From the founder of Gold Sound Media
The Brand Playbook
for Classical Musicians
Get the strategic foundation that clarifies your positioning, defines your audience, and gives you a 90-day roadmap to build systematic visibility.
I'm Jonathan Eifert, founder of Gold Sound Media. For 15 years, I've helped classical musicians build the kind of visibility that opens doors—major debuts, international press, and career-defining opportunities.
The Brand Playbook is the strategic document I create for artists before we begin any implementation work. It's now available as a standalone service for $497.
Trusted by professional artists performing with major orchestras and opera companies worldwide, along with rising stars trained at Juilliard, Curtis, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
You're Talented. But Are You Visible to the Right People?In today’s industry, talent alone isn’t enough. Opportunities go to the artists audiences notice — and decision-makers remember.
Most classical musicians don't struggle because they lack artistry. They struggle because they lack a strategic approach to visibility.
You practice daily. You perform well. You post on social media occasionally. But you're still not getting:
Callbacks from presenters
Meaningful engagement on your content
Recognition that matches your talent level
Opportunities that actually move your career forward
The issue isn't your artistry. It's your positioning.
Without a clear brand strategy, you're leaving your career to chance. Presenters can't articulate what makes you distinct. Audiences don't know your story. Opportunities pass you by—not because you're not good enough, but because you're not visible enough to the people who matter.
What Successful Artists Do Differently
Over the past 15 years, I've worked with artists who've won GRAMMYs, performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and built sustainable careers. Here's what they all have in common:
They don't rely on talent alone. They have a system.
A clear brand identity that presenters remember. A content strategy that compounds over time. A positioning approach that cuts through the noise. A visibility roadmap that turns sporadic effort into sustained momentum.
That's what the Brand Playbook gives you: the strategic foundation successful artists build on.
Most artists stumble through their careers reacting to opportunities as they come. The ones who break through? They're strategic about how they're perceived, how they show up, and how they stay visible.
The Brand Playbook includes:
A comprehensive, strategic document delivered as a professionally designed PDF, plus a 45-minute strategy call to walk through everything together.
+ Your Brand Archetype
I'll identify which brand archetype best fits your artistic identity—whether that's the Sage (wisdom and insight), the Creator (innovation and vision), the Hero (perseverance and achievement), the Explorer (curiosity and discovery), or many others.
You'll understand:
Why this archetype positions you effectively in the market
How presenters and audiences perceive artists with your archetype
What makes you distinct compared to others in your landscape
This becomes the DNA of your brand—the foundation everything else builds from.
+Your Narrative Spine
The strategic framework that makes your brand tangible and memorable. This includes three essential components:
Your Core Identity: The essential truth about who you are as an artist and what drives your work.
Your North Star: A positioning statement or metaphor that makes your brand instantly graspable. This is the phrase that captures what makes you unmissable (examples from past clients: "The 360° Maestro" or "The Architectural Pianist"). These metaphors are used internally to develop content that positions you in the marketplace.
Your Three Content Pillars: Specific themes that guide what you create and share across all platforms. These pillars keep your messaging consistent and strategic—you'll always know what to post, what stories to tell, and how to stay on brand.
+Market Translation
I'll translate your artistic identity into market language—showing you exactly what presenters are buying when they book you, and what fans are following you for.
What Presenters Buy: The concrete reasons presenters choose to book you (e.g. your proven authority, collaborative intelligence, repertoire fluency, audience appeal, etc.).
What Fans Follow: The authentic reasons audiences connect with your work (your insight, authenticity, relatable mastery, unique perspective).
This section helps you speak the language of both groups without compromising your artistic integrity.
+Your 90-Day Execution Plan
A concrete action plan broken into two phases:
Immediate Priorities (Month 1-2): The most important first steps—content creation, newsletter launch, website updates, or whatever makes the biggest impact for your specific situation.
Short-Term Goals (Month 3-6): Strategic initiatives tied to your upcoming projects—media relations around performances, content series that build your intellectual property, PR outreach to presenters.
This isn't vague advice. It's a specific roadmap with clear next steps tailored to your career stage and upcoming projects.
+45-Minute Strategy Call
We'll meet via Google Meet to walk through your Brand Playbook together. I'll explain the strategic reasoning behind every recommendation, answer your questions, help you prioritize based on your schedule and upcoming projects, and discuss implementation options.
This is where strategy becomes actionable. You'll leave with complete clarity on your next 90 days.
This Brand Playbook is for you if:
✅ You're an established performing artist with 5+ years of professional experience (post-degree or post-conservatory)
✅ You're generating performance income from concerts, competitions, recordings, or teaching at the college/conservatory level
✅ You're preparing for something important — a major debut, album launch, competition, career transition, or stepping up to the next level
✅ You have a budget — you're ready to invest in professional visibility services and career development
✅ You're serious about strategic growth — you want expert guidance, not just free tips or DIY advice
✅ Your talent exceeds your visibility — you're not getting the recognition, opportunities, or callbacks that match your artistic level
This is NOT for you if:
❌ You're a student or recent graduate with less than 2-3 years of professional performing experience
❌ You're not actively performing or building a professional career right now
❌ You're looking for free advice or quick tips you can find on YouTube
❌ You don't have budget for professional career development services
❌ You're not ready to implement changes in the next 90 days
❌ You want someone to "do it all for you" without your involvement (that's what our retainer services are for—I'll explain that option on our strategy call)
Simple Process, Clear Timeline
Step 1: You Book & Pay ($497)
Reserve your Brand Playbook via secure payment. You'll immediately receive a confirmation email with your onboarding questionnaire.
Step 2: You Submit Your Information (Day 1)
Complete a brief questionnaire (15-20 minutes) about your career goals, current challenges, upcoming projects, and artistic identity. Include links to your website, social media, press kit, and any recent performances.
Step 3: I Analyze & Create Your Strategy (Days 2-7)
I'll audit your digital presence, analyze your positioning within the competitive landscape, identify your brand archetype, and create your custom 5-page Brand Playbook with your 90-day roadmap. This is where 15 years of experience working with classical artists comes into play.
Step 4: You Receive Your Brand Playbook (Day 7)
Your complete Brand Playbook delivered as a professionally designed multi-page PDF document.
Step 5: Strategy Call (Days 7-14)
We meet via Google Meet for 45 minutes to walk through everything, answer your questions, discuss implementation priorities, and clarify your next steps. You leave with complete clarity on how to execute your roadmap.
Total timeline: 7-14 business days from booking to strategy call.
What Artists Are Saying
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“Jonathan’s thorough grasp of social media and insightful observations were extremely helpful in establishing my platform… I couldn’t recommend [Gold Sound Media] more strongly for an artist seeking a bounce in their PR presence.”
— Michael Fabiano, Tenor
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“Jonathan provided me with so many creative ideas to build my performing career and festival… [Gold Sound Media] is incredibly responsive and always has their clients’ needs in mind.”
— Charlotte Hu, Concert Pianist and Founder, Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy
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“The strategic process developed by [Gold Sound Media] has been hugely successful… I couldn’t have achieved this without their expertise!”
— Caroline Oltmanns, Pianist, Chair of Piano Department, Youngstown State University
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“Jonathan takes the time to understand the vision of each artist before implementing strategy… You will not be disappointed with the results delivered by [Gold Sound Media]!”
— Frank Huang, D.M.A., Steinway Artist, Miami University
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“Jonathan breaks the whole process into small, achievable steps that get you where you want to go… [Gold Sound Media] provides a rare combination of creative vision and pragmatism.”
— Joan Ellison, Singer, Archivist/Arranger
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“Jonathan helped me completely reinvent my online presence… aligning my platforms with who I am as a person and artist. Working with [Gold Sound Media] was amazing.”
— Ricardo Panela, Baritone
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“Jonathan has a vision and gets results… My orchestral premiere would not have been nearly as big a success without [Gold Sound Media]!”
— Evan Mack, Composer
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“I saw my entire career and public image transformed with Jonathan’s work in branding, online presence, and professional photography… [Gold Sound Media] made it all happen seamlessly.”
— Zsolt Bognár, Pianist and Host, Living the Creative Life
Our Track Record
Gold Sound Media has helped:
Yunchan Lim go viral during the Cliburn, launching his globally-celebrated career
Jessie Montgomery win a GRAMMY via Awadagin Pratt’s album, STILLPOINT
Nicholas McGegan grow his online audience by 284%
Miró Quartet get nominated for a GRAMMY
Plus many more success stories…
Our work amplifies careers. Not with fluff — but with systems, strategy, and storytelling that resonates across the music industry. View our case studies to learn more.
Why Trust Me With Your Brand Strategy?
I'm Jonathan Eifert, founder of Gold Sound Media and creator of Classical Post.
For 15 years, I've specialized in visibility strategy for classical musicians. I've worked with:
GRAMMY-winning artists
Major international piano competitions (Van Cliburn, Cleveland, Bachauer)
Leading orchestras and festivals (Philharmonia Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival, Portland Piano International)
Emerging artists building their first national profiles
Established artists repositioning for the next phase of their careers (Nicholas McGegan, Robert Moody, Awadagin Pratt)
I've seen what works—and what doesn't—when it comes to artist visibility in this industry. The Brand Playbook distills everything I've learned into a clear, actionable framework.
This isn't generic marketing advice from someone who works across industries. This is strategy built specifically for classical musicians navigating a niche field where relationships, reputation, and positioning matter more than follower counts.
I also created Classical Post, a video podcast where I interview exceptional classical artists about their careers. Through these conversations, I study the patterns that separate artists who break through from those who plateau. Previous guests include the Danish String Quartet, conductors Klaus Mäkelä and Nicholas McGegan, composers Anna Clyne and Volker Bertelmann, violinist Hilary Hahn, and pianist Wu Han.
Common Questions
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The Brand Playbook gives you the strategic foundation—your positioning, your roadmap, your plan. Our retainer services are where my team at Gold Sound Media implements that strategy for you: creating content, managing PR, handling newsletters, building presenter relationships, updating your website, coordinating media placements.
Think of it this way: The Brand Playbook tells you WHAT to do. Retainers do it FOR you.
About 60% of artists implement the Brand Playbook on their own and see great results. About 40% decide they want ongoing implementation support—either because they're too busy to execute consistently, they realize it requires more resources than expected, or they want expert guidance throughout the process.
If you do want implementation support after receiving your Brand Playbook, Gold Sound Media offers retainer services starting at $1,200/month. We'll discuss both options on our strategy call, but the Brand Playbook is valuable whether you implement it yourself or work with us. There's no pressure either way.
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If you're genuinely unsatisfied with the quality or relevance of your Brand Playbook, I'll refund you. No questions asked. This has never happened in 15 years, but the guarantee stands.
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From booking to receiving your Brand Playbook: 7 business days. Strategy call scheduled within 14 days of booking. Total process: about 2 weeks from start to finish.
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No specific follower count required. This works for artists building their first strategic foundation and established artists who need to clarify or update their positioning. What matters is that you're actively performing at a professional level, generating some income from your artistry, and ready to invest in strategic growth.
The Brand Playbook adapts to your specific situation—whether you're preparing for your Carnegie debut or trying to secure your first major presenter booking.
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Perfect. The Brand Playbook clarifies YOUR positioning, which helps everyone on your team communicate more effectively. Many of our retainer clients have managers—we work alongside them, not instead of them.
A clear brand strategy makes your manager's job easier and your publicist's pitches stronger. You'll have language and frameworks they can use immediately.
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You can absolutely implement this yourself. I design the roadmap to be actionable whether you're DIY or working with a team.
About 60% of artists take their Brand Playbook and execute it on their own. They see real results—better presenter responses, more engaged audiences, clearer positioning in their marketing materials.
The other 40% realize during the strategy call (or after a month of trying) that implementation requires more time or resources than expected, or they're too busy with performing to execute consistently. That's when they ask about retainer services.
I'm transparent about both paths. The Brand Playbook has standalone value. But if you decide you want help executing it, that option exists. We'll discuss it on the strategy call with zero pressure.
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Pianists, composers, conductors, string players, vocalists, chamber ensembles, and contemporary classical artists. The brand framework applies across disciplines—what matters is that you're building a professional career in classical or contemporary music.
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Both. I've worked with string quartets, vocal ensembles, and new music groups. The Brand Playbook adapts to your specific situation—whether you're a soloist building your individual brand or part of a collaborative ensemble with a collective identity.
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I work with artists globally. I've had clients in Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia. Everything happens via Google Meet and email, so your location doesn't matter. The only requirement is that our strategy call happens during US business hours (I'm based in New York).
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The best time to clarify your brand strategy is BEFORE your next major project, not during it. If you have something coming up in 3-6 months (an album launch, competition, debut, tour), now is the ideal time to get your Brand Playbook so you can execute the visibility strategy leading up to that milestone.
Waiting until you're in the middle of a major project means you're already behind on positioning and visibility.
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Absolutely. Email me directly at jonathan.eifert@goldsoundmedia.com with a brief overview of where you are in your career and what you're trying to accomplish. I'll let you know honestly whether the Brand Playbook is the right fit for your situation, or if there's something else you should focus on first.
I only want to work with artists where I know I can make a real impact.
Investment: $497
What you're getting:
Custom multi-page Brand Playbook (professionally designed PDF)
Brand archetype analysis tailored to your artistry
Narrative spine with positioning statement and content pillars
Market translation (what presenters buy + what fans follow)
90-day execution plan with immediate and short-term priorities
45-minute strategy call via Google Meet
Total value: $1,200+
Your investment: $497
Money-back guarantee: If you're not satisfied with the quality or relevance of your Brand Playbook, I'll refund you. Simple as that.
Ready to Build Your Strategic Foundation?
You've spent years—probably decades—developing your artistry. It's time to develop your visibility with the same level of intention.
The Brand Playbook gives you what successful artists have: a clear positioning, a strategic plan, and a roadmap you can actually follow.
This is the same strategic foundation I create for artists on annual retainers at Gold Sound Media, now available as a standalone service for a fraction of the cost.
Secure payment via Quickbooks. You'll receive immediate confirmation and access to your onboarding form.
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Email me directly at jonathan.eifert@goldsoundmedia.com with questions about your specific situation. I respond personally to every inquiry, usually within the next business day.