A good band logo can be a very powerful marketing tool for your live band. A good logo will be an image that people will associate with your band every time they see it. After choosing a band name you should create a memorable logo to use on all of your band documents, websites and merchandise.
Qualities of a good logo are:
- It’s instantly recognizable
- Looks good in color or black and white
- Looks good in various sizes
- Is easy to reproduce
- Is not too busy
- Brings an emotional response
- Can be used in many situations
A trademark protects a word, phrase, symbol, design or a combination of these, that identifies and distinguishes the goods or services of one person or company from those of others. A copyright on the other hand is a form of protection for Authors of literary, musical, dramatic, artistic and certain other intellectual works.
Some things, such as ornate logos, may qualify for both trademark and copyright protection. This is because the amount of original authorship in a logo can vary greatly. Most highly recognizable logos are extremely simple objects, such as the Nike “swoosh.” However, a more ornate logo with a great deal of original authorship might qualify for both trademark and copyright protection.
To protect the name of your company, your newly designed logo or a catchphrase, a trademark is probably what you need. To protect your latest gallery worthy painting, the next great American novel or even a brilliantly choreographed dance sequence, a copyright is probably the best route for you. To protect your band logo, you basically just need to register it as a trademark. Here are the Basic Facts About Trademarks from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. You should also read: How to file a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. As you can see, it’s not too hard to trademark your logo and you can do it right over the Internet.
There are several easy ways to create a band logo. The easiest would be to use a program like Microsoft Paint which is included with Windows and start doodling. You may come up with a pretty impressive logo in no time at all. A good logo can be made using purchased fonts, available in programs like Adobe Photoshop as well. Remember, you want something that will look good in black and white and in color. If you want the bare minimum, at least make it look good in black and white. Another way to get a band logo is to go to and artist and pay them to create your logo for you. Make sure that you have a contract that states that you will be the sole owner of the logo after you purchase it and the trademark will be registered in your name only. If you do search on the Internet you will also find free logo sites as well as free clip art books that you can use at will to create a logo. Make sure you explore all these options and you’ll have a unique band logo in no time at all!
