Music is one of the most unifying symbols in all of the world. People from all different cultures and backgrounds love and cherish it. That’s why your music logo design needs to be unifying as well.

If you want your logo to be recognized and enjoyed by a large population, it’s time to take some notes from some of the most iconic music logos of all time.

Here are six lessons we can learn from the most well-recognized music logos.

1. Follow Your Own Style

While looking through dozens of logos, it’s easy to see that there is no one right style.

Instead, the thing that makes all of the best logos memorable is that they connect well with the music being played. For example, imagine seeing a jazz band with a logo that resembled KISS.

It would probably seem a bit jarring. Why is that? Our brains associate the sharp and bold letters with hard rock or heavy metal type of music.

Jazz, on the other hand, represents music with quite different characteristics. What works for one style might not work for another.

The better you understand the music that is being played, the easier it will be to find the right style for your music logo design.

2. Add the Instrument

The next lesson is to incorporate the star musical instrument. This can be an effective way to add recognition to your logo.

By adding an instrument into your design, you are giving a hint to your audience what your music is going to be like before you even begin playing. This will help build the excitement.

Also, if your logo is crafted well, it will help improve the audience’s perceptions of you from the start. In fact, did you know that sense of sound and sight are often intertwined?

A study was done on the comingling of senses. The more often the brain sees a symbol and associates it with a sound, the more memorable it will. Also the more likely it will hear the sound when it sees that symbol.

This is a great way to help your music to become well known. Don’t worry if you don’t have an instrument and you rely purely on your voice, just add in a microphone!

3. Play with Musical Symbols

Another great option is to add in musical symbols. Many of the most iconic music logos have a fun musical symbol hidden away.

This not only makes the design more fun but it delights the audience as well! This is an especially great option if you don’t have just one instrument that you feel like you can incorporate.

Some popular musical symbols are:

• Notes
• Sharps or Flats
• Treble or Bass Clef
• Expression Symbols

There are many other musical symbols besides these. However, these are the most commonly known ones.

Expression symbols refer to the parts in the music that tell you how to play the note or phrase. Things such as fermatas and crescendos fall in this category.

Take care when choosing your symbols. Just like when choosing the style of your music logo design, you also need to choose symbols that correspond to the type of music being played.

For example, it wouldn’t make sense for a bass player to have a logo that includes the treble clef when they never play in that register.

Try recording your music with Eastwood Sound and Vision, and write down the symbols or sounds that stick out most.

4. Keep it Simple

The fourth lesson we can learn from iconic musical logos is to keep it simple. It may seem tempting to put the face of every band member on your logo. However, this probably won’t become an iconic music logo design.

It’s important to keep in mind that your logo has to be simple and easy enough to understand whether it’s the size of a stamp or up on a billboard.

Small details can easily get lost, especially when the logo is shrunk down in size. Also, the more details and features you have on your logo the easier it is for them to become a distraction.

Decide beforehand what you want your logo to represent and then add only those elements that uphold that idea.

5. Make it Readable

The fifth lesson is to make sure your logo is readable. This of course only applies if you have typography in your design.

Typography can play a huge role in any logo design. Big blocky fonts mean something completely different than thin cursive fonts.

There’s a reason we don’t see metal bands with cursive fonts. In our brains, they just don’t go together. That’s because fonts and typography have subliminal meanings for all of us.

If your music is heavy and loud, choose a font that mimics that feeling. If the music is more lyrical and sweet, look for thin and elegant fonts.

Check out our guide for how to choose the right font. And remember when you are choosing one that it needs to be readable as well.

If you have any concerns about this, ask someone not involved what they think it says.

6. Be Unique

The last lesson we learned while looking at the most iconic music logos is to be unique.

This can be difficult with all of the hundreds of thousands of music designs floating around the world right now. However, if you want your design to be remembered it needs to be different.

Find what makes your music different and unique and think about ways to incorporate it into your design. Don’t be afraid to start over. Sometimes the best ideas come after multiple failed attempts.

Create Your Perfect Music Logo Design Today

Need more help making your perfect music logo design? Luckily we have just the thing for you! Check out our 5 tips for creating a killer music logo design.

By following these steps you’re sure to create an amazing logo that will take your band or songs to the next level.

Have questions about any of our tips? Send us a message! We can’t wait to help you create your dream design.