Top Ten Myths about being A Film Composer: #2-"My Music Is My Brand- 'nuff said".

What Is A Brand?

If I were to ask you this question would you have an answer? If I asked you to describe your brand could you tell me? Do you even know why it is important? We all use search to vett and verify everyone we met. If you see a strong consistent online presence chances are they have spent time thinking about their brand which translates into higher credibility and possible employment.
So how do you begin to build your brand?

Let me ask you a few questions:

• What are your "Core Values"?
• How do you support (pillars) your core values?
• What is your "promise" (mission statement) to your customers/audience?
• Where do you want to go? (aspirations)
• If you asked someone to articulate who you are what would they say? (Brand Characteristics)
• How do you work? Who to you work with? (Culture)
• Describe your professional "personality".
• Can you identify where your best opportunities are? Can you describe your image?

If you were to hire a branding company to help you sell your services these are some of the questions they would ask. They wouldn't be able to even start without knowing this crucial information. 

Your music is a commodity.

To be successful in marketing yourself you must start think of what you do as being a "product" that is bought and sold. Yeah , Yeah....I know this sounds hardcore. It doesn't have much to do with making music. Or does it?

Believe it or not, I still get uncomfortable when talking about my music and my career...even after all these years. I have found, through painful trial and error, that when I think of my music as if it were an inanimate object I am much more at ease and less self conscious. I remind myself that I am expressing my brand not myself. I can then focus on the other person and be confident. Never forget- it's all about connecting with who you are talking to.

What does that mean to you?

Think of your music as your "brand"-which is to say that "you" are different than your brand.

The questions above describe the basics of branding  a company, product or individual so that the reader or potential buyer can determine quickly (10 sec. or less) if you have given them sufficient reason to engage them in what you are offering. Doing this effectively requires you to be able to articulate your message (promise or mission statement) succinctly without hesitation. Rehearse your elevator pitch! It will give you a big boost of confidence. 

Why branding?

In recent times there has been much emphasis on "branding". You might think "branding" is cool graphics, great trailer style music, attention grabbing etc. Ever ask yourself how they come up with that stuff? (a great video describing what a brand is).

That being said: branding is about creating a shared experience that denotes quality, service and value that the user carries with them. To express these ideas to a listener, reader or employer you must be clear about the meaning of the message you are delivering. Here is an analogy:  to be a successful orchestrator one has to learn how to write in "in the language of the orchestra ".  Getting to the heart of who you are, what you stand for will make your sales process more effective.

What does this have to do with making music?

The more you work, the more chance you have to make music.

'nuff said.