Upcoming talent Nina Brand shares the realities of being an independent artist and reveals how TikTok helped her to break out into the music industry.
The South African singer and songwriter, Nina Brand, saw her first glimpse of fame when she appeared on Season 11 of the television talent show ‘Idols’. However, it was not until years later when she began sharing her music journey online that she started to build a name for herself.
When emerging on the music scene, Nina recalled that she originally struggled to branch out from her identity on the show: “I initially went on Idols at as Nina Terblanche because the music industry in South Africa is quite small, and the show is a great platform to get recognised on. The only problem was that I was constantly branded as ‘Nina from Idols’ and struggled to break away from this identity, even after I had left the show and moved to the US.
“That was when I decided it was time to rebrand myself, and since everybody in America already struggled to pronounce my surname, ‘Terblanche’, I decided to use my mother’s maiden name and be Nina Brand instead.”
Nina launched her new identity on TikTok, reflecting on this time as a fresh start to her music career. She added: “Appearing as someone new on a platform with such a large audience really resonated with me. I felt so much more confident within that space, and I really let go of ‘Nina from Idols’ and started a whole new journey.”
Throughout her time on TikTok, Nina even experienced a little bit of online fame. One of her videos went viral where she shared a phone call with a record label who turned her away for having too small of a social media following.
Nina explained that needing a preexisting audience is one of the main issues that small, independent artists face when trying to sign record deals: “It’s important to remember that record labels are businesses and that investing in people is a huge risk. They’re looking for artists that have already shown growth and need to see that you not only have musical talent but that you can engage with an audience too.”
She continued: “It’s sad at times because there are so many great artists out there that are so focused on their art and love music so much, but just don’t want to do social media, and for that to discredit them from having a chance is something that really does upsets me.”
Fortunately for Nina, her viral rejection video kickstarted her social media following. The video received almost five million views and over 6000 comments, with lots of viewers sharing her frustration at the lack of support for newly emerging artists.
Nina discussed that the video going viral had a huge impact on her music career: “Not only did it help me build an online following, but my streams also peaked at that time. It was so nice to see that people were supporting me and listening to my music.”
Since, Nina has grown a fanbase of almost 60k followers on TikTok, where she sings covers and promotes new music of her own.
Nina shared that there is so much potential to go viral on TikTok and that it has been a great platform to get her talent recognised. She was selected to sing the South African national anthem at the 2024 Rugby Championships, which the singer described with a smile as one of the highlights of her music career so far.
Aside from this big performance, Nina remains true to her humble beginnings. She mentioned that she likes staying close to her online fanbase: “I really enjoy posting on social media as people can engage with me and it feels like I’ve built an online community. On TikTok specifically, I feel like it’s a space where there isn’t any judgement, and it is almost like a family where content creators and audiences can connect.
“One of my main goals for this year is to grow the ‘Nina Brand Family’ on TikTok specifically, but it really comes down to how much time I have to left to engage with my followers.”
Nina shared that as an independent artist, her music career demands a lot of time and attention, leaving very few hours for creating social media content.
She expressed: “I do feel as though the backing and the exposure that a record label could provide would be really valuable – especially because some of the artists that I’m up against in the industry have an entire team working on their brand, whereas I have to do everything myself and play so many different roles every day. I am my own manager, I find my own sponsors, I create my own marketing content, I do it all.”
Nina shared that from her own experience and that of other independent artists she has met, many can only pursue music as a side career. She added: “Without the financial support of a record label, lots of us independent artists have to work additional jobs. I do find it’s really hard to be just a musician, especially in South Africa.”
Aside from her passion for music, Nina is also a qualified chef who trained at the Institute of Culinary Arts and has also studied for a degree in Strategic Branding and Communication at Vega School in Johannesburg.
While all of the many responsibilities and roles that come with being an independent artist are challenging; Nina’s experience has only made her a more skilful, all-around artist.
She has taught herself how to produce music, as well as write it, and hopes it will help her to release more songs and step into any direction she wants. She added: “I’ve never been an artist that believes in sticking to only one genre, and I think that’s something that excites both me and my listeners.
“While lots of my current music is focused around the pop genre, since that’s always a hit with the big US and UK markets, I also have some soft rock and country music coming out soon too.”
Curious whether her music across different genres will be popular, Nina revealed that she is also eager to explore DJing. She has been collaborating with a few international DJ’s and even playfully teased that she may look at producing some EDM.
Nina is a prime example that success in the music industry requires great resilience, and it’s clear that this is only the beginning a thriving career for the South African star.
