These days, having an identity as a musician or a band is nearly as important as the music you make. In fact, to some companies, it’s paramount. It’s very rare for any musician to be signed to a major label, or even an independent one with any real reach, based only on their art. That’s why it’s vital to spend time discovering who you want to be as an artist, which means branding.

For those who don’t know what branding is, it’s…well…everything. Your band’s name. Your logo. The colors and font you use, which will be replicated on your website and all press materials, as well as CD covers and merchandise. Branding also bleeds into what you wear in your group photos, and also how they look. Are they sunny and happy, or black and white and moody?

Your branding should reflect who you are as a person (or people) as well as the music you make. Those in positions to make decisions that can affect your career notice branding before they hear your music, so please don’t discount its importance. Executives at labels are interested in furthering developing acts that seem like they’re already on their way, not necessarily building them from scratch, so showing them you have your personal branding down is key.

This is particularly frustrating as someone who writes about musicians, as it seems like such a common-sense idea, and yet it apparently doesn’t occur to so many artists and their teams. You need to create a single hub where you have everything anyone could need, and I mean everything. Your website is a fantastic place to send anyone from Radio DJs to Concert Bookers to Promoters for photos, credits on everything you’ve done, tour dates, a bio about your band and the members, merch, your entire discography and links to your socials. Contact information is also key.

Some artists have decided they no longer need a website, as social media has taken over as the best way to share information. That’s understandable, but it’s not the right way to go. A website, or at the very least an EPK (electronic press kit) allows you to gather everything important in one online central digital home and not worry about it.

Speaking of social media, if it’s not something you’re spending a lot of time getting right, you’re missing out. Some people feel it’s a real waste of time, and if you’re not careful, it can be a time suck…but it’s also one of the best ways to market yourself to the world, as well as speak to those who care most about your music.

It is absolutely vital that you have a page on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as YouTube. There are other platforms out there that are important, like TikTok, and while it’s smart to invest in them as well, there are only so many hours one can pour into being “social.”

These apps are how you will present yourself to millions, and while you might not be going viral just yet, by the time your music is blowing up it will be too late to get started on these platforms. Begin the process now and try things out, and soon you’ll find you may be directing people toward your art via your social chatter. Grow your audience while promoting your art and they’ll listen.

In addition to creating excellent music, the other most important thing you can do to interest any decision-maker, be they a record label employee, a DJ, or someone assembling a playlist at Spotify, is to demonstrate that you already have a following. Even those with the best songs have a difficult time getting booked or highlighted if it looks like nobody cares about them. Meanwhile, people with millions of followers are deciding to get into the music industry simply to find a way to monetize their fans, and succeeding.

Once you have followers and fans of what you do, whether that’s solely music or possibly for your social content as well, doors will begin to open for you. Soon, you’ll see having fans leads to many more opportunities that allow you to gain new ones. This is one of the many reasons why social media is so important—it’s one of the only ways to gather together people who like you for one reason or another and prove that there are a lot of them. When applying for gigs, slots at festivals, or when trying to show those in power that you’re worth taking a chance on, solid follower numbers, as well as consistent engagement on your posts, is one of the best options you have.

Take some time to find out who you’re trying to reach and those individuals you’d like to impress with your music. They can be executives at record labels, Publicists, Managers, those who book concert venues or festivals, influencers, playlist makers, Radio Programmers, DJs and so many more. Make a list and start digging in, researching companies and friends of friends online. Find names and job titles. Keep track of all of this, so you know who to reach out to when the time is right, or who you’re speaking to when you run into someone backstage or at an event.

Networking happens one of two ways these days, and both are incredibly important. As is mentioned above, you can connect with people in real life, which is always preferred. Find the time to go to concerts, events, festivals, and conferences. Don’t be shy! Say hi to people and learn who they are and what they do. Find out how you can help them and show a genuine interest. They may then become curious about you and your work as well.

In addition to shaking hands and being friendly in real life, you can also use social media to connect with people in positions of power in the music industry, especially those who you might otherwise probably not have a chance to meet. Find them on Twitter and Instagram (but not Facebook–that’s too personal), follow them, and begin engaging. Some may connect with you right away, while with others, it may take a while. That’s fine! Play the long game here and you’ll see it pay off when you bump into them at a show or when, after lots of chatting back and forth, you finally meet for coffee or send that email that lets them listen to what you’ve been working on.

This is not the typical way of getting your music heard, but it’s a good one that some overlook, and it’s also a nice way to make a couple of extra bucks. Research licensing agencies and reach out to them to see if any of them are accepting submissions or are looking for new talent. You may be lucky and find some who are, and from there you can send them your music. It’s the job of the people who work at these companies to find movies, TV shows, video games, and advertisements to put your music into, and then you get paid.

If you want people to hear your music…play it for them! Seems obvious, but you can also think intelligently about the concerts you agree to perform at and the ones you look to arrange with your team (if you have one). If you’re at the very outset of your career, you might want to sign up for every opportunity.

If you’ve been doing this a little while and have some foundation and a fan base already, make sure you’re smart about which venues and dates you play. Don’t stretch your followers too thin, and don’t ask too much of them by begging them to buy tickets too frequently. Also, try to perform in new cities, with acts you’ve never opened for, and do your best to reach those who might not have heard of you before. This is how you use the live arena to get your music heard.