Music Brand Naming Guide: Names That Resonate

Music Brands Are Built on Identity

In music, your brand name carries cultural weight. It appears on album art, concert posters, streaming platforms, and merchandise. A great music brand name becomes part of the culture itself.

Types of Music Brands

Record Labels

Labels are curators. Their names signal a genre and aesthetic:

Hip-hop: Def Jam, Top Dawg, Dreamville
Electronic: Warp, Ninja Tune, Monstercat
Indie: Sub Pop, 4AD, Matador
Major: Names are often founder-based or abstract (Columbia, Atlantic, Universal)

Recording Studios

Studio names suggest sonic quality and creative energy:

Abbey Road, Electric Lady, Sound City
Geographic or evocative names work well

Artist/Band Names

While technically different from business branding, artist names follow similar principles:

Memorable and unique
Searchable on streaming platforms
Available as social handles

Music Tech Companies

Software and hardware brands:

Ableton, Native Instruments, Splice
These lean toward tech naming conventions

Naming Strategies for Music Brands

Sonic and Musical References

Draw from music terminology:

Tempo, Cadence, Resonance
Octave, Harmony, Tremolo
These work but are common — combine with unexpected words

Cultural and Geographic

Tie your brand to a place or cultural moment:

Motown (Motor Town — Detroit)
Nashville Sound (genre and city)
Stone Throw (Los Angeles hip-hop label)

Abstract and Evocative

Names that create a mood without being literal:

Ghostly International (atmospheric, mysterious)
Secretly Canadian (quirky, unexpected)
Jagjaguwar (invented, distinctive)

Founder Names

Personal names or combined names:

Def Jam (Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin's creation)
Brainfeeder (Flying Lotus's label — personality-driven)

Platform Considerations

Music brands exist across many platforms:

Streaming: Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal — your label or brand name appears on every release
Social media: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube — essential for promotion
Website: For press kits, tour dates, and merchandise
Bandcamp: For independent releases

Consistency across all platforms is crucial. A name that's available everywhere prevents confusion and strengthens your brand.

Check availability across platforms with BrandScout.

Trademark Considerations in Music

The music industry has extensive trademark history:

Band names and label names can be trademarked
Similar names in the same genre can lead to legal disputes
International touring means international trademark considerations
Merch and licensing require trademark protection

Search existing labels and artists before committing to a name. A conflict discovered after you've printed merch is expensive.

The Live Test

Music brands appear in live contexts:

Concert posters: Does the name look good in large format?
Festival lineups: Does it stand out in a list of names?
DJ drops and announcements: Can an MC say it clearly?
Merchandise: Does it work on a t-shirt?

Digital Discovery

On streaming platforms, your label or brand name affects how people find your artists:

Unique names are easier to search for
Avoid names identical to popular songs or albums
Your Spotify label page and Apple Music label page are discoverable

Music Brand Naming Mistakes

Too niche for your ambitions: A name tied to one genre limits you if you want to expand
Hard to spell: Festival-goers searching for your label after a set need to find you
Already famous: Using a well-known word means you'll compete for search visibility
Offensive without context: Edgy names can work in music but consider all audiences

Your Music Brand Naming Checklist

[ ] Reflects your genre and aesthetic
[ ] Sounds good when spoken aloud (DJ drops, introductions)
[ ] Looks good on posters, merch, and album art
[ ] Available on streaming platforms as a unique identifier
[ ] Domain available
[ ] Social handles available
[ ] No trademark conflicts with existing labels or artists

Find a music brand name that hits the right note. Check availability with BrandScout.