So you’ve finally mastered your instrument, crafted some half-decent tunes, and now you’re itching to unleash your musical genius upon the unsuspecting public. Just one tiny problem: you’re still called Dave Smith from Basingstoke. Not exactly Billboard material, is it? Let’s sort that out, shall we?
Looking for artist name ideas that won’t make you sound like a pretentious twat or a primary school DJ? You’ve come to the right place, mate.
What’s in an Artist Name, Anyway?
An artist name is essentially your musical alter ego—the cooler, more mysterious version of yourself that doesn’t cry during sad adverts or have arguments with self-checkout machines. It’s the name that’ll be screamed by adoring fans, mumbled by confused parents, and eventually, if all goes well, tattooed on people you’ve never met.
Why bother with an artist name? Well:
- To avoid confusion with other artists (because the world simply cannot handle another John Smith on Spotify)
- To embrace a persona that doesn’t involve your actual personality flaws
- To simplify that 17-syllable surname your ancestors saddled you with
- To dodge stereotyping based on your real name (especially if you’re called Tarquin Fortescue-Smythe but write gritty urban tracks)
- To pay homage to influences (without the legal complications of actually impersonating them)
Know Your Brand
Before you christen yourself “DJ PaRtY aNiMaL” or “Sad Girl 2000,” take a moment to consider your brand. What’s your vibe? Are you moody and mysterious? Quirky and colourful? The love child of punk and classical? Whatever you’re peddling, your name should be the amuse-bouche to your musical main course.
Think about how you present yourself across social media. Are you all black-and-white artsy photos, or technicolour meme mayhem? Your artist name should feel like it belongs with your overall aesthetic, not like it was randomly generated by a bot that’s never actually heard your music.
How to Conjure Up Your Artist Name (Without Resorting to Magic)
Right, grab yourself a cuppa and a biscuit—preferably chocolate digestive—and let’s brainstorm some options:
Give Your Actual Name a Makeover
If your parents accidentally gave you a decent name, you might just need to rearrange a few letters or drop a surname. Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone) simply dropped the bits that didn’t spark joy, while Fatboy Slim decided Norman Cook wasn’t going to cut it on the rave scene.
Pilfer From Your Childhood Nickname Vault
Were you called something ridiculous at school that wasn’t actually traumatizing? Brilliant! Lizzo was originally meant to be called Lissa (from Melissa), but when Jay-Z’s “Izzo” was all the rage, she pivoted.
Find a Word That Sums Up Your Vibe
Is there a single word that captures your essence? Something that makes people say, “Oh yes, that’s very you”? Guitarist Buckethead literally wears a KFC bucket on his head. It’s not subtle, but it is memorable.
Steal Shamelessly From Your Heroes (But Don’t Get Sued)
David Jones didn’t fancy being confused with Davy Jones from The Monkees, so he borrowed from Jim Bowie, a character from the film ‘The Alamo,’ and voilà—David Bowie was born. Just make sure your homage doesn’t cross into copyright infringement territory, or you’ll be meeting your heroes in court rather than at awards shows.
Use a Name Generator (If You’re Truly Desperate)
There are plenty online. Most will give you rubbish like “Crystal Rainbow” or “Dark Emperor,” but occasionally they’ll spit out something half-decent that you can tweak. Think of it as idea speed-dating: swipe right on potential, then fix it up later.
Don’t Be a Muppet: Make Sure Your Name Works
Once you’ve got a shortlist of potential names, run them through this quick sanity check:
Is It Googleable?
Try searching for your potential name. If you’re competing with everyday objects (like “Chair” or “The Kitchen”), generic terms (“Beautiful Music”), or—heaven forbid—already established artists, pick something else. Unless you fancy spending your music career explaining to potential fans that no, you’re not that other person, you’re the other one. The one they’ve never heard of.
Will You Still Like It When You’re Old and Decrepit?
That edgy name referencing current pop culture might seem brilliant now, but will it still work when you’re 45 and that reference is as relevant as a floppy disk? Choose something timeless, or at least something you won’t absolutely cringe at in a decade.
Remember when Lizzy Grant rebranded as Lana Del Rey? Successful, yes, but also a massive faff. She had to reintroduce herself to the world, update all her previous work, and probably had to explain to her gran who she was all over again.
How Does It Sound When Shouted?
Imagine someone announcing you at Glastonbury. Does your name sound epic, or does it sound like they’re reading out a pharmaceutical side effect? If it’s the latter, maybe reconsider.
Test Drive Your Name Like a New Car
Once you’ve got a name that’s passed the basic checks, take it for a spin:
- Tell your brutally honest friends (we all have at least one who enjoys crushing dreams)
- Check domain name availability (unless you fancy adding random numbers to your URL)
- Search social media handles (because @yourname_official_no_really_its_me isn’t a good look)
- Ask your mum (if she can remember it after one telling, you might be onto something)
30 Artist Name Ideas That Won’t Make You Sound Like a Complete Pillock
Still stuck? Here’s a list of artist name ideas across different genres that might spark your imagination (or at least give you a laugh):
For the Indie/Alternative Types:
- Cardigan Weather
- Midnight Librarians
- Awkward Silence
- Petrol Station Coffee
- Charity Shop Vinyl
- The Accidental Hipsters
- Melancholy Toast
- The Urban Foxes
- Reluctant Optimist
- Sunday Paper
For the Electronic/Dance Crowd:
- Pixel Witch
- 4AM Kebab
- Bass Instinct
- Glitch & Tonic
- Neon Hangovers
- Algorithm & Blues
- Night Bus Chronicles
- Digital Daydream
- The Lost Weekend
- Quantum Funk
For the Hip-Hop/Rap Scene:
- Loose Change
- Concrete Dictionary
- The Fine Print
- Verbal Architect
- Footnote
- Banksy’s Cousin
- Urban Legend
- The Last Word
- Metro Logic
- The Plot Thickens
What Makes the “Perfect Artist Name”?
Let’s be honest—the “perfect artist name” is about as real as a budget rock star memoir that doesn’t mention drugs. But if we’re talking hypotheticals, the perfect artist name would be:
- Gloriously unique without sounding like you spilled tea on your keyboard
- Instantly memorable but not in a “what the bloody hell were they thinking” way
- Easy to pronounce even after six pints down the local
- Unforgettable without being cringe-worthy enough for your mates to take the piss every time they see you
- Meaningful to you but not so personal that explaining it becomes your life’s work
- Relevant to your music without pigeonholing you into one genre forever
- Aesthetically pleasing when plastered across merch (because someone, somewhere, might buy your t-shirt)
- Not already claimed by some obscure band from Swindon with three Spotify streams but inexplicably ironclad legal rights
The perfect artist name feels inevitable—like it’s always been yours, just waiting for you to discover it. Think “Arctic Monkeys” (weird but works), “Adele” (simple yet iconic), or “Radiohead” (taken from a Talking Heads song and somehow better than their original name, “On A Friday”—yes, really).
In the end, the perfect artist name is one that feels authentically you, while still being the version of you that someone might want to listen to. It’s the sonic equivalent of your “good” profile picture—recognizably you, but on a day when everything worked out just right.
Now go forth and name yourself something brilliant. Or at least, something that’s not already taken by a washing machine brand.
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The Final Verdict
At the end of the day, an artist’s name is just that—a name. It’s what you do with it that counts. The Beatles is objectively a terrible pun, but they seemed to manage alright.
Pick something you love, something that feels authentic to you and your music, and something you won’t mind saying over and over and over again when people ask, “So, why did you choose that name?” (Because they will ask. Constantly.)
And remember, if all else fails, you can always claim your peculiar artist name was chosen during a profound ayahuasca ceremony in the Amazon rainforest. No one ever questions those stories.
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