The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Is one of the world’s great music festivals, and the perfect venue for up-and-coming artists to rapidly build their reputations and gain a following. Since 1999, it has been the go-to for music fans who want to see their favorite artists play live, and over more than two decades, it has exploded into an extravaganza where a quarter of a million plus people go into the California desert for an unforgettable experience.
This year’s Coachella promises to be even more special than usual because the pandemic has led to the cancellation of the last two years’ festivals. Crowds are expected to hit record levels, which is great news for performers looking to expand their fan bases.
But it is difficult for emerging musicians and DJs to stand out from the crowd. The good news is there are a number of startup companies offering services that enterprising creators can leverage to build their brands and get noticed. Here are five to look out for:
- A killer logo: What makes a logo memorable? Repetition. It doesn’t really matter how it looks (well, it does, but let’s avoid copyright infringements), when your eager fans rush the stage and stare up at your computer for however long your set is, they need to see something memorable; DJs who brand themselves the best, stand out most. Make sure you put some love into your logo – make it, you. Uruguay-based Vexels has a proprietary engine that can use keywords to help you form the perfect representation to match your killer set list. Pricing starts from $21.99.
- Decals, baby: Where there’s a wall, there’s a way: shiny decals display your logo, are durable enough to be trampled on (if there are no walls, that is), and are made durable… meaning you can make them last a few gigs. StickerYou has made an incredibly intuitive platform to create decals for the show and beyond. They start as low as $4.99 each.
- Stickers: The unofficial symbol of “I’ve worked a few jobs” since MacBooks became accessible. With most things in life being relatively equal, people like shiny things, especially people at music festivals. Printing your logo on obnoxiously-bright stickers and passing them out at events, pretty much guarantees they’ll end up everywhere—including bathroom stalls (or on people’s foreheads). Sheets of 10 start at around $13.90.
- Signage: Why should real estate agents and personal injury lawyers have all the fun with signs? They’re everywhere and they work, may as well make them work for you, too. StickerYou has a new take on the classic signs that are as cost-effective to order as they are easy to use. Available for as low as $10 per sign.
- Swag, baby: Everyone (yes, even you) likes free swag – just need to make sure it’s meaningful to where you’re using it. Think about where you’re going to be (think water in the dessert), and what makes sense there (think water bottles), and you’re already ahead of the game. Now pick something, slap that shiny new logo on it and get all the free advertising you could possibly ask for. The Vexels-made engine literally lets you put your logo on anything – wearable or not – and order it in real time. Prices range, with options a-plenty.
Coachella 2022 is shaping up to be the experience of a lifetime because it will be the antidote to more than two years of pandemic related restrictions and shutdowns. This year’s festival is the perfect opportunity for emerging artists to get in front of record crowds, and by taking a few steps before they go to the desert, these creators can give themselves an advantage on the path to stardom.
