The best artists in the world know exactly who their music is for.
A listener, a feeling, and a specific reason to care.
“Modern rock music for people between 35 and 45.”
“Sexy house music for people in their mid-20s.”
“Dark ambient music for study and sleep.”
The details may change from one artist to the next, but the clarity stays the same.
Most artists resist niching down because it feels limiting. When you say who your music is for, you’re also saying who it’s not for, and somehow it feels safer to keep things wide enough that no one feels left out.
But if your music is for everyone, your music is for no one.
So defining your niche matters.
Here’s why.
People share what they can describe
We talk a lot about ads and content as ways to get people to your music.
But we don’t talk enough about getting people to share it.
Music spreads most effectively through word of mouth: a text, a DM, a song played in the car, a “you’d love this” to someone with the same taste.
But if your music is all over the place, it makes the “share” a lot more difficult.
“Yeah, this song is great, but the rest of his music is nothing like this.”
“Oh yeah, this is the only song of hers I like.”
“I like that this song makes me sad—the rest of the album is too happy.”
When you are building a catalog, you are building an environment for your fans to inhabit.
This is a feeling, a place to escape to in their hearts and minds.
And when that place is crystal clear and easy to define, they share it with those closest to them.
Because the truth is, we all want to be the first ones to discover a new artist worth sharing. Deep down, we crave the social points of having good taste that’s ahead of the crowd.
Our job as artists is to create something worth sharing, and that starts with fully defining and understanding exactly who your music is for.
Build a world around your work
Once you’ve defined your “who,” it’s time to build out your world.
Behind every great artist lie mystery and lore. This is what fandoms are made of.
Consider the cultural impact of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Rolex, Ferrari, and The Lord of the Rings.
These are worlds that are rich in detail, history, and a shared sense of identity among those who subscribe to them.
This is precisely what we’re after as artists.
Hop into the subreddits and communities of the world’s leading artists, and you’ll find a treasure trove of shared experiences among fans: what the songs mean to them, what they’re hoping to see in future music and merch, even the artist’s favorite cereal.
All of it.
It is the job of your songs, cover art, videos, website, and messaging to build out the richness and accessibility of this world for your fans.
All of it points to the same place, and it is a place where your fans feel accepted and included.
They are among their tribe.
And it is how you become a category of one.
Of course, none of this replaces the music.
Great music is the doorway, but what lies on the other side is what keeps people engaged for life.
It is an identity.
Putting it all together
Be specific about who your music is for, and everything else gets easier: how people share your work, the world they step into when they find you, and the reasons they connect with each other.
Content and advertising expand the reach of this, but it all starts with an artist clearly defining who they are and what they do and then executing that at a high level.
Consistently.
Niche down, define who you are, then build a world for your fans.
If you want to build a business from your music, this is how it starts.
P.S. If you enjoyed this and want to learn more about building out a rich experience for your fans, check out this week’s YouTube video.