Building Artist Identity to Drive Long-Term Growth

In the third edition of Downtown and the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM)’s editorial series, we explore the world of user-generated content (UGC). You can read our previous editions on Fandom and Musicology here.

From YouTube and TikTok to Instagram, UGC platforms are now core to how music is discovered, shared, and monetized. But for many independent artists, producers, and rightsholders, the rules around rights, attribution, and revenue can be confusing.

This series by Matt Whitmire, VP of Business Development at FUGA, offers practical ideas for helping artists navigate the UGC landscape. After exploring how rights work and how artists can promote themselves more strategically, this third piece focuses on the role that artist identity plays in building a fanbase. 

Building Artist Identity to Drive Long-Term Growth

In electronic music, it’s common for fans to know the name of the track before they ever know the artist. Compare that to pop, your friend’s more likely to ask if you’ve heard the new Cardi B track than name the song itself. That’s partly because known personas are less defined and known by casual fans in electronic music.

But that’s starting to change.

From big-stage festival headliners like Calvin Harris and Martin Garrix to underground artists with loyal online followings, electronic creators are building stronger personal brands and becoming more visible to fans.

In this latest post in our UGC series, we wanted to explore how artists can use social media to build their identity, without compromising it

There’s a Person Behind the Music

Electronic artists have long been kind of just a sound behind the decks. But there’s always a person behind the music. Audiences gravitate toward people, so showing even a glimpse of who you are helps humanize your work and deepen fan connection.

If fans don’t connect the dots between who you are and what you’re creating, it’s hard to build long-term support. Otherwise people just connect with the track and that’s where it ends. They don’t create connective tissue with the artist and care about them and look out for future tracks.

Investing in creating an identity helps fans may follow the through line of your career.

Put Yourself in the Frame

It doesn’t always feel natural or comfortable to put yourself out there or ahead of your work. But there’s ways to do it without being the center of attention. Some things you can experiment with:

– A selfie at your show. Even one frame with the crowd behind you

– A clip from your studio setup, showing how a track came together

– A short intro to a new track, even if you voice it over some B-roll

It’s just about presence. Finding simple ways to put yourself in the camera can help encourage more of your fans to follow along and prime them for new tracks down the line.

Social platforms are designed for quick glimpses of fun imagery. Think of them as entry points to your music. You’re just hoping for them  to stop scrolling for just long enough to give them a reason to dig deeper.

A great example of this is Dutch DJ and producer Mau P, who’s built a highly visible identity. On YouTube, he shares high-quality, multi-angle set videos that feel like mini-documentaries. On TikTok, he uses short dance videos to tease upcoming releases. And he repurposes those same clips as YouTube Shorts, to maximize reach without doubling workload. His Instagram is curated and playful, giving fans a glimpse of his  lifestyle. He’s comfortable on camera, and that builds connection. Across every platform he makes fans want to stick around for more.

Flagship Moments + Filling the Gaps 

Mix it up with different types of posts:

– Low-effort stuff might include: tour updates, quick thoughts, glimpses of your day or process

– Mid-level could be: Q&As, behind-the-scenes looks at your creative process, or short reactions to events or cultural touchpoints you care about like fashion, food, or whatever’s inspiring you right now.

– Flagship monthly pieces: a story, a standout performance moment, or a visualizer you invest more in

These give fans access to something they care about — you.

Just make it something. The key is to be consistent, intentional, and to remember that people don’t just follow music, they follow people.

When people care about the artist, and not just the track, they stay with you longer for whatever comes next in your adventure.