Are you looking for a great name for your band? The choice of a band name can determine the success or failure of the band. Choosing a good name for your band is one of the most important things. One day when your band gets big, the way you choose your band name will make a big story too. So do it well!
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Method 1 of 3: Looking at the Rules for Choosing a Band Name
Step 1. Make it a short name
Think about it. How many bands do you know have names with more than three words? Not many. That's the main rule: No more than three words.
- People should be able to spell and pronounce your band name. Usually, you want people to remember it.
- Can you abbreviate band names easily? It will be very helpful for souvenir needs. That was one of the reasons Nine Inch Nails chose the name.
- Aside from souvenirs, your band's name will appear on anything if you make it big, from album covers to shirts. Therefore, take the name into consideration.
Step 2. Make your band name easy to find
At this point you should make your band name easy to find when searching on the internet. Common names – such as Female – will be difficult to find if you search through search sites because many things have to do with women.
- Therefore, your band name should not use common words or sentences. A band with the name Harmony or Black will not do well because it will not appear easily when searched. Some bands with names that use common words – such as the Eagles or Kansas – existed before search engines were invented.
- Strange words or sentences will make it difficult for people to search on search engines and may end up with the wrong thing. So don't be too creative when it comes to spelling.
- Avoid using special symbols such as umlauts or other code symbols. This will confuse search engines, and sometimes people won't know how to type it.
- Using more than one word will increase the chances of your band being more searchable (if you use one word, it must be something very unusual).
Step 3. Avoid using anything that has a negative connotation
You should further identify the word or phrase you will be using before using it as your band name. If you force a band name to use words or phrases that have a negative connotation, such as Viet Cong, for example, you may have a hard time finding a place to perform.
- The meaning of the word or sentence you use should not have a meaning that could hurt the feelings of a particular person or group. There used to be a band from Scotland called Dogs Die in Hot Cars. This isn't a good portrayal of your band, even if it looks cool.
- Avoid using a tragedy or human suffering as a name for your band. If you give your band an inappropriate name, some radio stations may not want to mention it.
Step 4. Look for a name that sounds fresh
Avoid using band names that contain clichés because that doesn't look good at the moment.
- It might seem outdated to add numbers to your band name. The name Boys II Men may sound a little… less contemporary.
- Don't use acronyms. Take a look at NSYNC. Putting an exclamation point at the end of the band's name also looks outdated.
- Adding the letter "d" or "t" at the end of the name will seem a bit cliché. Avoid it.
Step 5. Build a vision for your band
What are your characteristics? What is the thing you want to shape? What does your band stand for? Who is your target audience? Understanding your band's intent and purpose can help Adna come up with a suitable name.
- The name of the band there must always be consistent with the characteristics and genre that you are promoting. Country wing bands certainly do not want to be given a name that is too punk rock. You don't want the audience to be disappointed because your band name doesn't represent what you give them.
- If you know your target consumers, you can choose a name that can attract your customers. That's why the band Green Day chose that name. Green Day means marijuana, which means the band tries to talk about freedom to a specific audience of young people.
Method 2 of 3: Choosing a Name
Step 1. Find a word that means something to you
You can combine it with something else. Possible. A candy you like? The name of your lover in high school? Your hometown? You can use it as an add-on or maybe just use one of them.
- Having a meaning behind your band name will be very important as you begin to introduce your band to the public. You want your band to have a good history, like Led Zeppelin. (Keith Moon of The Who listened to one of their shows and said they would be as big as a flying balloon – in British English this means Lead Zeppelin.) They used this idea but changed the spelling.
- Make lists of people, places, and things. Do this without thinking too hard about it. You'll probably find a good band name from this list (especially if you combine some of the words).
Step 2. Use popular culture or take a reference from a literary work
This will have a fairly strong effect. One well-known example is the band Veruca Salt. They named the band after Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
- Mikey Way was working at Barnes and Noble and saw a book by Irvine Welsh entitled "Three Tales of Chemical Romance", and then he had the idea for the name My Chemical Romance. Good Charlotte also got their name from a book called "Good Charlotte". Matthew Sanders got the name Avenged Sevenfold from the Book of Genesis in the Bible.
- There is also a band called Natalie Portman's Shaved Head. It's no surprise why they changed the name. Giving a celebrity name to a band name is not a good idea. One day it might become a problem.
- Use song lyrics. Panic At The Disco was inspired by the song "Panic" by Name Taken, and All Time Low got its name from the song "Head On Collision" by New Found Glory.
Step 3. Get inspiration from common products or objects
Flower. Food. Sewing machine. Give it the name. Look around your house. You'll find lots of common stuff with pretty catchy names.
- Malcolm and Angus Young from AC/DC got their name from a sewing machine. AC/DC (Meaning: Alternating Current/Direct Current) printed on the back. They decided to use it.
- Food names can also be good names for your band. Check out Black-eyed Peas or Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Step 4. Choose a random name
There are many ways for you to pick a name at random. Sometimes the band name is taken by flipping through the words in the dictionary. That's what REM, The Pixies, Incubus, The Grateful Dead, Evanescence and Outkast did. Apoptygma Berzerk also did well, they used two words they found randomly.
- Use a band name generator app. Some online sites will randomly assign words to show a list of potential words you can use as your band name. The downside of this method is that you limit your own creativity. And your band name won't be something that has meaning.
- Plus, random names can be put together if you get more inspiration. A creative random name would probably be more unique. Some famous bands use two words that have no relation to each other. For example: Pearl Jam.
- You can also use a random word that you think sounds cool. Then put it together. Or concatenate without spaces to create a new word (like Nickelback).
Step 5. Use your own name (or initials)
You can do this, especially if your band has a main player. For example, the band name Dave Matthews was taken from one of its members.
- There is a risk in using this name. If your band changes members, of course it will be very difficult to continue your band if it is named after the member who left. An example is Van Halen. Using the name may make other members feel unappreciated and so decide to leave.
- If you choose your own name, you may be able to add it to other words to make it more interesting. Or you can just use the last name only.
Step 6. Create a new word
You can create new words that are derived from other word combinations. It's possible that a new word (or sentence) could mean something to you.
- Metallica is an example of a band that uses a new word. Their drummer, Lars Ulrich, came up with this idea while thinking about a magazine for metal music.
- Create new words in a way that looks as if there was a misspelling of common words, such as Korn.
- Some bands combine their hometown names with other words. However, you may be called a fraud if you choose a place name that is not where you are from.
- A band may give its name by using the name of one of the regions from which they belong. Examples are Soundgarden, Linkin Park, Hawthorne Heights, Alter Bridge, or Cypress Hill (a misspelling is an option).
Method 3 of 3: Updating Band Name
Step 1. Make sure no one else is using the name you are going to use
It would be a nightmare to introduce a band with a name that is also used by other bands.
- Some sites you can use to check this are ASCAP, BMI, and BandName.com, where you can also register your band name.
- Search for the name you will use by using Google. Note if there are other bands that have used the name, but sometimes some people forget to do this.
- For inspiration, study some of the famous bands whose names mean a lot to them.
Step 2. Also consider the domain name
The domain name is the URL name you will use before.com. You may want to choose a different name, this is if you can't create a site using your name because someone already uses that name.
- You can check it on sites that provide domain sales. They'll let you know when the name can be used, and it's usually not very expensive. You can find lots of sites that provide domain sales services.
- Having your own domain name will make your site more credible, and your domain name can still be used even if you change domain provider services. In addition, by paying for your own domain name, you will also prevent others from buying or using the name you have used as their domain name.
Step 3. Develop more than one band name
It's good to have more than one band name. Try!
- Make a list of names of people you know from different socio-economic backgrounds, but also make sure they come from your target audience.
- Don't just ask them which name they chose; Also ask what comes to their mind when they hear each of the names.
Step 4. Get a trademark in your chosen band name
If you want to make sure other people don't take the name of the band you're going to use, then you have to trademark it. It would be disastrous if another band had trademarked the same name as the one you were going to use before you. Trademark is your band name.
- Other bands must have proof that they were the first to use the name. Obtaining a trademark may not be mandatory. However, you still have to do it. If you're confused, hire a trademark attorney.
- You can get a trademark in your name and learn the basics of trademarking through the United States Copyright Agency (in Indonesia you can do this through HAKI). You can also register online for a fee. The office also has a comprehensive list of trademarks that you can search for.
Suggestion
- Make sure the name you choose can be shouted out by people!
- There are exceptions to some of the rules. Look at Nirvana. For some it may work. If your song is good, so will your band name. And sometimes following a few rules can make your song famous all over the world.
- Be more creative than just using "Your Band Name and so on…"
- Don't start your band name with "The". This word has been used a lot, and if you still want to start your band name with "The", make it more original. An example of "Slipknot" probably wouldn't sound so good if it was called "The Slipknots".
- Don't give your band a name that people find it weird to pronounce, like Goo Goo Dolls.
- Don't give names that sound like "dreams" or "anxiety," such as The Other Side of Nowhere.
- Don't use words that have been used by many other bands. For example, avoid using a band name with the word 'wolf' in it because many Canadian bands add the word 'wolf' to their band name (Wolf Parade, We Are Wolves). People will get fed up with the same name, and you want your band name to be original.
