Get a Name that really POPS

Best practise is to make your band's name short and punchy (3 words at the VERY MOST) so it is memorable and creates a vivid image or evokes a feeling in the mind of the listener.

Saying that, the Presidents Of The United States Of America did okay - but that's the only example of a long-ass band name that springs to mind.

Get an Unused Band Name

Ask thyself:

Has your would-be name already been used ?

Is the band name available for you to use?

You don't want a meteoric rise to fame only to have to change your band name because someone else already registered it and is threatening to sue the cacks off you if you don't change it pronto!

Once you have a name you like, check ASCAP, BMI and Bandname.com to check it hasn't already been registered.

Get a Band Name that Lasts

A good way to gauge if your super cool band name will still be a super cool band name in 5 years is to see if you can think of any similar names that have stood the test of time. i.e. bands that started back in the day and are still going strong.

You don't want to have to change your name in 5 years time because future would-be fans aren't really attracted to your name at first glance.

Mean It!

Its always good to have some story or meaning behind your band name - even if its not true. Think publicity.

For more inspiration, check out this Wikipedia List Of Band Name Etymologies for the story behind some of music's biggest names.

Make it Relevant to the Genre

Whilst 'The Garden of Eden' is a good name for a Christian band, if you happen to be a rock band... it SUCKS!!

Although the vast majority of band names bear little association to the genre they belong to at face value, just make sure yours doesn't sound like it belongs to ANOTHER genre, or you'll put potential fans off because they'll mistake you for a candyass bunch of god fearing non-rock candyasses.

Another important point here is DONT kiss the ass of the genre you belong to either. Names like 'The Gods of Rock' or 'Rock Highway' are not cool rock band names buddy.

Come up with a LIST of Band Names

After you have become all super inspired by this ultimate guide, you might suddenly hit the jackpot with a super cool band name of epic proportions, but WAIT sparky!

My advice here is to still come up with at LEAST 4 more ideas, sleep on it (to give yourself a chance to come back down from your band naming supercharged state of crazyness) then come back the next day a normal human being and look at your list of band names in the cold light of day. This will give you a sensible perspective, like viewing it with a fresh set of eyes and you might then think 'What the holy hell was I thinking.... Chumba Karumba?!?'.

Its the same thing as an artist stepping back from the canvas to get the full picture of where its going. Also, the reason I suggest a list is so that the psychological law of contrast can help you in your decision i.e. out of 5 names, 1 will be the clear winner - and that's your band name.

Don't stop there though.. Take your list of band names and show it to alllll your friends, asking them to pick their fave out of the 5 you have come up with. To avoid cultural bias, also show your list to strangers from as many different social backgrounds as possible. This will get you a good general consensus as to the best band name of the lot.

In the third and final part of this guide we'll break down the 8 most prevalent styles of band name known to the music industry.

NEXT >> 8 IMPORTANT BAND NAME STYLES


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