Build A Cult Following: Become A Master Storyteller For Your Music Project

today we're going to talk about the top 1% of music artists the main difference between music artists that are at the top and everyone else is storytelling this is the biggest secret weapon used by all of your favorite music artists This Is How They Live the Life they live of touring all over the world creative and Financial Freedom and the fun toys they get to have along the way if you want to play in the pros of the music world you have to become a master story teller with your compelling story people would notice you

and your music in a completely different way human beings have been conditioned to listen and keep up with great stories for centuries it's part of our DNA and if you want people all over the world to hear the music you've worked so hard on you're going to need a great story to go alongside it having a brand that's just music with no story is like having a soundtrack with no movie The Modern audience expects there to be a full movie it's like when movies back in the day went from Silent black and white films to

color and sound once color and sound are arrived the audience expected that going forward this is the same thing for modern-day music artists the audience expects the full picture so who am I to even talk about this topic I have a longer video that dives deeper into my story on the neighborhood Art Supply Channel but I'm Chris Alba I own a niche creative agency called The Cult creatives we've done tens of millions of dollars in business over the last decade and have worked with some of the world's top music artists artists like Chris lake side

piece James hype isoxo and knu Sullivan King and many many more as well as has luxury fashion brands like otomar PK and Fortune 500 companies like Puma the cult creative's core competency is creating the stories and Brands behind the world's biggest artists DJs and fashion brands today I'm going to give you all the tricks and tools that you need to craft a great Brand Story for your music project so let's jump in and before we get into the weeds of all the different pieces let me first explain at a high level all the sections that

we're going to cover and what it really takes to have a memorable and engaging Brand Story the anatomy of a good story is like building a house so how do we at cult build a house as brand builders and storytellers the first question we ask is where do we want to build the house next we look at the foundation that the house will sit on then we work on the framing and the framework of the house the characters setting plot and structure and then we get into the design and details and the style of the

house and finally we have the finishing work where we look at everything as a whole to see if it's a cohesive intentional and beautifully built home so now that you understand the framework for this video let's get into all the steps step one where are you building the house for this component you need to find the land where you're going to build for story this is like choosing the style of the story you want to create in movie terms this would be genre based like action drama romcom buddy comedy horror future sci-fi before you start

creating the story you need to know what Universe you're playing in the best way to make this decision is to listen to your music and then think of your tastes if you you look back at your life what are the stories movies and shows that you loved growing up it's helpful to make a list of those stories and then mix and match the different references from that list that would go along with your current music think of it as a movie and a story and that movie and story is meeting the soundtrack of your music

they should go together seamlessly and both align to what you love and your taste step two creating the foundation once you know where you're building you'll now need to set where the house will actually sit and what kind of view you'll have from the different parts of the house this is figuring out how the story will be unique by mixing and matching different story and genre elements if it's an action movie what makes the action movie unique maybe this action movie is all about cars and street race culture like Joy Ride maybe it's a comedy

movie but this comedy movie is set in the future and in space Maybe This is a hero's journey story about an artist chasing their dreams but it's shot and feels more like a modern-day reality show maybe it's a horror movie that's a tragedy about consistantly facing one's ego and losing and again the best way to find this is to look at your list of things that you love and loved growing up and when you feel like you found something a unique idea or a unique blend line it up with your music does the soundtrack match

the movie and if you can nail this you're in a great space but without the next part the house might be kind of shaky step three designing the blueprints okay so now you have the foundational elements of the story so you can start to define the rules of the universe when does the story take place is it modern day the past the future generally where does the story take place is it in a city or a certain part of the world this was huge in the era of hip-hop so many of those Brands were created

on the backbone of places where the rappers came from since they were rapping about real things it should be about where they were really from for example Jay-Z has a New York City brand position in perspective where Kendrick Lamar has a West Coast Compton point of view but your brand doesn't necessarily need to have a real world setting depending on the brand it could be completely made up but either way once you know where the story will take place then you can Define the rules of the universe so inside of the universe what can happen

what can't happen this is important as it further defines the story's uniqueness for example in enimo Brand Story he has highly produced 3D robotic characters and futuristic environments where the characters use performance movement and scenarios to convey the feelings and emotions being played during the show where Fran's brand couldn't be more different his brand is built on the authenticity of his life and the real things that are happening around him so he would never present synthetic visuals for his brand everything has to always feel real and there's no right or wrong answers here the right

answer for you is what aligns to you your beliefs your values and most of all your taste if it feels deeply authentic to you and your music you're in the right place and let's quickly Define authentic my definition of authentic is that it genuinely comes from you your life experience your taste real opinions this is authenticity but in the next section I'm going to talk about character which is the reason that people watch the movie and listen to the story this next part is vital step four framing the House characters who are the characters inside

of the story for some artists this will be easy as they will be the main character but for some brands that are more built in a universe this might not necessarily be the case we have a saying at Colt that you either play the brand or you play the man or woman a brand like Tiesto has Tiesto as the main character so all the forward-facing brand elements and story is about testo it's his likeness on everything but Brands like Eric prids or the gorillas or excision for example these brands are more about the universes that

they exist in many fans actually don't know what Eric prids or excision even look like but they can tell you all about the visuals for the prids hollow show or the metallic dinosaurs or evil Shrek visuals at an excision show these artist projects rely more heavily on the Brand Story the universe and the visuals than the person themselves once you define who the characters will be the next question is what are the character archetypes for the characters in the story there are 12 main archetypes that help Define a character's personality these are based on the

writings of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Young his hypothesis was that before we were a global tribe of people connected via the Internet where every person on the planet was connected human beings existed in small tribes and although we are very complex creatures sometimes we're funny sometimes we're passionate sometimes we're heroic sometimes we want to rebel that the way that other humans process us is they group us into buckets based on what they think our primary motivations are so in a small tribe someone might think that guy he's the funny guy in the tribe or that woman

she's our queen or the ruler of our tribe or this guy he's always doing heroic stuff he's one of our Warriors or this other person that they're the shaman or the Magician of our tribe so this technique is not just evident in screenwriting or character writing but it's also very prevalent in the corporate brand building World modern-day corporate brands have personalities and voices just like people and they follow these archetypes for example Nike is a hero brand where their heroes are their athletes athletes that are doing the hard work and facing the challenges that it

takes to be great apple is a Creator brand so it's shot on an iPhone made on a MacBook the things that you can create with Apple products now Apple started as a rebel brand they ran these David and Goliath campaigns where they positioned IBM and hulet Packard the big computer companies at the time as the evil empire and apple is the young cool Rebels who thought different and wanted to overthrow the evil empire so understanding human psychology and how the brain groups personality types you can see why this is such a big factor in creating

a character story for an audience and whatever your archetype is this defines the primary motivation for your brand for example Diplo is an Explorer brand he started as a rebel brand but now as an Explorer most of what he posts has to do with Explorations and this isn't just travel Explorations this is also exploring where he can go sonically and where he can go with his music he rarely stays in one place for too long he has to go somewhere he hasn't been yet I had a few friends that texted me when he started making

country and they were like can you believe this Wes is going country and I was like I can absolutely believe it he hasn't been there yet and that's totally on brand for him if he started a techno punk rock band tomorrow I wouldn't be surprised and the audience probably wouldn't be surprised either and then back to Testo so Tiesto is a ruler or controller brand this archetype is is driven by lifestyle and Status every luxury brand in the world is generally a ruler archetype for example Rolex watches aren't just selling you a watch on paper

they are but what they're really selling you is status no one needs a watch to tell time in 2025 we can all just look at our phones but what Rolex is selling you is you are a better version of yourself with a Rolex on than without you raise your status just by wearing it they're selling you status and it's all done through storytelling I've had friends that cried when they got their otomar AP watch they cried because of the story that they had about the product and then the story that they had about themselves and

where those two things met and that's the important thing to call out here most people subconsciously identify with certain archetypes I've been an artist my whole life so I identify with other creators generally I've been the type of person that if everyone is going one way I'll usually want to go the other way and be different which is maybe the rebel in me and then my work ethic and my desire to help others has been ingrained in me since I was really young so a well- told hero story will generally light up the synapses in

my brain and this is what's happening with people in stories all over the world people have stories about themselves whether they are conscious or subconscious they identify as certain types of people so with your character and your character writing if you can create something that has a really strong identity you will find people that will be drawn towards that character or characters and this is truly what breeds the connection with people in the audience the brand means more than just the music it represents something that's why when somebody wears a Travis Scott piece of merch

Rebel brand they are saying something about themselves they're using the artist and their story to Define their own identity an important thing to explain here is that you can't be more than two archetypes and even if you're choosing two you should be 8020 or 9010 between the two for example Fred again is 80% an Everyman brand with 20% being a creator for his brand story The main thing that he is selling is relatability he just seems like a normal guy but the 20% Creator is the finger drumming and how he approaches delivering his art to

the audience so as the audience gets to know Fred in his story they understand what he's about and they relate to him he's a normal guy whose main objective is to relate and connect with you and doing it in a creative way and to reiterate you can't be more than two here as it will be too confusing to the audience think of characters in movies for example Star Wars Luke Skywalker is the hero Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda are the sage Han Solo is the Rebel or outlaw the innocent or Damsel in Distress is Princess Leia

and it's very clear to the audience who the characters are and how they serve the story and what they're all about but for example mixing archetypes a character like Han Solo he's a rebel archetype and he does have funny lines I like this thing but he's not the comic relief for the movie that's not why his character is there and once an archetype is chosen it's important to understand that this defines the character's main motivation if you're an Explorer brand your main motivation is to explore and 80 90% of the time this is what you're

showing the audience posting an in studio track breakdown doesn't really do much to forward the story of an Explorer if your Rebel brand is dancing in the studio to your latest song it may not convey what you're rebelling against but you get it the archetype defines the motivation and as a note to this section I think a lot of times this can be really difficult for Creative people as many of us are chameleons it depends on the day sometimes we feel like exploring sometimes we're passionate sometimes we want to rebel but think of it like

this that you as a person you're all of these things you're a complex human being but what are you showing to the audience with your music project it's similar to you might not show all of yourself to the Barista at the coffee shop you might not show all of yourself to your grandparents you might not show all of yourself to the promoter at the party you're showing them sides to yourself based on the relationship and the relationship you have with an audience is that you are presenting a story that has your music and what of

the story do you want to show them which brings us to the next part of building the house you're going to need strong walls to house all the story that you've [Music] created ever wonder how to truly cut through the noise and get your music to a broader audience the cult creatives is a niche agency servicing the communities and Brands surrounding the spaces of music and fashion our unique backgrounds of being highly involved with some of the largest music and fashion brands in the world gives us a unique perspective on how to connect creator with

their audiences we offer a variety of services including creative Direction design photography videography and strategy head to the cult creatives tocom to learn more the cult creatives not to be replicated but if you try we wouldn't blame you step five putting up the walls creating the sandbox for this section it's coming up with what the story will be about if it were a TV show is this a reality show is it a documentary is it a hero's journey show is it a comedy is it about love sexuality intimacy is it a high energy action movie

is it scii is it set in the future is it set in the past finding this brings up the walls on the house the positive protective constraints that the brand and its story will live inside it provides the structure and the filter with which all creat ideas having to do with the Brand Story will run through going forward where you go from here will Define all future steps of the build you've answered thousands of future questions just by answering this one and the next thing to think about is what is going to happen in the

show what is the audience going to watch is this a story about Ascension a hero wants to make it to the top of the mountain to help others and they're met with challenges along the way is this a comedy story that guarantees laugh s and smiles each time the audience experiences the brand is this a rebel story where the artist is going to take on a group like the music industry or the status quo and by being different and rebelling are going to be able to move closer to their goals if you can answer these

questions you also just answer the majority of what your content should look like for your content strategy this is the show that the audience is tuning in to watch and once you have a sense of the story you should very clearly be able to explain your brand story and concept in a short elevator pitch that's three sentences or less and would be 30 to 60 seconds long the time usually spent with somebody in an elevator and here's a few examples of music artists brand story elevator pitches so isoxo and KNC 2 high energy Rebel brands

that focus on the freedom of expression the brand will celebrate outcasts and inight a feeling of positive Rebellion at every turn the visual identity will have an edge and will have undertones of nostalgia with Rock and metal influences two friends an Everyman brand about two lifelong best friends focused on relatability and fun the two bring you into their normal authentic world where extraordinary moments happen enima a Creator brand focused on merging the worlds of futurism technology and art into remarkable experiences for an audience Fel Williams a multim medium Creator full of color and inspiration themes

of celebrating one's uniqueness and embracing change are evident all throughout the Brand's touch points Steve Aoki a high octane action-based experience where energy is King themes of Technology Rebellion punk rock and memorable stunts make this brand irresistible to Thrill Seekers gustlin a ruler controller brand that matches avantgard electronic music with high-end elevated visuals the brand better resembles an expensive luxury fashion brand than it does a DJ producer project Martin Garrick a hero brand where a pure heart determination and an Undying Love Of Music Drive the hero towards accomplishing greatness themes of relatability and challenging moments

connect the audience to Martin and his story Dylan Francis a relatable comedy brand that uses sarcasm ironic scenarios and reoccurring characters to engage the audience through laughter strong comedic writing and sharable storylines are the backbone to his brand so you see just by having this elevator pitch it allows the positive constraints of defining what the story will be everything even when you get into a simple one-off social post It'll point back to this greater narrative in story as a note here sometimes artists will get scared of locking into a story as it can feel confining

to their creativity but keep in mind as long as you're aligned to your Brand's value vales your mission and your unique point of view you can always update the movie or create a new chapter and if you look at someone like Kanye love him or hate him there are different chapters in his overall story that have been like different movies in the same franchise there's College Dropout Kanye there's 808 Kanye there's Pablo Kanye there's da Kanye Etc but in all these Kanye Kanye has always been Kanye there through lines with all those chapters of his

career that tie back to his greater story his motivations and his position and for Kanye Chicago was a big part of his story and that's what we're going to talk about next the setting step six overall design style the setting where does the story exactly take place so as we worked out before where the story generally took place in this area but now that we know who the characters are and what the premise of the story is we can then look at the exact place where the story is going to be set for example if

your story is generally set in a future city now that we're at this phase what future city is it maybe it's Tokyo and maybe even more specifically it's the western part of Tokyo near Shinjuku or shabuya or like how he said Jay-Z's brand was a New York City perspective maybe yours is also New York but where in New York maybe it's Brooklyn and maybe even more specifically it happens in everyday places in Brooklyn like bodegas coffee shops or laundromats knowing exactly where the story will take place will help answer so many questions going forward and

many of the questions that will come up in the future it's the backing of where the story will take place and is absolutely a key part to the build process but this next section will really Define what the house will look like step seven design and details interior design and Decor this is where you get into the spices that truly start to make the flavor of your home feel all its own how does it actually look this part of the story build will be like styling what does the artist wear what's their style what's the

color palette for the brand for static images what are the fonts what might a piece of single artwork look like what would a tour flyer look like for video it's more like what's the aesthetic what's the coloring of the videos look like what kinds of shots what's the pacing like is it fast is it slow all these questions need to be answered with the main question you're trying to answer being what is the overall visual language a great way to define this is through mood boards and bringing in visual references and a way to find

some of these images could be watching movies or shows going to the bookstore and looking through art books uh look through old magazines or study old album covers Pinterest is not a bad place but a lot of people do this so people are using the same references and it can make things look a little homogenized so it's better to go and dig in places maybe where people aren't and if this part's wrong it's likely not going to connect with the audience think about movies you've seen where you were serve some kind of AD or trailer

telling you about the movie and you thought that's a cool concept and then when you saw it stylistically it just didn't hit and it took you out of the story which ultimately made it forgettable so just like the soundtrack needing to match the story the story needs to match the visual language it should all be cohesive coming from the same point of view and as a note on this don't look at other artists for this you won't stand out look outside of your world of music and find things that fit with your taste the best

is referencing things that you grew up with this makes it 100% authentic to you and your uniqueness and not just something that's currently trending with other artists and this is you can really win with your uniqueness and all the details around the things that you've chosen you know your references because those were the things that moved you in your life and really often the details are what the audience actually remembers the details are what brings the brand to life and burns it in the minds of the people that are experiencing it step eight finishing and

as I just mentioned the devil is in the details one of the things I learned from working with great producers is they are obsessed with the last 5% on a song where most new or intermediate producers will call it good enough at 90 or 95% the great will spend weeks sometimes months working on the last 5% of finishing a song your Brand Story should be no different and you should handle it with the same amount of care and this last step of adding the final touches and making sure all of your choices are cohesive and

everything fits together is what makes the house your house house it's now a complete house a complete thought that came from you it's a beautiful house on a beautiful plot of land and this house feels like you and your story you could spend years living inside this house and expanding on the property because the home the way that it was built it was custom built for you and your taste and it's built with things that you love and it perfectly houses your brand story and your music and this house through expansion could become a neighborhood

or if you do it right it could become a whole city if you stuck with this video to this point it means that you care deeply about your project and getting better and I'm confident that you can figure out how to apply these learnings to your own project now the reason that somebody May hire or engage us with cult after seeing a video like this isn't because the knowledge isn't there the main reason is that the people that we have as clients they just want to go faster they want to go more efficiently they want

to have more clarity around the brand and work with us directly to have us touch and oversee the story side and brand build for their project and then sign off on whatever is being created they want someone to build and create directly with them and what I've noticed is that most of our clients are the type of people that they greatly value their time and they're Ultra focused on growing getting better faster stronger but regardless if we ever work together if you give this time energy and attention you can absolutely figure this out and really

make an impact with your project I have a bunch of other videos on the neighborhood to Art Supply channel that go more in depth in a lot of the things that I covered today so if you found value here you can go and check those out but appreciate you hanging through this good luck with your project much love from California and I'll see you next time peace