We believe we live in a relatively rational world. However in reality we experience lives through our emotions first which we then post-rationalise to help us make sense of it, giving us the perception that we are in control; that we are deciding on what we see, hear, think and feel.

Music has the ability to bypass our rational defences. You just can’t stop singing and humming a really annoying song in your head while you’re walking around? Another example would be think about how different music makes you feel; it’s not that music ‘can’ effect our mood – it ‘does’ effect our mood. Again this is because it connects with us at an emotional level. This coupled with the physical nature of music – in that it can literally connect with the heartbeat of the consumer – makes music a very different channel of communication. Music is a very personal experience.

It is therefore no surprise to hear that:

“Music is the fastest medium for people to form an association (with)”
David Aakers – Building Strong Brands

How does this information help those who are starting an indie music label, or running an independent music label?

Well, these insights are very important to anyone working with brands and music in the music industry because it highlights the potential potency and power of music to communicate at an ‘unstoppable’ emotional level with your prospective audiences. So powerful is music and songs, because it communicates to us in a single voice, and it needs no translantion at all.

It is a fact that increasingly our purchasing decisions are based on emotional attributes rather than rational ones and given that the strongest brands have strong emotional bonds with their audiences, it follows that music should be a key ingredient in helping to create and form that bond…and influence those decisions.

From a musical artist or a band’s perspective, this means that your music can grow and develop as a brand. It then follows that you can manage your music as a brand – extrapolating relevant brand theory and practice as and when appropriate to help you add value and sustain yourself over time.

Whilst you might think that the above is common practice in the music business I have come across very few artists, music managers, bands or labels (independent labels or otherwise) who adopt this approach. The music business in general tends to be more executional than strategic.

Understanding brand theory and practice – such as positioning, target audience, brand values and personality, communication – will help you take a more strategic approach to your music business overall but more importantly it will help you create long term value over time.

Rachael Cain, Trax Records, From Vinyl to Virtual & Beyond

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