Band Name Checker
Naming your band? Check whether it's already taken before you print the shirts. Searches Spotify and the Moshradar artist database — free, no signup.
Spotify search is temporarily unavailable — results above cover the Moshradar database only. Try again in a minute for the full check.
A clear result here means no active artist with that exact name on Spotify or Moshradar — it's a strong signal, not legal advice. For full peace of mind also search Bandcamp, trademark registers (IPO/USPTO), and social handles.
What this checks, and what it doesn't
Two searches run on every name: every artist on Spotify, and every artist in the Moshradar gig database — around three thousand acts that have played or are booked to play a listed UK show. Between them those cover the two places a name clash actually costs you money: streaming, where you get confused with someone else's catalogue, and live listings, where a promoter books the wrong band.
It does not check trademarks, company names, or acts that exist only on Bandcamp or SoundCloud. Those are worth ten minutes of your own searching before you commit to anything you will be printing.
Reading the results
- An exact match with real followers — take a different name. You will spend years fighting them for search results you cannot win.
- An exact match that is clearly dormant — a handful of followers, nothing released in a decade, a different genre. Plenty of bands take this risk. Their back catalogue still sits on the name, so go in knowing it.
- Similar but not identical — usually fine, unless the difference is a word people drop when speaking. "The Wolves" and "Wolves" are the same name in a noisy room.
- Nothing at all — good sign. Now check the handles, because those run out long before names do.
Before you commit
Say it out loud to someone who has not seen it written down and ask them to spell it back. Search it the way a stranger would. Then drop it into the poster maker as a support act and see whether it still reads at the bottom of a five-band bill — long names disappear there, and it is better to find that out now.
Questions
How do I check whether a band name is taken?
Type the name in the box above. It is searched against every artist on Spotify and every artist in the Moshradar gig database, and you get back exact matches and close ones — the two places a clash actually costs you. Follow it up with Bandcamp, the trademark registers, and the social handles you would want.
Can two bands legally have the same name?
There is no rule against it, and plenty do. It is expensive in practice though: split search results, merged streaming profiles, and the occasional promoter booking the other one. Trademark law can also bite once either act is trading under the name. This tool tells you whether a name is in use — a strong practical signal, not legal advice.
What if the name is taken by an inactive band?
Much less of a problem than an active act, but their catalogue still sits on the name in search and on streaming. Look at the follower count in the results. A dormant act with a few dozen followers in a different genre is a risk plenty of bands take knowingly.
Where else should I check a band name?
Bandcamp and SoundCloud for acts not on Spotify, the UK IPO and USPTO registers for trademarks, Companies House if you will trade under the name, and every social handle plus the .com. Do the handles first — they run out fastest.
Is the band name checker free?
Yes. Free, unlimited, no account.
I need a name, not a check
The band name generator has a separate word bank per genre and every result links back here.