Your brand is your reputation.
As an artist, and really, as a business, it’s important to build a solid brand foundation so your reputation is positive and impactful for all who engage with you, your music, or your content.
Building a brand may sound complicated and expensive, but, in truth, it’s not.
Here’s how to build the essential elements of your artist brand in six easy steps.
Reserve your artist name
The first step toward building your artist brand is choosing the right name.
There are two primary paths you can take: 1) use your name (like me), or 2) come up with something new.
Regardless of the path you choose, what’s important is that you use something that can be allocated across every social profile you set up.
Brand recognition is only powerful if it is consistent and discoverable.
For context, I appear as @tomdupreeiii on every single platform I use.
So before you make moves, make sure you can use the exact same handle on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and anywhere else you want to post content.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: reserve your handle on sites you may not even be sure you’ll use yet. It’s best to have it and not need it rather than to need it and not have it.
Build your profile
Your artist profile should be clear (and the same) everywhere.
Think Nike check, Coca-Cola red, Ford, Chanel, etc. These brands are iconic and instantly recognizable.
For an artist, this sort of brand recognition generally comes from your profile picture and a succinct bio.
Example: “Just do it”. See what I mean?
When you think of Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Drake, or other massive artist brands, their face is likely the first visual indicator that comes to mind.
Sure, there are a few that have iconic logos (e.g. Metallica), but for the most part, it’s your image that does the work.
Accomplish this by taking a great profile photo and writing a great bio, and use both everywhere.
See my examples here, here, and here.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: take a great profile photo using only your phone with portrait mode and two lights, one facing you at a 45-degree angle and a second lighting the area behind you (obviously, I’m a fan of color on the background light).
Buy your domain
Here’s where we start to spend a little money.
Just like you reserved your handle on every social profile known to man (Vero anyone?), you’ll want to do the same for your domain (e.g. tomdupreeiii.com).
My preference for this is Google domains. It’s easy and it’s cheap.
And even if you have no intention of building your own website (you should), you’ll still want to grab that domain for the future.
Again, it’s best to have it and not need it as opposed to the alternative.
Cost: $12 / year
Pro tip: be sure to set your domain to auto-renew so you’re never at risk of losing it.
Build your website with Carrd
Every artist needs a website.
I’ll say it again.
Every artist needs a website.
Tom, do you mean Linktree? No, super-dope artist with massive potential, I don’t mean Linktree.
Take the time to build a proper website. This is the hub for everyone to find you—fans, other artists looking to collaborate, managers, promotional and sponsorship opportunities, etc.
Your branded URL should be in the website field of every social profile you have.
It is the best place to route your traffic to every other destination, and it showcases instant credibility and professionalism.
Fortunately, Carrd makes this super easy to do, and they have a ton of free templates that take virtually no time to set up.
Cost: $19 / year
Pro tip: if you want to use the exact template I use for my artist website, you can buy it here for only $10. It will require the Pro Plus plan at $49 per year though (worth it for the customization options if that’s your thing).
Sell merch with Spring
Like most artists, I have used Shopify on and off for my merch for years, but I recently decided I’d had enough.
I mean, let’s face it: Shopify is built for global retail brands far more than it is for independent artists.
It’s more complex than I need, and, with the recent price increase, it costs more per month than it’s worth in my opinion.
Literally, the only advantage Shopify has for me at this point is that it integrates with Spotify.
But I’ve never sold a single item via the Spotify integration. Have you?
I recently decided to switch to Spring for my merch needs. Outside of Spotify, Spring integrates with literally every other platform I could possibly want to use—Instagram, YouTube, Streamlabs OBS, and more.
It even integrates with OnlyFans if foot pics are your thing (no judgment).
You can create and list all kinds of merch, in-house, without connecting any additional platforms, and the best part is it’s totally free.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: if you want to use your own custom domain or subdomain (e.g. shop.tomdupreeiii.com) it will cost you $11.99 per month. Far better than Shopify’s $39 per month for the exact same use case.
Release music with Amuse
I know most artists are into DistroKid these days, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m a fan of DK too.
I just happen to like Amuse a little more.
Amuse has a killer mobile app, a cleaner interface, and access to royalties ahead of time with its unique Fast Forward feature.
Not to mention they have a completely free tier. That means you can test Amuse for yourself without spending a dime.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: I use the Amuse Pro plan, which runs $59.99 per year, to expand the stores I can release to and to gain access to Fast Lane releases and expanded customer support. Worth every penny.
So there you have it. All told, we just built an entire artist brand from scratch for only $31 per year.
Yes, you read that right. PER YEAR!
And on the high end, if you wanted to take advantage of every additional billing option (i.e. Carrd Pro Plus, custom Spring domain, and Amuse Pro), you’re still only looking at $252.87 per year.
That’s less than $22 per month. Easy choice in my mind.
Your brand is your reputation.
As an artist, and really, as a business, it’s important to build a solid brand foundation so your reputation is positive and impactful for all who engage with you, your music, or your content.
Building a brand may sound complicated and expensive, but, in truth, it’s not.
Here’s how to build the essential elements of your artist brand in six easy steps.
Reserve your artist name
The first step toward building your artist brand is choosing the right name.
There are two primary paths you can take: 1) use your name (like me), or 2) come up with something new.
Regardless of the path you choose, what’s important is that you use something that can be allocated across every social profile you set up.
Brand recognition is only powerful if it is consistent and discoverable.
For context, I appear as @tomdupreeiii on every single platform I use.
So before you make moves, make sure you can use the exact same handle on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and anywhere else you want to post content.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: reserve your handle on sites you may not even be sure you’ll use yet. It’s best to have it and not need it rather than to need it and not have it.
Build your profile
Your artist profile should be clear (and the same) everywhere.
Think Nike check, Coca-Cola red, Ford, Chanel, etc. These brands are iconic and instantly recognizable.
For an artist, this sort of brand recognition generally comes from your profile picture and a succinct bio.
Example: “Just do it”. See what I mean?
When you think of Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Drake, or other massive artist brands, their face is likely the first visual indicator that comes to mind.
Sure, there are a few that have iconic logos (e.g. Metallica), but for the most part, it’s your image that does the work.
Accomplish this by taking a great profile photo and writing a great bio, and use both everywhere.
See my examples here, here, and here.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: take a great profile photo using only your phone with portrait mode and two lights, one facing you at a 45-degree angle and a second lighting the area behind you (obviously, I’m a fan of color on the background light).
Buy your domain
Here’s where we start to spend a little money.
Just like you reserved your handle on every social profile known to man (Vero anyone?), you’ll want to do the same for your domain (e.g. tomdupreeiii.com).
My preference for this is Google domains. It’s easy and it’s cheap.
And even if you have no intention of building your own website (you should), you’ll still want to grab that domain for the future.
Again, it’s best to have it and not need it as opposed to the alternative.
Cost: $12 / year
Pro tip: be sure to set your domain to auto-renew so you’re never at risk of losing it.
Build your website with Carrd
Every artist needs a website.
I’ll say it again.
Every artist needs a website.
Tom, do you mean Linktree? No, super-dope artist with massive potential, I don’t mean Linktree.
Take the time to build a proper website. This is the hub for everyone to find you—fans, other artists looking to collaborate, managers, promotional and sponsorship opportunities, etc.
Your branded URL should be in the website field of every social profile you have.
It is the best place to route your traffic to every other destination, and it showcases instant credibility and professionalism.
Fortunately, Carrd makes this super easy to do, and they have a ton of free templates that take virtually no time to set up.
Cost: $19 / year
Pro tip: if you want to use the exact template I use for my artist website, you can buy it here for only $10. It will require the Pro Plus plan at $49 per year though (worth it for the customization options if that’s your thing).
Sell merch with Spring
Like most artists, I have used Shopify on and off for my merch for years, but I recently decided I’d had enough.
I mean, let’s face it: Shopify is built for global retail brands far more than it is for independent artists.
It’s more complex than I need, and, with the recent price increase, it costs more per month than it’s worth in my opinion.
Literally, the only advantage Shopify has for me at this point is that it integrates with Spotify.
But I’ve never sold a single item via the Spotify integration. Have you?
I recently decided to switch to Spring for my merch needs. Outside of Spotify, Spring integrates with literally every other platform I could possibly want to use—Instagram, YouTube, Streamlabs OBS, and more.
It even integrates with OnlyFans if foot pics are your thing (no judgment).
You can create and list all kinds of merch, in-house, without connecting any additional platforms, and the best part is it’s totally free.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: if you want to use your own custom domain or subdomain (e.g. shop.tomdupreeiii.com) it will cost you $11.99 per month. Far better than Shopify’s $39 per month for the exact same use case.
Release music with Amuse
I know most artists are into DistroKid these days, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m a fan of DK too.
I just happen to like Amuse a little more.
Amuse has a killer mobile app, a cleaner interface, and access to royalties ahead of time with its unique Fast Forward feature.
Not to mention they have a completely free tier. That means you can test Amuse for yourself without spending a dime.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: I use the Amuse Pro plan, which runs $59.99 per year, to expand the stores I can release to and to gain access to Fast Lane releases and expanded customer support. Worth every penny.
So there you have it. All told, we just built an entire artist brand from scratch for only $31 per year.
Yes, you read that right. PER YEAR!
And on the high end, if you wanted to take advantage of every additional billing option (i.e. Carrd Pro Plus, custom Spring domain, and Amuse Pro), you’re still only looking at $252.87 per year.
That’s less than $22 per month. Easy choice in my mind.
Your brand is your reputation.
As an artist, and really, as a business, it’s important to build a solid brand foundation so your reputation is positive and impactful for all who engage with you, your music, or your content.
Building a brand may sound complicated and expensive, but, in truth, it’s not.
Here’s how to build the essential elements of your artist brand in six easy steps.
Reserve your artist name
The first step toward building your artist brand is choosing the right name.
There are two primary paths you can take: 1) use your name (like me), or 2) come up with something new.
Regardless of the path you choose, what’s important is that you use something that can be allocated across every social profile you set up.
Brand recognition is only powerful if it is consistent and discoverable.
For context, I appear as @tomdupreeiii on every single platform I use.
So before you make moves, make sure you can use the exact same handle on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and anywhere else you want to post content.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: reserve your handle on sites you may not even be sure you’ll use yet. It’s best to have it and not need it rather than to need it and not have it.
Build your profile
Your artist profile should be clear (and the same) everywhere.
Think Nike check, Coca-Cola red, Ford, Chanel, etc. These brands are iconic and instantly recognizable.
For an artist, this sort of brand recognition generally comes from your profile picture and a succinct bio.
Example: “Just do it”. See what I mean?
When you think of Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Drake, or other massive artist brands, their face is likely the first visual indicator that comes to mind.
Sure, there are a few that have iconic logos (e.g. Metallica), but for the most part, it’s your image that does the work.
Accomplish this by taking a great profile photo and writing a great bio, and use both everywhere.
See my examples here, here, and here.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: take a great profile photo using only your phone with portrait mode and two lights, one facing you at a 45-degree angle and a second lighting the area behind you (obviously, I’m a fan of color on the background light).
Buy your domain
Here’s where we start to spend a little money.
Just like you reserved your handle on every social profile known to man (Vero anyone?), you’ll want to do the same for your domain (e.g. tomdupreeiii.com).
My preference for this is Google domains. It’s easy and it’s cheap.
And even if you have no intention of building your own website (you should), you’ll still want to grab that domain for the future.
Again, it’s best to have it and not need it as opposed to the alternative.
Cost: $12 / year
Pro tip: be sure to set your domain to auto-renew so you’re never at risk of losing it.
Build your website with Carrd
Every artist needs a website.
I’ll say it again.
Every artist needs a website.
Tom, do you mean Linktree? No, super-dope artist with massive potential, I don’t mean Linktree.
Take the time to build a proper website. This is the hub for everyone to find you—fans, other artists looking to collaborate, managers, promotional and sponsorship opportunities, etc.
Your branded URL should be in the website field of every social profile you have.
It is the best place to route your traffic to every other destination, and it showcases instant credibility and professionalism.
Fortunately, Carrd makes this super easy to do, and they have a ton of free templates that take virtually no time to set up.
Cost: $19 / year
Pro tip: if you want to use the exact template I use for my artist website, you can buy it here for only $10. It will require the Pro Plus plan at $49 per year though (worth it for the customization options if that’s your thing).
Sell merch with Spring
Like most artists, I have used Shopify on and off for my merch for years, but I recently decided I’d had enough.
I mean, let’s face it: Shopify is built for global retail brands far more than it is for independent artists.
It’s more complex than I need, and, with the recent price increase, it costs more per month than it’s worth in my opinion.
Literally, the only advantage Shopify has for me at this point is that it integrates with Spotify.
But I’ve never sold a single item via the Spotify integration. Have you?
I recently decided to switch to Spring for my merch needs. Outside of Spotify, Spring integrates with literally every other platform I could possibly want to use—Instagram, YouTube, Streamlabs OBS, and more.
It even integrates with OnlyFans if foot pics are your thing (no judgment).
You can create and list all kinds of merch, in-house, without connecting any additional platforms, and the best part is it’s totally free.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: if you want to use your own custom domain or subdomain (e.g. shop.tomdupreeiii.com) it will cost you $11.99 per month. Far better than Shopify’s $39 per month for the exact same use case.
Release music with Amuse
I know most artists are into DistroKid these days, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m a fan of DK too.
I just happen to like Amuse a little more.
Amuse has a killer mobile app, a cleaner interface, and access to royalties ahead of time with its unique Fast Forward feature.
Not to mention they have a completely free tier. That means you can test Amuse for yourself without spending a dime.
Cost: Free
Pro tip: I use the Amuse Pro plan, which runs $59.99 per year, to expand the stores I can release to and to gain access to Fast Lane releases and expanded customer support. Worth every penny.
So there you have it. All told, we just built an entire artist brand from scratch for only $31 per year.
Yes, you read that right. PER YEAR!
And on the high end, if you wanted to take advantage of every additional billing option (i.e. Carrd Pro Plus, custom Spring domain, and Amuse Pro), you’re still only looking at $252.87 per year.
That’s less than $22 per month. Easy choice in my mind.
Whenever you're ready, there are four ways I can help you:
Subscribe to the Newsletter: Join our growing network of artists, creators, and entrepreneurs by receiving The One Thing directly to your inbox every week.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
The Spotify Traffic Accelerator: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.
Become a DuPree X Artist: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.
Whenever you're ready, there are four ways I can help you:
Subscribe to the Newsletter: Join our growing network of artists, creators, and entrepreneurs by receiving The One Thing directly to your inbox every week.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
The Spotify Traffic Accelerator: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.
Become a DuPree X Artist: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.
Whenever you're ready, there are four ways I can help you:
Subscribe to the Newsletter: Join our growing network of artists, creators, and entrepreneurs by receiving The One Thing directly to your inbox every week.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call with me to improve your marketing across paid advertising, social media, and more.
The Spotify Traffic Accelerator: Join the hundreds of artists who have successfully learned to automate their growth on Spotify using paid ads on Instagram.
Become a DuPree X Artist: Hire our team to manage your marketing across streaming platforms and social media so you can focus on what matters most—making music.