# Your thoughts about having two artist's names



## Fredeke (May 27, 2021)

Hi. I'm currently in the process of getting my music out of the backroom and out to the public, via a digital distributior.

I'm pondering over this question:
I make music in two diametrically opposed genres: soft piano solos, and electronic of all kind (from EDM to experimental).
I'm thinking of having two artist's names, but closely related so the audience would intuitively know it's me every time... But systems would not. The idea is to keep automated systems from suggesting music of one genre to fans of the other, in fear of driving them away (The two names would be: Fred Scalliet and Frederic Scalliet  )

What are your thoughts on that?
Shoot.


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## Crowe (May 27, 2021)

I've always been a fan of keeping diametrically opposed projects away from each other by using different names. I refer to most of my projects by their given name and only in credits is my base pseudonym even mentioned; you could basically view it as every band having their own name.

You know exactly what you're getting into when you go looking for Nine Inch Nails (the band), but that doesn't stop Trent Reznor (the man) from scoring Disney movies.

EDIT: But I don't think your plan is going to work if you only remove a few letters from your given name and keep the surname. I'm pretty sure at least Google's engine is going to see right through that.


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## Living Fossil (May 27, 2021)

Fredeke said:


> What are your thoughts on that?


It's a difficult topic.

The problem is that it's not unusual that people who would like you for one genre you are working in will automatically respect you less once they see that you are also active in a genre that they personally dislike.
This statement seems somehow absurd, but it has to do with the fact that lots of people identify themself by their taste in music. The music people like often has a huge impact on how they perceive their own personality. (i guess everybody has encountered lots of people who, if they had to name one property of them they are proud of, would say they are specially proud of their musical taste)

So maybe it would be a better thing to go with one "band name" (for the EDM stuff) and your name for the other project.


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## Fredeke (May 27, 2021)

I hear you. The idea behind changing only a few letters is to let Google Search see through it, but not Spotify Search, say. I like to present my different sides under my real name (because if I went for a pseudonym, I would want to change it every year anyway), but I don't want to jumpscare soft music lovers who would play/download all my albums on their favorite platform. Does that make sense to you?.
(It's funny, I was more expecting replies to go in the direction of having only one name)


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## AlexRuger (May 27, 2021)

In the age of the internet, consolidating your releases around a singular name is the best way to go. Unless of course it's a band, in which case -- it's a band, and it should have a band name. Solo artists can use a band/"project" name (see Kevin Parker/Tame Impala), but still, it's all just one name.

I think @Living Fossil's point pales in comparison to the opposite: that often, people are amazed when an artist they like is hugely versatile. _That_ point pales in comparison to the "Google points" one gets by consolidating a search term. And even _that_ point pales in comparison to the simple truth: that you are, indeed, you, and are making this music, so why overthink it.

That said, I'm all for changing what your singular name _is _so as to maximize style or "Google points." My legal last name isn't actually Ruger. Great choice for Google-ification, though admittedly it's been a weird choice as far as self-identity goes. I kinda feel like _neither _of my last names are actually "mine."

I say to simply pick a lane with Fred Scalliet and Frederic Scalliet, and stick with it for everything.


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## wetalkofdreams (May 27, 2021)

I agree with Alex. It's also worth to remember that from the 'inside looking out', all these genres and styles seem dramatically different, but from the 'outside looking in', listeners see it all coming from you, and will tie it all together as the same artist anyway.


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## Fredeke (May 27, 2021)

wetalkofdreams said:


> I agree with Alex. It's also worth to remember that from the 'inside looking out', all these genres and styles seem dramatically different, but from the 'outside looking in', listeners see it all coming from you, and will tie it all together as the same artist anyway.


Maybe. Call me naive, but I believe my case is extreme. So my thinking was: nobody cares for our music as much as we do, and there's more supply than demand, so we should make the effort to present our products in easy packages rather than expect the audience to make the effort to figure it out. Even though that goes against my guts.

Anyway, my decision may depend on the answer to the following question: do you know if major streaming platforms sort artists by genre, or do they sort only albums per genre? In other words, if someone searches for "piano solo", do they risk being served my EDM albums?


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## ghobii (May 27, 2021)

I think your EDM name should be Sced Fralliet.


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## lsabina (May 27, 2021)

You may be giving audiences too much credit, in terms of branching out and discovering new sounds. Sure, it can happen, but in my experience most listeners have their main favorite genre and tend to stick with it. I currently write under four different names to varying degrees of success. My most successful (in terms of streams, listeners and playlist adds) is in the meditation/spa music genre, but I seriously doubt any of those listeners are checking out my jazzhop and chill tracks. And that’s fine with me...


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## ProfoundSilence (May 27, 2021)

I always felt like if I were to do library music I'd just use a psuedonym to avoid the guilt of the inevitable cheese


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## Fredeke (May 27, 2021)

ProfoundSilence said:


> I always felt like if I were to do library music I'd just use a psuedonym to avoid the guilt of the inevitable cheese


And what would that pseudo be i wonder?

May I suggest Chesse Factory ? (Damn, now I want to make stock music just to utilize the name)


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## olvra (May 27, 2021)

Fredeke said:


> And what would that pseudo be i wonder?


Provo.loner


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## Crowe (May 27, 2021)

olvra said:


> Provo.loner


Cute.


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## Arbee (May 27, 2021)

As you can tell from the responses so far, the pros and cons of "same", "different" and "similar" names across genres are pretty even. I suggest start out the way you want and monitor the response closely, it should become obvious to you quite quickly what works for your branding and what doesn't.


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## jcrosby (May 28, 2021)

I think artists who aren't afraid to break their own rules are culturally important for music. I agree with Living Fossil in that many people associate music with a strong piece of their social identity. So much so that when I think of high school, the music that got me through it was pivotal. 30 years later I still love just about all of the same bands... In fact some of them are still as important to me now as they were at 16-17... But I actually think artistically breaking the rules is healthy on a cultural level.

My point is... When artists break their own rules they bring with it the potential to open their fans minds up to a wider range of music. That openness ultimately leads to discoveries they may have otherwise completely ignored. (I'm pretty sure that's how/why many of us became composers...) Discoveries that may go beyond just music.

That's obviously not the default/guaranteed reaction though... There will always be fans/listeners who don't like you breaking the rules, and see it as an opportunity to take their passive-aggression to twitter; or whatever the kids get up to these days to vent their _moral outrage_.... Pardon my french when I say Fuck Them... Better to open a few minds then worry about people whose minds you'd never have changed anyway...

I think the idea that you might potentially open an "EDM-er's"mind up to enjoying solo piano music is a a lot more compelling than worrying about some fans/listeners that are prone to disapproving just because it disagrees with their worldview...


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## Crowe (May 28, 2021)

For what it's worth, in this age of internet it has become exceedingly easy to google someone's name if you want to. From personal experience I was usually delighted when an artist I was researching turned out to have dabbled in a multitude of styles.


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## ProfoundSilence (May 28, 2021)

olvra said:


> Provo.loner


Jack Pepper


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## NekujaK (May 28, 2021)

I've used multiple artist aliases for many years, partially for the reason stated by the OP - to segregate and brand different musical projects/styles - and also to create a "bigger feel" for some of my projects. For example, a few years back I created a series of YouTube videos, and used three aliases for the production credits: one for the writer, one for the music, and one for the video editor. They were all me, but having multiple names in the credits gave the project more "weight" and made it seem like a bigger production effort.

So much of what's on the internet is illusion anyway, why not make use of it...


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## Fredeke (May 29, 2021)

Arbee said:


> As you can tell from the responses so far, the pros and cons of "same", "different" and "similar" names across genres are pretty even. I suggest start out the way you want and monitor the response closely, it should become obvious to you quite quickly what works for your branding and what doesn't.


I came to the same conclusion.

@jcrosby and @Crowe make a good argument. In fact I'm not worried about EDM enthusiasts discovering my piano solos. It's more the other way around. So I'll keep the idea of using different but very similar names in the back of my head, and I'll also keep in mind the risk of stretching myself too thin, @3DC warns me against.

What I'm gonna do is publish an EDM single first, spend the time to learn by experience about the workings of distributors and streaming platforms, and only then release a piano album, at which point I'll decide whether to use the same name or a variant of it.

Thank you all for your inputs.


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## Tralen (May 29, 2021)

Fredeke said:


> I came to the same conclusion.
> 
> @jcrosby and @Crowe make a good argument. In fact I'm not worried about EDM enthusiasts discovering my piano solos. It's more the other way around. So I'll keep the idea of using different but very similar names in the back of my head, and I'll also keep in mind the risk of stretching myself too thin, @3DC warns me against.
> 
> ...


I'm in the same predicament for this year. I will be releasing orchestral music and also electronic/metal music.

I'm considering releasing under just one name, but keep separate namespaces in the releases by using either prefixes or even different languages, that is, releasing my orchestral music with titles in my native language and the rest with titles in english.


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## Fredeke (May 29, 2021)

Tralen said:


> I'm in the same predicament for this year. I will be releasing orchestral music and also electronic/metal music.
> 
> I'm considering releasing under just one name, but keep separate namespaces in the releases by using either prefixes or even different languages, that is, releasing my orchestral music with titles in my native language and the rest with titles in english.


That could be good. Your fans would witness your entire discography across genres, but would quickly learn to know what's what at first glance.

I don't think you need to worry too much about metal fans stumbling across orchestral: they would probably like it.


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## GNP (May 29, 2021)

Dirk Diggler


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## rgames (May 29, 2021)

Who else is succcessful (per your definiton) doing "soft" piano and EDM under the same name?

Do what that person did. And let me know who that is 

rgames


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## Saxer (May 29, 2021)

I do a lot of collaborations (co-composer/arranger/mockups/production). People like to book someone for special tasks. If the want an orchestrator they don't want someone who is "also" orchestrating beside other projects. They want a "real" full time orchestrator. So that might be another argument for separated names.


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## Drundfunk (May 30, 2021)

ProfoundSilence said:


> Jack Pepper


Jack Mehoff. Or Ben Dover?......I'm such a child.........


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## Nate Johnson (May 30, 2021)

I’ve had two identities for a while now, but will only be releasing material under my name from this point.

Same as you, I was ‘worried’ that the chasm between genres would matter...to anyone. But whatever. I am a person who enjoys all kinds of different things and thats bound to be represented in my music creation.

A singular identity is far ‘simpler’ to manage and my alias is just plain outdated (for my tastes) anyways.

Someone should ask Tom Holkenborg/Junkie XL for his 2 cents, as a successful multi-aliased artist spanning two completely different careers (thus brands) in music!


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## C.R. Rivera (May 30, 2021)

Whatever you decide, avoid "Chris Gaines"!


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## ProfoundSilence (May 30, 2021)

Nate Johnson said:


> I’ve had two identities for a while now, but will only be releasing material under my name from this point.
> 
> Same as you, I was ‘worried’ that the chasm between genres would matter...to anyone. But whatever. I am a person who enjoys all kinds of different things and thats bound to be represented in my music creation.
> 
> ...


Or Zimmer? The guy that played keyboard in pop bands while writing jingles until he got into film scoring?


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## cedricm (Nov 10, 2021)

A little off-topic: can someone please point me to good sites or books explaining how artist names work in terms of copyright, Performing Rights Organizations and Collective Management Organizations, online distribution (soundcloud, spotify, ...)


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## Nando Florestan (Nov 11, 2021)

olvra said:


> Provo.loner


Frederic Gouda
Elmo Zarela
Carmen Bert
Baron Roquefort
Bubba Feta
El Emmental


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## rollasoc (Nov 11, 2021)

Only two names?
Those are rookie numbers!!!
I use 5 at the moment. Two bands (one indie, one post rock), three solo (actual solo, synthwave, other instrumentals)


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## Chamberfield (Nov 25, 2021)

rollasoc said:


> Only two names?
> Those are rookie numbers!!!
> I use 5 at the moment. Two bands (one indie, one post rock), three solo (actual solo, synthwave, other instrumentals)


Curious, how do you keep up with the social media for all these aliases?


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## MartinH. (Nov 26, 2021)

Chamberfield said:


> Curious, how do you keep up with the social media for all these aliases?


If I had to do stuff like that, I would keep 5 different portable browsers that are each logged into the accounts for one of the aliases.


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## rollasoc (Nov 26, 2021)

Chamberfield said:


> Curious, how do you keep up with the social media for all these aliases?


Very badly!


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## Crowe (Nov 26, 2021)

MartinH. said:


> If I had to do stuff like that, I would keep 5 different portable browsers that are each logged into the accounts for one of the aliases.


This is actually what I do in daily life. Three profiles, three browsers. Personal, Music, Development. 4th will probably be needed real soon now that I've started a company.

Maybe it's just my programmer nature. 'Separation of Concerns' are words to live by, as far as I'm concerned.


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## MartinH. (Nov 26, 2021)

Crowe said:


> Maybe it's just my programmer nature. 'Separation of Concerns' are words to live by, as far as I'm concerned.



I think in my heart of hearts I am a programmer too . That's probably why I like Reaper so much. 




ka00 said:


> EDM name:
> Red Escalier
> 
> Piano name:
> Frederic S. Calliet III



Perfect!


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## Nando Florestan (Nov 26, 2021)

C.R. Rivera said:


> Whatever you decide, avoid "Chris Gaines"!


"Chris Gaines"... good idea! Very positive with the Gaines... Yeah, I'll use that, thanks!


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## philamelian (Dec 3, 2021)

I have a Turkish name which is almost impossible to pronounce for someone who grow up in English speaking part of the world (or possibly all other Indo-European languages). I happened to use my own name and it became a struggle when I play in band circles or for my solo work. First problem was people never remember your name so you don't have a brand or slowly your brand becomes the guy with the weird name, secondly you fed up talking about your name and its pronunciation in every single conversation, not because it's so important but somehow conversation comes to that in seconds.

While I was touring around Europe with the band I play I started noticing people remember the name I use on my facebook artist page (philamelian) more than my name, and asking me about how my solo projects are going. This name was a derivation from my hometowns Phrygian name that I started using years ago as a character name when I was playing Baldurs Gate.  And I decided to turn that into an artist name / stage name for my solo work. It still feels a bit odd but solved this particular problem I was experiencing. When people can read my name on screen when I am scoring something, or production music where this is not important at all I still use my name. And man I like my name anyway  

So yeah sometimes function takes over the front stage. It's understandable to use different names if someone wants different branding for certain purposes for different projects.


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