Do you have an album or single to launch? Do you want to gain the attention of publicists and booking agents? Are you a new musical act looking to establish your brand or an established act that wants to stand out in a crowd?
Whether it’s cover art, gig posters, a new bio, a website or electronic press kit (EPK), band photography or just some help getting your socials in order, consistency is key. We take the time to get to know you and the story you want to tell, then translate this into artwork and words that can be used across a variety of outputs (social media, posters, merchandise, etc). Plus, we keep the price cost-effective (see, we really do understand musicians).
We offer a range of services, depending on your individual needs. No matter what you choose, we will make sure the result is immediately recognisable as yours.
Branding
Whether you’ve taken steps to create one or just simply been putting your music ‘out there’, you already have a brand. The key question is – does it resonate with your audience? A great music brand is one which is immediately recognisable as yours. It works alongside your musical aesthetic to draw in your fans and grab the interest of new ones. And it shows promoters you’re serious about getting your music heard.
At Talk Ink., it should come as no surprise that when it comes to branding, we do more than just creating logos. Every time you engage with your audience it’s a chance to share your values, your passions, your story. Which is why you need to have a cohesive brand that carries across everything you do. Before we even start designing, we’ll hit you with the hard questions – the who, what, where, when and why of your own musical journey (apologies for getting a little reality TV on you there). Armed with your answers, we’ll work with you to build a brand that can be applied across your website, posters, merchandise, etc. Oh, and we also create your logo!
Cover Art
You put your heart and soul into your recordings, so why wouldn’t you reflect that in your cover art? When it comes time to release your music to the world, you want a team who you can trust with your ‘baby’.
Designing cover art is more than just choosing a cool picture and adding some text. We believe in building a concept, rather than a cover. We start by listening to you and your music to determine what story you want to tell. Then we develop a concept that not only complements your music, but which can also be used in a range of ways – as a social media header, a website, a poster, etc.
No matter how you choose to promote your release, we’ll optimise your visuals to help generate the desired effect – more listens.
Website
A musician’s website is like their marketing hub, a one-stop-shop which speaks to all your audiences – new fans, old fans, publicists, bookers, media, etc. Like all our work, we start by building a clear picture of your brand – be it an established identity or a short-term positioning based on your current status. Then, we make sure that no matter which section of the website a person visits, they are receiving the same, consistent message about you and your music.
Clients often ask us whether they need a website, especially when social media is so pervasive. We believe that a website is the ultimate brand story-telling tool. It gives you a beautiful, big canvas on which to showcase everything that makes your music unique. And before you worry that you don’t have enough to say, remember that we can integrate gig calendars, video and audio files, social media feeds and EPKs into your website, or just simply create a home for your latest release.
Love it or hate it, social media is fundamental to marketing music. Which means you need a presence on at least one platform. When social media is done well, it provides numerous benefits to today’s musician: fans get to see ‘behind the scenes’, your audience can keep up to date with your gigs and new releases, booking agents get a sense of your popularity and your aesthetic, the list goes on.
In order to achieve this, we believe in creating a social media strategy. Like everything we do, this is based around your brand, taking into account the kinds of content that will best represent you and your music, as well as ways to grow your followers.
Every client is different, so we will tailor our social media services to your individual needs. We can help you develop your social strategy, create branded profiles, design templates featuring your latest cover art, or even post for you – all you need to do is ask!
Press Kit
When it comes to promoting your act or latest release, an Electronic Press Kit is a must. Think of it like your resume, only instead of a potential employer, you’re looking to impress agents, promoters, the media, venue managers, etc. The ultimate goal of an EPK is to convince these people to care about you.
Of course, there’s a big difference between an email with a badly cropped jpeg of your cover art and a few words about your upcoming gigs and a professional, eye-catching EPK. We look at all the elements together – words, photography, audio and video files – and ensure they’re delivering a strong and consistent message that is designed to get noticed.
Our EPKs are effectively mini-websites. A simple click and your target audience can access your latest tracks, bios, video clips, reviews, cover art, social media, downloadable photos for print and web – everything they could possibly want to give you the publicity you deserve. We also understand that you need the flexibility to be able to add to your EPK. Which is why we’ve created an easy-to-update template specifically for musicians.
Poster Design
Think back to your childhood. Did you have posters of your favourite musicians on your walls? What about movie posters? Concert posters? While not every gig poster is going to become that iconic, they should all aspire to be – your music deserves it.
Posters aren’t just about advertising – they should represent your brand, complement your other marketing efforts, convey important information and, most importantly, sell tickets. We know it’s a lot to ask from a poster but that’s the Talk Ink. way! In order to do all this, you need a design that is easy to read from a distance, which draws you in, which makes it clear what people need to do to get a ticket or buy your album. And you need a designer who knows how these posters get used, where they get printed, how to resize for social media. Just make sure to save one so you can autograph it for us!
Photography
You WILL need photographs. Whether you’re after portrait photos or coverage of your live gigs, you need a photographer that understands who you are and what you’re trying to say.
We believe your photos should tell a story. Take our approach to gig photography for example. A performance isn’t over after the first song, so nor should your live shots capture only the beginning of the show. We’ll take the viewer along for the ride, capturing the key moments, the contrasts, the energy you work so hard to create – we’re in it for the long haul.
And when it comes to promotional photos, we know that not everyone is comfortable in front of the camera. So we’ll help you choose the right location, lighting and style for your shoot and work to make the process as easy and fuss-free as possible. Of course, if you’re a bit of a diva, we’re happy to indulge you too, just don’t expect us to feed you grapes.
Copywriting
You’ve been added to a line-up – congrats! Then comes the dreaded promoter request: “Can you send me your bio?” Never fear, Talk Ink. is here. We’ll take your jumble of ideas and translate them into a punchy, on-point bio of any length. Need a press release? We can do that too. Not sure what to include in your cover notes? We got you.
If you’ve had any experience writing song lyrics, you’ll know just how crucial word selection can be. Now, we’re not saying our copywriting is going to go straight to number one, but we can promise you we’ll take the same care over word selection as you do. It starts with determining your tone of voice, the personality your words need to convey. Then, whether it’s a press release or bio, we’ll deliver kick-ass copy that sounds just like you.
Social Media