"Will AI replace musicians?"
Wrong.
The real question: Will you use AI to build what's impossible in the real world?
I just built a complete virtual artist in 72 hours. Full brand, photoshoots, narrative, visual identity.
Not to fake anything.
To prove that fictional characters might be the future of music marketing.
You're competing with attention, not just talent.
Gorillaz figured this out in 2001. Virtual band members, endless creative possibilities, zero ego conflicts, no scheduling nightmares.
But back then? You needed Warner Brothers' budget.
Now? You need three AI tools and creative vision.
It's the creative freedom.
Your virtual artist can:
Think about it: How many musicians struggle with their image, their brand consistency, their visual identity?
Your virtual artist never has those problems.
Here's the exact 4-step system I used:
Build your artist's DNA first. Feed Claude this framework.
I'm creating a fictional music artist. Help me develop the following.
CHARACTER FOUNDATION:
- Name and origin story
- Core personality traits and motivations
- Musical style and influences
- Visual aesthetic and color palette
- Backstory that connects to my actual music themes
BRAND ARCHITECTURE:
- Key messaging and brand voice
- Content themes and narrative threads
- Visual style guidelines
- Fan engagement strategies
Make this feel like a real person with real depth, not a marketing gimmick.
Review the output and adjust it to suit your preference, perhaps you'd want to tweak the name or aesthetic. Keep prompting until you get to a point where you like where things are at.
Then make a copy of the ThorneLabs Artist Blueprint and add it to your Claude project knowledge or attach it directly to chat.
Based on the virtual artist we have developed, let's complete all the sections in the ThorneLabs Artist Blueprint attached below.
Turn that blueprint into photography direction:
Based on this character profile [paste Claude output], create 5 detailed Midjourney prompts for:
1. Portrait/headshot for social media
2. Performance/concert scene
3. Studio/creative environment
4. Lifestyle/candid moment
5. Album cover concept
Include specific details about:
- Lighting techniques
- Color palettes
- Styling elements
- Camera angles
- Mood and atmosphere
Make each prompt cinematically compelling and brand-consistent.
Generate your artist's world. Paste in the MidJourney prompts that ChatGPT helped you create. I recommend using the MidJourney Alpha web app. Generate several images until you find a very strong reference image and then use that as your key reference!
Pro Tip: Consistency is everything. Use these modifiers:
-sref [reference image URL] for style consistency-cref [character reference URL] for character consistency
Wide shot of Japanese girl in vintage floral dress laying languidly draped across oversized deep crimson red velvet armchair, her body gracefully positioned with one arm trailing over the chair's edge, against same sage green wall background, lush green plants and delicate flowers arranged behind and around the chair creating botanical backdrop, rich burgundy velvet fabric creating bold color contrast, late afternoon golden sunlight streaming across the scene creating warm pools of light and soft shadows, same wooden floor planks visible, dreamy film photography aesthetic with vintage grain, muted green and earth tone color palette with one striking crimson element, contemplative and melancholic atmosphere, shot from distance to show full chair and figure surrounded by greenery, soft natural lighting mixing with warm afternoon sun, same nostalgic photoshoot mood with dramatic visual impact, vintage film look with soft focus areas, luxurious velvet texture contrasting with natural botanical elements
Wide angle shot of Japanese girl in short sleeve vintage floral dress standing in photography studio holding reins of elegant white horse, sage green infinity wall background creating seamless curved backdrop, white horse positioned side-on in profile while girl faces camera with contemplative direct gaze, strong afternoon sunlight streaming through large studio windows creating dramatic lighting and long shadows across polished concrete studio floor, dreamy film photography aesthetic with vintage grain, muted sage green backdrop with bright white horse creating striking contrast, professional studio setting with high ceilings and minimal equipment visible, contemplative and surreal atmosphere, shot from distance to show full scene and scale, vintage film look with soft focus areas, ethereal mood mixing natural light with studio environment, same nostalgic photoshoot aesthetic elevated to fine art photography setting
This isn't about replacing musicians.
It's about expanding what music marketing can be.
Your virtual artist becomes:
Virtual artists don't compete with real musicians.
They compete with boring marketing.
The tool doesn't make the art. The vision does.
Just like software replaced analog recording equipment, virtual characters are replacing traditional artist imagery.
The future of music marketing isn't human vs. AI. It's humans WITH AI vs. humans without it. Master the tools, or watch others build what you wished you had.
I created a comprehensive prompt pack with many of the prompts I used to generate the images and videos for this character, You can get it for free here.
I generate over $20K/month building systems and workflows for musicians, creatives & entrepreneurs, including my own projects and band Tora, which has generated over 360 million streams.
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