# Competition Analysis Worksheet

Use this to study 3–5 comparable artists or competing brands in your lane. The goal isn't to copy — it's to understand the landscape, find proven moves worth adapting, and locate the whitespace you can own. Do this when you sign an artist, plan a release, or reset strategy. Refresh every few months.

**Your artist / brand:** ______________________
**Lane / genre:** ______________________
**Date:** ______________________
**Who picked these comps & why:** ______________________

> **How to pick comps:** choose artists 1–3 steps ahead of you in the same lane (realistic targets), plus maybe one aspirational peak. "For fans of…" artists are good candidates. Avoid comparing to superstars you can't learn actionable moves from.

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## Quick Comparison Table

| Factor | Your artist | Comp 1: ______ | Comp 2: ______ | Comp 3: ______ | Comp 4: ______ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career stage | | | | | |
| Monthly listeners | | | | | |
| IG / TikTok followers | | | | | |
| Email / Laylo list (if known) | | | | | |
| Release cadence | | | | | |
| Content cadence (posts/wk) | | | | | |
| Primary platform | | | | | |
| Booking level (clubs / festivals / tours) | | | | | |
| Est. show fee tier | | | | | |
| Label / distribution | | | | | |
| Signature "thing" | | | | | |

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## Deep Dive — Repeat for Each Comp

### Comp: ______________________

**1. Positioning & Identity**
- How do they describe themselves / how does the market describe them?
  ______________________________________________
- What makes them distinct? (sound, look, story, persona)
  ______________________________________________
- What's their visual & sonic signature?
  ______________________________________________

**2. Audience**
- Who follows them (age, scene, geography)?
  ______________________________________________
- How engaged is the audience (comments, shares, show turnout vs. follower count)?
  ______________________________________________
- Where is their fanbase strongest (cities, platforms)?
  ______________________________________________

**3. Content Cadence & Style**
- How often do they post, and on which platforms?
  ______________________________________________
- What content performs best for them (format, hook, recurring series)?
  ______________________________________________
- What's their content vibe (polished vs. raw, talking vs. music-only)?
  ______________________________________________

**4. Release Strategy**
- Singles vs. EPs vs. albums; how frequent?
  ______________________________________________
- How do they roll out releases (teasers, pre-saves, collabs, remixes)?
  ______________________________________________
- Do they self-release, use a label, or both? Which labels?
  ______________________________________________

**5. Live & Booking**
- What level are they booking (local clubs, regional, festivals, headline tours)?
  ______________________________________________
- Notable venues, festivals, or residencies?
  ______________________________________________
- How do they convert shows into content and audience growth?
  ______________________________________________

**6. Monetization & Partnerships**
- Visible revenue moves (merch, memberships, brand deals, ticketed events)?
  ______________________________________________
- Key relationships (labels, agents, collaborators, sponsors)?
  ______________________________________________

**7. Strengths & Gaps**
- What are they clearly doing well? (steal-worthy moves)
  ______________________________________________
- Where are they weak or neglecting opportunity? (your opening)
  ______________________________________________

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## Synthesis (fill in after all deep dives)

**Patterns across comps** — what does almost everyone in this lane do? (table stakes you must match)
- ______________________________________________
- ______________________________________________

**Proven moves to adapt** — specific tactics worth borrowing (made your own, not copied):
- ______________________________________________
- ______________________________________________

**Gaps & whitespace** — what is NObody doing well that we could own?
- ______________________________________________
- ______________________________________________

**Our differentiation** — in one sentence, how will we stand apart?
______________________________________________

**Realistic next-tier target** — which comp is the artist we want to reach next, and what would it take?
______________________________________________

**Action items** (3–5 concrete moves coming out of this analysis):
1. ______________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________

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*Reminder: analyze to learn and differentiate, never to imitate. The goal is the gap only your artist can fill.*