You may often hear advice for musicians: find your voice. But what exactly does that mean, and how to do it? In this article, we will share some insights to help you figure out your unique voice.
What is a Unique Musical Voice?
Finding your voice as a musician or composer is all about finding your unique sound. When someone tells a musician or the band something like “your music sounds all the same” it actually means they have found their own voice. Just look at the music of Hans Zimmer or John Williams — you can say exactly that it’s their music as soon as you hear it.
Why You Need a Musical Voice
Your own musical voice is the basis to stand out and have a successful musical career. And it should be unique — not sounding like anyone else’s music. The best movies in the world have impressive visuals and memorable soundtracks. The music industry evaluates musicians at the same level: great story, memorable imagery, and defined sound.
Your artist’s voice is always what you want to say through your art. It’s not just about vocal tone or instrumental skill—it’s about identity, personality, and the story behind your music. The part of your style can include repetitive intervals, which you use in several compositions. But keep in mind that when you intentionally use the same intervals to create your voice it may not lead to anything that you expect. Sounding unique takes time, much like how a child learns to talk and express their own ideas. This process doesn’t happen overnight and is preceded by many years of listening, reading, and hearing someone else’s ideas.
What’s more effective than searching for your voice is the moment when you stop artificially inserting certain parts and intervals into melodies. Instead, as a musician you need to listen to what you want to express — write what you truly want to write.
Finding Your Musical Voice: Where to Start
A unique sound is what beginner and intermediate artists often struggle with. Earlier finding a sound was easier since the bands had only their own instruments and vocals to create the body of work that defined their sound at early stages. In modern music production there’s nothing impossible — you can make anything. It’s both an advantage and curse. You have lots of tools and many kinds of software. You can even have AI. But what kind of sound do you want to make exactly?
Sometimes finding your sound is compared to the process of forming a menu where you need to figure out ingredients. You can make anything, but only using what’s already on your counter.
What music do you want to create? Listeners only share music that feels beautiful, meaningful, or compelling. Sometimes it makes them feel raised in their status only by sharing it. Musicians whose music is shared regularly in this way become the top leaders of popular charts.
If your listeners tell you that you sound like someone, it means you occupy someone else’s position. Is it bad? Actually all music is created from stolen or borrowed ingredients but with new mixes — call it a recipe if you want. Some artists become popular because they create something authentic to their lives but at the same time combine things that have already conquered the hearts of listeners.
How to Define Your Musical Voice: Step-By-Step Guide
Defining your voice is part of the artistic brand. That’s where you should start if you dream about full houses, sold out concerts, and your own merch sold like hotcakes. So how to craft your sound?
1. Create a List Of Things You Liked in the Past
This tip works equally fine for building your brand, storytelling, and defining your sound. Make a little ask-and-answer session for yourself, including questions:
- What is your all-time favourite music (songs and albums)?
- What kind of music was played in your house when you were a kid?
- What are your bright memories with music playing in the background?
- What are your favourite music experiences with shows and music videos?
Answers to those questions help you see what exactly you love in music and what your story with the music is.
2. Create a List of Things That Inspire You Now
Again give yourself time to answer the following questions:
- What are your favourite songs and albums these days?
- What music do you come back to again and again?
- What is your inspiration?
- What artists do you like for pushing the boundaries?
- If you could go to a live concert of any band or singer, who would it be?
3. Make a Match
Your life experiences, emotions, and background shape your voice. Two previous lists with past things you loved and current passions provide you with valuable ingredients. Now when you have these lists, your next step is to look at which things of two lists you can apply to create your own musical voice. Just write down a bunch of different combinations to find your recipe.
4. Experiment Without Judgement
Allow yourself to create without any judging voice in your head that tells you it’s bad. Try different styles, record rough ideas, even if they seem messy or strange. Learn to play new instruments. For example, if you already play the piano, why not learn a woodwind instrument such as a saxophone or flute? Your authentic voice can show up in unexpected places. What’s more, it evolves through trial and error.
5. Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Musicians
Every story is unique, so don’t fall into the trap of comparing your music to others. Yes, it’s easy to do in the age of social media where fairy tales about overnight success exist. But your voice isn’t supposed to sound like anyone else's. Use others for inspiration, not imitation.
6. Keep Evolving
Your musical voice grows as you grow. What sounds like “you” today might change tomorrow—and that’s a natural development. Stay curious, stay open, and keep creating.
Final Thoughts
Finding your unique musical voice doesn’t happen quickly — it takes time, patience, and courage. It’s something you uncover by being honest with yourself, embracing your likes and dislikes, passions from the past and now. Finding your musical voice isn’t about becoming perfect. It’s about your own story behind the music — things and emotions that make you real.
Recently we’ve shared an article "Tips for Musicians: How to Sight-Read Better". Feel free to check it out.
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