Why loudly? Because your breath flutters and your heart beats quicker when you are anxious. You also start to stutter. Then you are doomed!

Hence, you can reduce your anxiety by practicing aloud before the event.

Avoid One-Word Answers

Do not be hesitant to go into depth; the interview’s goal is to learn more about you and your music.

There is a distinction between providing in-depth, engaging responses and endless rambling, though. Allow the interviewer to intervene if necessary to keep the dialogue moving.

Therefore, With a Partner like MPT, you’ll know the truth behind media interviews,

Remember these techniques the next time you are feeling anxious or nervous before an interview.  Do not allow fear to stop you from going for the job since one amazing interview may lead to a career full of them (and one terrible one typically will not ruin you).

For independent musicians, MPT Agency offers realistic and efficient SEO-based music marketing services to increase exposure and offer substantial social evidence for long-term success. To find out what other services can improve your musical career, make sure you check our blog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.

Posted on September 22, 2022

How To Write The Best Bio For Your Artist Page

By John Reynolds

Effective music PR begins with a good artist bio and a complete guide to bio creation for musicians.

When you sit down to do it, writing your own musician bio seems like the easiest thing in the world. It ought to be simple, right? Who better than you to understand your life, career, and vision? 

But let’s face it, many of us became musicians because we struggle sometimes to express ourselves and our ideas in conventional ways. 

In this article, we will explain what is a musician bio, why are they important, what kinds of bios you should have, and what types of elements you should include in your bio.

Let’s dive right in.

What Is A Musician Bio?

A bio is a narrative of an artist, that describes their life before their music is ever heard. It is a lofty account of the life of an artist and contains a wide range of details that give listeners a sense of what to anticipate as they go. 

Your bio should inform the reader about who you are, where you’re from, and what motivates you to pursue a career in music.

If you’d like to pursue a profession as a musician, think of your bio as your resume.

The Importance Of A Musician Bio

Although musician bios are undoubtedly secondary to the music itself, they might serve as an effective hook to attract listeners to your sound. 

A bio is the ideal door opener for professionals who can help connect the dots when new opportunities for artists to extend their brand, grow their audience, or pitch their influence arise. 

Some highly influential contacts and prospects might not have the time to listen to your music until they read your bio and become engrossed in your tale. 

When people are hearing your name for the first time, bios may assist lay the groundwork for an emotional connection with them. 

Consumers may take in your brand while watching you document your musical journey.

Types Of Bios You Should Have to Create The Best Bio For Your Artist Page

Three alternative versions of your bio are crucial because every platform and audience is different.

Short Bio

• Between 1 and 3 sentences.
• Use this for your Instagram and Twitter profiles

Medium Bio

• Between 250 and 350 words.
• Use this for your Facebook, SoundCloud, Spotify, and most other online networks.

Long Bio

• Between 500 and 750 words.
• Use this for your website and Electronic Press Kit.

Elements You Should Include In Your Bio

Start by writing down a few notes on a piece of paper but make sure to keep your visitors interested and avoid boring them with protracted text paragraphs.

Here are some components you should include in your bio:

Pleasing Introduction

Consider a basic summary you might give to a person who has never met you or heard your music.

Write down your name, your hometown, and your influences. This will assist you in developing one or two sentences for the introduction. It should be interesting and brief. 

Background Info

Include any pertinent background information, such as your musical background but keep it simple. 

Your Music

Even while the majority of your followers will already be familiar with your music, a blogger or journalist might not be. In the description field, provide a brief overview of your music.

Try to utilize a few well-known words that people can use to identify you even if it’s difficult to fit your music into a specific genre. This will encourage someone who reads your biography to check out your music as well.

Current Musical Endeavor

Have you…:

• Recently entered the studio? 
• Introduced a fresh new single?
• Written a song together with another musician?

Accomplishments And Career Highlights

Have you…:

• Performed at a major event?
• Achieved radio success?
• Been successful with music streaming services?
• Received a nomination for an honor?

Press Quotes

Your artist biography will have more credibility if you include a statement from a journalist who has described your sound or your most recent record. It’s a good method to demonstrate that people are speaking well of your music.

Last but not least…

Write In Third Person

Your bio should be written in the third person. This will make it simple to scan and comprehend while also assisting with the search engine optimization of your website. 

Additionally, if necessary, it enables media, bloggers, and venues to simply copy and paste your bio.

Looking for a Biography done by the Pros? MPT Agency Will Create a Timeless Series of your exploits as a Musician with the Right Kind of Story Telling Swing.

Words have the ability to influence people. Hence, keep your music bio concise, unique, and original! We always stress this to our clients at the agency. Something believable can be told in a way to inspire awe and wonder without 10 layers of sugar on it. Authentic stories are the best for business, and no matter what you might think of your own journey, trust us, there is an adventure to be told.

MPT Agency can assist you in creating the best bio to influence a fresh fan base. To find out what other services can improve your musical career, make sure you check our blog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.

Posted on September 19, 2022

What To Feature To Have The Best Musician Website

By Barbara Drews

Could there be only 10 Reasons why a website is essential for musicians? Duh, no, it is beyond essential, and here is why.

You may already have a strong online presence given the accessibility of social media and streaming services. Why hence is a website necessary for a musician to stand out, and what to feature to have the best musician website

Having your music website conveys professionalism and shows business professionals that you are serious about your music career. The greatest approach to establishing sincere bonds with your followers is in a venue that you control and own. Here are 10 reasons why musicians should have their websites and it should feature to be the best musician website

Information Hub

You may consolidate all of your promotional material by creating an artist website. It will be easy for both you and the audience you’re attempting to reach if you can house it all in one location and update it as needed.

Full Ownership And Control

Online identity is permanently established once you have a website. You may simply transfer your domain and all of your material if you wish to switch website hosts. You have complete control over when and how the audience interacts with your material.

Conveys Your Unique Personality

A website may be anything you want it to be since it is not constrained by a news feed or a set number of characters. With blog articles and images, you may be as personal as you would on social networking.

More Permanent Than Social Media

Social media platforms are excellent channels for promoting your band and your music. A website, on the other hand, is always there and is not affected by algorithm updates or buyouts. Neither poor organic reach nor bought posts can control you.

Search Engine Visibility for Musicians

One of the first places industry experts will look for you online is Google. When people look for your name online, promoters, venue booker, journalists, bloggers, and the media will anticipate finding your website. If not, your name can be lost in the crowd.

An EPK Will Showcase Everything

Before hiring you for an event, any booking agency or promoter will look at your website. You may take advantage of this by putting your greatest work on display and including your latest music and videos in an EPK that is directly linked to your website. 

Direct Connections – Grow an Email List To Have The Best Musician Website

Regular email communication is a great approach to advertising your future releases, tours, and crowdsourcing initiatives. To grow your email list, you might provide a free track download to your fans in return for an email address on your website.

Merch & Music Sales

To support their favorite musicians throughout the pandemic, many fans turned to internet music and merchandise stores. Make sure to include merchandise on your website if you’ve already begun to grow a following.

Did you know that pre-sales count towards the first week 1 sales of a release?

Imagine a couple of thousand sales from your website. You can quickly jump on the Apple and even Billboard charts. A strategy often used by MPT for new artists with an existing core fanbase.

Organic SEO

Your artist name and the most recent music you’ve released can be mentioned in the text on your pages if you have your own music website. Based on your artist name, you can select a personalized domain. As a consequence, Google will associate your artist name’s keywords with your website.

More Insights On Your Audience

To find out where your fans are coming from and which songs they play the most, set up Smart Links with Landing pages. Page-level data enables you to better understand your audience whether you’re launching a marketing campaign or promoting a new record.

How To Create The Best Musician Website 

Now that you understand the benefits of having a website for musicians, you’re prepared to start building one that will serve your needs. 

From choosing a template to organizing the material and promoting it, we’ll examine everything you need to create a professional music website.

Templates for The Best Musician Website

You may think of a template as the framework for your music website. The components you want are included in website templates for musicians. You can then edit to match your sound and aesthetic preferences.

Header Image

The first thing you should do is choose a high-quality image that accurately represents you and what you do. To give your website visitors an immediate impression of you and your music, you will utilize this image in the header as a reminder of your website template.

Menu

The menu on your music website should include five to eight pages. The ideal placement for your menu is above, below, or to the left of your header picture, where viewers will naturally search for it. Although a vertical sidebar menu also adds a unique touch, a horizontal menu is more typical.

Content

Pick a template with a straightforward content section if you intend to add a lot of information to your website. This will allow you room to design visually appealing arrangements for your text and graphics, page by page. Select a template with a full-width content option to give your pages a roomy appearance.

Mobile-Friendly

You should select a mobile-responsive template to guarantee that visitors on mobile devices have a positive experience. It will therefore adjust to look fantastic on any screen or device. The SEO of your website will also be enhanced with a mobile-responsive template.

Colors

Once the design for your music website is in place, select colors to alter the appearance. Generally speaking, you should stay with 3 major colors to maintain a unified and polished appearance. Additionally, you must ensure that the color scheme of your website complements your kind of music, personality, and current musical status.

Fonts

From your musician profile page to your electronic press kit, your music website will be filled with text. Use colorful fonts, keep the accents constant, and make sure it’s easy to read.

An EPK or Electronic Press Kit Is Always Available On The Best Musician’s Website

Create an EPK or Electronic Press kit that includes:

• Biography
• Music
• Photos
• Videos
• Press releases
• Reviews
• Recent highlights
• Achievements
• Contacts

Wrapping Up

A decent website is a need for every artist, whether they are releasing a new single, selling older albums, applying for festivals or grants, or giving music lessons. To build a community around your music, make sure your content is engaging and always up to date.

MPT Agency can assist you in developing a music website that exudes professionalism and demonstrates to hiring managers that you are committed to a career in music. To find out what other services can enhance your musical career, make sure you check our blog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.

Posted on September 16, 2022

Why Album Artwork Is So Important When Releasing New Music?

By Shawn Spence

In today’s competitive music industry, it’s critical to grasp the ins and outs of how to distribute your music to the audience. When executed properly, publishing a single or an album may be a difficult but rewarding process.

Before releasing your single or album, you must have a well-planned strategy and timeframe in place. One of the first things you’ll need to consider is the album cover image.

Because it will be released alongside your music, your artwork must be completed as soon as possible. 

How Can You Create Your Next Album Cover?

Hire A Professional Photographer

You may hire a photographer to take expert images of the band or hire a local artist to create something special. There are many more photographers than there used to be because of the growth of “prosumer” photographic equipment. 

For photographers, however, there is no formal accreditation or licensing procedure, so anybody may make this claim. That implies that before paying someone to take your photos, you should conduct some investigation. You might start by asking your friends in the scene who have outstanding band shots who they worked with.

Online Image Editing Software

Use online image editing and design software to produce your artwork for a quick and low-cost solution. 

Canva offers a variety of themes for album artwork and is incredibly user-friendly. In order to use royalty-free photos in your artwork, you can also find them on free websites like Pexels and Pixabay. 

You might include lovely graphics to make something distinctive and eye-catching.

Go To Your Fans For Support

Organizing a contest among your followers and inviting them to submit artwork for the release may also be an option. A reward including merch and music could be given to the artist who created the winning piece of art. In addition, when you release your song, they would become very well known.

Why Is An Album Cover Art So Important?

It’s important to create engaging record cover graphics. 

• It serves as its visual entrance to your art.
• First impressions; It catches the eye, especially on digital music streaming services.
• Potential fans are more inclined to listen to your music.
• Music promotion and music marketing.
• Builds your brand and niche.

Album Cover Guidelines

To achieve the standards of the majority of significant music retailers and streaming services, your album cover art should adhere to these guidelines. 

Any cover art that doesn’t adhere to these rules will frequently be rejected by music distributors. 

Additionally, these best practices provide advice on how to design outstanding album covers.

• A size of at least 3000 × 3000 pixels
• 72 dpi as the minimum resolution
• JPEG file format 
• For optimum quality, use RGB color mode.
• Images must not be pixelated, fuzzy, out of alignment, or have any other quality problems.
• Include only the release title and the artist’s name in the text.
• Your release information and metadata must exactly match the copy.
• Never include wording that specifies a time frame, such as “Exclusive,” “Limited Edition,” “New Release,” or the release date. Keep the cover art memorable.
• Cover art cannot include any references to record labels, websites, digital service providers, or other companies in the form of logos, URLs, or other graphics.
• Do not include any contact details, such as email addresses, social network icons, URLs, or email addresses.
• Don’t mention prices anywhere in your text. For instance, “Low Price,” “Available for $1.99,” or “For Promo Use.”
• Improper pictures are not permitted in the cover art.
• Avoid ISRCs and UPC barcodes. They will be offered by the music shop or distribution provider. Additionally, those codes could alter if you re-release.
• Cover art cannot be deceptive. Using an artist’s name who is not included in the release, for instance.

Last Words Of Advice About Album Artwork

The first idea isn’t always the best idea.

The most significant component of developing your album artwork? Even if it seems cheesy, try to have fun! Experiment. 

You’d be amazed where your imagination may lead you if you tried to harness the type of creativity that made us like drawing and painting so much as children.

We constantly keep one step ahead of the curve and have a solid grasp of branding. We take great pleasure in the work we do and always treat your projects seriously. MPT Agency can create expert album artworks that are compatible with the most popular platforms for display advertising campaigns and cleverly attract new listeners to your tunes. To find out what other services can boost your musical career, make sure you check our blog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.