As artistes, stage names might just be the most important thing after our music itself. It is literally what we’ll be “popularly” known as. Our songs and albums will be released under that name and fans in their hundreds and thousands will be screaming that name at shows. Important, also is the fact that our stage name informs how the audience perceive us (We don’t expect a “Machine Gun Kelly” to sing gospel/RnB or “Goodgirl LA to be a boy). In essence, names are crucial to the ideation and creation of our artistic brand.
With that fact established, this article highlights 4 things to do or consider when picking a stage name;
- RESEARCH: Search for whatever name you’re considering before you decide on something. This will not only help you find out if you have competition (someone else using that name), it will also save you from future intellectual property lawsuits and you might have to drop the name altogether.
Did You Know?: Popular Nigerian Alte artistes, ” Cruel Santino” had to drop the name “Santi” due to competition from another artiste in Spain.
u guys i had to change my name
— Santi (@cruelsantino) June 19, 2020
to cruel santino
cause one man in spain didnt want to free the name for me. (copyright issues sha)
so all my music is gonna be under cruel santino from now
love u. go stream e.o.t.w
thnxxx
• The Cavemen are officially stylized as “The Cavemen.” (with a dot at the end) to avoid lawsuits from a New-Zealand artiste with the trademarked name.
Also importantly, check for the availability of the name or its variations on social media platforms or the web. If available, reserve them even if you’re not ready to put out music.
- Choose Something Original & Unique, Not Generic: Let your name stand out. Don’t use your real name if it’s very common. Think about how peoole will find your name on search engines and social media platforms. If you use generic terms like “red”, “superstar” or common names like “David”, “John” etc, potential fans will most likely not find you in search. Sometimes, this could be a result of poor SEO but try as much as possible to avoid common names.
Again, search for your stage name on the internet and see what it brings. - Avoid Symbols As Much As Possible: Symbols might be a cool way to articulate your brand’s persona (Consider Ke$ha) but it just adds confusion and likely mistakes in spelling your name.
- Choose A Name That Will Grow With You: It’s important to consider your artistic journey and if that stage name will still be relevant at the advanced stages of your career. Consider where you want to be in 10 or 20 years. Does your stage name suit an older artistes just as well as a younger one? Well, Shout outs to the “KIDs”, ” BOYs” & “LILs”.
In conclusion, once you are well known, you’ll likely overcome some of the problems associated with poor name choice (except the law suits). However, as emerging acts, it’s best to avoid these problems altogether by carefully considering the four points above before deciding on that name.
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