Successful Musicians Have a Website. Do You? Build a Stunning Site and Store in Minutes.

(Previously posted in NewArtistModel.com)

Many musicians rely on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook to connect with their fans and music industry professionals, and to promote their music. While social media is a great way to reach a large audience, it’s not the only way—or even the best way—to connect with your fans and network. In fact, having your own website is still one of the most important things you can do as a musician. Here are four reasons why smart musicians have a website:

Owning Your Platform

Vine. MySpace. Friendster. Google+. What do all these social media platforms have in common? They don’t exist anymore. Imagine if the only web presence you had for your music existed on one of these platforms—and when it shut down, you lost all your content and connections in an instant.

As enduring as the social platforms of today seem, it’s best to use them as a tool and not your end-all-be-all connection to your fans and professional network. When you have a website, you own your platform. You’re not building on rented land; you own the real estate. This also means that you control the design, the content and the branding. This is important because it allows you to create a space that truly reflects your core values, musical style and your personality as an artist. It also gives you a place to direct music industry professionals or your fans when they want to learn more about you or buy your music or merch.

More Options to Monetize Than Ever

In the past, if you wanted to distribute your music, you had to go through a record label or a distributor. These days, many independent musicians choose to distribute their music through digital streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. But some fans want to buy directly from the artists they love.

Have you considered cutting out the distributors and launching your own exclusive online music store on your website? You could sell not only your music digitally, but also physical merch like t-shirts, stickers and hats and vinyl. And you can set your own prices! This is a great way to connect with your super fans and give them an opportunity to support you directly.

If you’re focused on pursuing music licensing deals in addition to connecting with fans, you can showcase placements of your music in TV shows, movies, video games and more all on your website. When industry pros are looking to license music, they’re going to want to see a professional website with a comprehensive list of your previous work. So even if you’re not looking to sell your music on your website directly to fans, it is an important monetization tool for your music licensing career.

Improve Your Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

While social media networks are indexed on Google, having your own well-designed website can greatly improve your SEO. This is important because it means that your website is more likely to show up in search results when people are looking for you or your music.

There are a number of things you can do to improve your SEO like having your own domain name and properly tagging your pages with keywords and descriptions. One of the simplest SEO strategies is to make sure that your site is mobile-friendly. Google’s algorithm now gives preference to websites that are mobile-optimized, so if your website isn’t responsive, you’re already at a disadvantage. Not only is it important to have your own website—smart musicians in 2022 realize it’s also important to make sure it responds well when being accessed on a mobile-device.

Build Credibility

When you have a professional website, it shows that you’re serious about your music career. This can go a long way in building credibility and authority, both with fans and industry professionals. If you’re looking to book gigs, get licensing placements or sign with a label or manager, having a website is practically a necessity.

While there are other ways to build credibility and authority (like winning awards or getting featured in the press), having your own website is one of the best—and most affordable—ways to do it. And then you have a place on the web to feature your awards and press quotes forever.

Ok, I’m Ready to Build My Website! Now What?

We get asked regularly about the best website builder for musicians. Of the many options out there, Bandzoogle has what appears to be the best balance of features and performance tailored to musicians at an affordable price. PLUS they do not charge any commission on sales of music or merch, so you keep 100% of what you earn.

Bandzoogle offers commission-free tools to sell tickets, merch, and even monthly subscriptions to your fans. Sales of music, merch, and tickets through artist websites hosted by Bandzoogle surpassed $96 million this year. What independent musician wouldn’t want a piece of that pie?

On the topic of SEO, Bandzoogle plans include a free domain name with your website to make it easy to find. Page layouts adjust automatically for mobile devices, so your website will rank better in search engines with no additional effort at all.

You can start a 30-day free trial of Bandzoogle and get 15% off your first year of any subscription with our special TEAM link.

Once you get to the Bandzoogle site, click the “GET STARTED” button to lock in your TEAM discount!

Today’s Takeaway:

Websites not only put you in full control of your destiny—they’re essential for any smart musician in 2022 who wants to build a long-term career in music. If you’re serious about making it as a musician, Bandzoogle makes it easy and affordable to get the professional website you need.

Here’s the link to get started for free for 30 days and to get 15% off your first year of any subscription courtesy of TEAM:

>> https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=TEAM