In this article:
"How to make your band stand out from the crowd" they bring up an interesting topic:
A fully-realized visual identity is one of the strongest assets an independent band can posses. However, it’s often hugely underestimated. Visual identity refers to the cultural and personable aspects of your project, including:
- Member personalities & interests
- Branding/Artwork
- Social media content
- Geographical location
- Fashion sense
A major reason that many bands fail to stand out from the crowd is because they’re relying solely on the music itself. Whilst the music will certainly be the cornerstone of the project, it’s important to understand that fans connect to visual identity just as much as sonic identity.
Fanbases are not simply a group of people who happen to like a certain band’s music, but a community of like-minded people with a distinct set of cultural values, interests, and personality types that the band effectively represents. Whilst the music itself acts as the cornerstone of the project, it’s still just one piece of a much larger puzzle. |
Star Quality is an attribute that goes hand-in-hand with visual identity. Whilst many bands might find it a hard pill to swallow, I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention it.
The fact is that people are drawn to other people far more than they’re drawn to products. Whilst it certainly isn’t the be-all and end-all of your musical career, you’ll be putting yourself at a significant advantage if you have it. [...]
- Ensure your look is appropriate: Looks do matter, but it can often be a case of being appropriate rather than simply being attractive. If you’re a pop band, then being stylish and generally good-looking will certainly give you an edge. However, if you’re in a DIY punk band, looking rebellious and snarky is much more important than simply being good-looking.
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I think a big reason Hatsune Miku's popularity persists is that she has become a shared visual identity for all the producers that use her voice. Like the article says: she embodies a distinct set of cultural values, interests, and personality types. I think the atmosphere of the crowds at the live concerts and expositions paints a good picture of what those values, interests, and personalities are. And even if there is strife and drama in some parts of the online fandom, I know there are hundreds of thousands, even millions of fans who are just enjoying the music, merch, and art and being part of the collective culture in their own way.
I think many good-quality voicebanks struggle to gain popularity because they simply haven't been able to achieve the Visual Identity and Star Quality necessary to accumulate a larger fanbase.
(I've been meaning to write up a discussion topic about this whole subject.) Anyway, this is just to explain why character traits and design are an important aspect to me. All the others
are important too, and there's no wrong answer for what matters to you.