The purpose of music is to deliver both a message and a feeling to its listeners. However, good and purposeful music doesn’t get to be heard if it isn’t marketed the right way.
As a result, every musician needs a website. A website is where you will publish your music, news about new releases and concert, as well as market your merchandise.
You already know how important an amazing music blog is, right? Of course, in 2018 every musician has a website. Some, however, are better than others.
What exactly makes them so successful? What is the crux of every good music blog?
To aid you in promoting your music and reaching out to your fans, we’ve done some research. The conclusion came in the form of 10 essential elements of a good music website. Utilize them, and you will see drastic changes. Your vision will be expressed correctly.
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Relevant information
At the forefront of your music blog, there should be a section which includes relevant info. The section on relevant info should be the most easily accessible part of your website. In an ideal measure, it should include a calendar with upcoming tour dates, social media widgets and news related to your endeavours.
An equally important section is the one with your most recent music and links to find it on various streaming services. Thus, the most important things will be one click away at all times.
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An up-to-date bio
Having a bio is your best way to tell the story of your career. Reading this section will give your fans an opportunity to get to know your better and to realize the background of your work.
Phillip Eaton from EssayOnTime concurred with the importance of a bio. “A well-crafted bio should be no longer than 200 words. Keep in mind that it should both inform people and be available for use in event descriptions”.
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All the necessary contact info
Chances are you are not as popular as you want to be. Therefore, you have to provide people with the ability to discover you. A website, along with its promotion is the way to do so.
Upon being discovered, you will most likely be contacted by fans, managers, promoters or A&Rs. For this, you need to have all the contact info available. Anyone should be able to contact you on any platform.
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A clearly visible photo section
When you’re a musician, you operate by different roles of business. Instead of marketing yourself, you have to make yourself marketable to others instead. Images are an integral part of every promotion by an outside agency, record house or venue.
For journalists that want to cover you, having high-resolution, unique and quality images will be ideal. Upon reading the article or blog, people will connect those photos with your work and remember you by them. Contrary to popular belief, photo sections are as important as the music itself.
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Multiple ways to showcase your music
Getting discovered is a blessing, surely, but it means nothing without an opportunity for the fans to research you even further. We’ve already mentioned the importance of music links in a visible place, and we have to stress this yet again.
Incorporate your music through links to streaming services, embedded videos, and even free downloads. Sections should divide your work by year, alphabetical order and album/format. Promoting your music is about promoting it to everyone, meaning that you can’t disregard any service.
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A merchandise section
Every music blog should contain a merchandise section. Having your fans wear clothing and carry objects without a logo is an incredible advertisement. Sharing links on Facebook is one thing, and wearing something on your body is another level of dedication.
A good way to incorporate your merchandise into the website is by posting links to online stores. List all the places where people can buy your merchandise. However, the best way is to have an e-commerce service integrated with the website.
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Sharing features present everywhere
A good music blog isn’t the only artistic feature the artist should have. Instead, it is supposed to serve as a basis for all other extensions of your presence. When people like something, they share your work on social media. To have an ever-present bar with sharing feature is very important.
Don’t forget to include even social media popular in non-English speaking parts of the world like VKontakte or Weibo. Reaching out to every audience in a non-discriminatory way is essential.
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A user-friendly design
The key to every successful or popular music blog is a non-confusing design. When people enter the website, they want to know a lot and are reluctant to spend much time searching for it. Therefore, colours of the background and the text should be contrasting.
To discover which colours are complementary and which aren’t, use this tool. Such an outlook gives the visitor an opportunity to save his energy on reading the information, instead of struggling to focus his eyes.
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Videos on top
85% US internet users watch online videos. Videos have taken the marketing world by storm and you would not want to miss this opportunity.
You may have new music, fresh tour news, and other important information, videos should be the most visible and most evident part of your content.
Videos are loved by people because they combine images, sounds, and atmosphere, they should be the most aggressive pitch to fans.
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A mobile-friendly layout
We’ve highlighted the simplicity and a user-friendly layout, but your music blog should also be mobile-friendly. Contrasting colours are just a way to accommodate your content to people who prefer low brightness.
A simple disposition of different elements is nothing more than making sure the loading time isn’t detrimental to your goal. Everything is for a purpose.
To conclude
Staying creative should require the majority of your focus. By implementing these elements into your website, you will ensure that your content is seen and heard. Accommodating your entire music blog to the visitor doesn’t take much time or effort, but it pays dividends in the long-run. With the persistence that you surely have, these changes will bring you to the upper echelon in terms of popularity.
Courtesy of Serena Dorf
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