Written By Petra Hule
Branching out into the world of music can be daunting at times. The uncertainty, the hustle and bustle of it all, and the time spent putting what you have created out into the world can make it seem almost impossible to get recognized when the industry is so big.
One of the many ways to establish yourself and put your work into the real world is by creating your own space where you can share your creations. As the world is evolving and technology is soon to run the world, an online platform such as your own website is the place to start. Your own website allows you to combine everything into one.
First Steps To Start Your Music Website
As Instagram is for photos, videos, and memories, and Twitter is for speaking your mind and expressing your thoughts in real-time, a website allows you to include everything about your music and your life, not just for fans, but potential agents.
Come Up With A Theme
First things first, establish a base and theme for your site, try finding a flow within your website where all the tabs and pages of your website mold together. For some of the best themes, check out envato elements.
Find A Domain
Just as important as any aspect of your website is your domain name, which is the tag on which people can reach your website. Keep it simple and the same as your other social media tags as it makes it easier for your fans and followers to find.
Pages To Include On A Music Artist Site
It’s important that your website flows together so that the user experience is streamlined. Face it, no one wants to navigate a clunky website. Here are a few basic pages to include on your musician website.
The Home Page
First things first, the home page! The first thing any internet browser will stumble across should be the thing that defines you as an artist. Express who you are on the home page so your fans connect with you from the get-go. What goes along with a well-thought-out home page is a well-written biography as it’s the space new listeners might just fall in love with you and your work.
Photo Page
Oftentimes, the media will look for press photos to use with their articles. It’s important to have the latest photos uploaded to your site so that they are easily accessible for people to find and use.
News Page
Whether it’s an agency, blog, media outlet, or booking agent, it’s crucial to have the latest articles that were written about you listed on the site; it shows that you’re in the know and you’re “trending.”
Music Page
This is the most important, of course! Everyone wants to hear your music when they come to your site. Make sure that this is front and center for users when they get to your site. We often see an embed on the home page as well with the latest music from the artist.
The Contact Page
Just as important as the opening page is your contact and tags tab where fans can find you on social media platforms; it’s important for fans to be part of your life. Don’t bypass how important the contact tab is as this is the place potential supporters or agents can find you. Be sure to include your email, social tags, and other links people can contact you through.
Best Practices To Follow For Your Music Site
We get it, creating a website, especially if you’re focusing on music and not super tech-savvy, is a tough gig. Luckily, there are a ton of sites that make it easy for you to build your sites like Squarespace, Wix, Bandzoogle, or WordPress.
Stay Up To Date, Literally
When people search for artists, they’re usually looking for ways to listen to or watch their favorite musicians, so keeping your website up to date with your schedule and places where they can listen to or buy your creations is a must.
Build A Strong Musician Bio
Start from the present and work backward. Everyone starts with, “When I was younger…” which can become repetitive and the same old story repeating itself. To create a great website, start with what’s happening in the present moment and work backward throughout your life as it changes the storyline and creates a river flow effect. Take them down memory lane as you never know who might come across your story and fall in love with what you do.
Entice users by being uniquely you and open, if you’re in a band, how did you end up playing with each other? Share some fun facts that let them know you’re only human too.
Be Your Authentic Self
Another way to connect with your listeners is to look back at the times when you were in your room, dreaming about the day you’d be playing your music in front of thousands, just like the idols you looked up to. What excited you about them? Did you find out you share the same star sign or have the same Starbucks order or that they have a specific ritual before they perform that you admire? These small facts make a big difference when connecting with people who you may have never met or seen before, but they of course, have and simply want to feel the sensation that you are the same as them.
Share Your Experiences
Photos are another way people connect with one another. If you’re shy on camera, that’s totally fine, share what you’re comfortable with. However, having a page on your website strictly dedicated to photos of your life will do wonders for your admirers. Remember, it’s all about sharing your life so people can get to know, not just your music, but you as a person.
Be Proud Of Your Successes
People want to see how well you are doing! Mentioned in the local newspaper? Share it! Your music idol gave you a shoutout? Share it! Share it all, as it’s a great tool for more exposure to the world, even if you’ve been in the industry for a while, people like to stay up to date. Plus, why not boast about your successes? You worked for it, own it!
Remember, First Impressions Are Everything
All the important stuff aside, be sure to create something that appeals to your audience and gives off the energy and vibe you want to put out there. Whether it’s Rock n’ roll, R&B, Jazz, or any other genre, it’s essential to highlight your most unique self as essentially this is a “get to know me” space.
Your website is your own space to share with the world, not only your passion and music creations, but your life. It’s a place people can interact with you and step into a world of your own creation, why not make it a journey?
Take a look at your favorite artists’ sites and draw inspiration. Anything that excites you or fuels your inner ambitions is bound to do the same for someone else, so why not create a site that invites those alike to join your journey.
If you want to create a kickass website, check out Mediacize’s marketing services.