Whether you’re a solo musician or you’re part of a band you may be wondering what value there is in having a website. After all, you’ve got your Facebook, SoundCloud and BandCamp pages, why would you need a website on top of that? There are 5 main reasons why bands need a website. They can be broken down into the following topics: representing your band/art properly, providing you with an income stream, connecting with your fans, it won’t disappear and it signifies that you are taking things seriously.
1. Control how your fans see you
When you create your social media profiles you are hemmed in by the design of that website, be it Facebook, Instagram or whatever. If you have your own website you have total control over how that website looks and therefore how it represents you as a band or artist. Chances are you have a certain look on stage, your artwork has a specific colour theme and style. If you have your own website you will be able to reinforce your look and overall style to help project the image and message that you want to get across. With the platforms mentioned above, the most you’ll be able to do is change a logo or banner here and there which means you don’t have all the options you need to ensure you come across as you’d like.
2. It could help fund your next tour
Artists have been ripped off by venues, promoters and record labels since the music industry began. And even though today you’ve got more ways to get your music out in the world than ever before, getting paid is still as hard as ever. You may have your songs up on Spotify but they pay less than 1p per stream meaning you’re going to have to get serious numbers of people listening to your records before you start earning anything approaching a reasonable income. Instead of giving your music away for free you could sell it on your own website. This means you could charge a small but reasonable amount of money for your music without having to share any of the profits with anyone else.
But not only that, what about tickets and merchandise? Imagine how great it will be seeing people at your next gig wearing your band’s T-shirt. Now imagine how good that will feel knowing you’ve taken all the money, not given away a cut and are now able to use that cash to put towards your next tour, recording time or rehearsal costs.
3. Social media platforms don’t live forever
Who remembers MySpace? Before Facebook it was the go-to social network and it was actually pretty good for bands looking to promote their music. It’s where a lot of people first came across the likes of Lily Allen, Calvin Harris and Arctic Monkeys. Everyone was on it, it was easy to share your music and now it’s dead. So while the likes of Facebook are ubiquitous at the moment there’s nothing to say that they won’t go the way of MySpace. The last thing you want to do is to have worked hard in cultivating an audience on social media only for that platform to disappear. A website, on the other hand, will last as long as you want it to.
4. Connect with your fans
The best bands are nothing if they’ve got no fans, therefore you’re going to want to make sure that you are reaching out and keeping them engaged. A website can be a vital tool in the pursuit of these goals. You can use your social media accounts to funnel your followers to your website where they can be kept up to date with your latest tour dates and releases. One way of doing this could be through a blog. You could blog about what goes on behind the scenes, when making a record or going on tour to give your fans extra insight into you and your process. This could help establish a stronger connection with your fan base.
Another way to keep your fans up to date is by email. It is incredibly useful for any band to grow a mailing list as this is a very easy and effective way to make sure your fans know when you’re next performing or to form part of an album launch strategy. Whatever message you need to get across, signing up your fans to a mailing list is a great way to do it and your website is a great way to get them to sign up.
5. Look like a professional outfit
Lastly, it sends out the message that you’re serious. If you want to find out more about a band the first thing you’re going to do is google them. If a record label or A&R person wants to find out more about you and you’ve got a website it shows them that you mean business and are about the music you’re creating. In this day and age, any band, musician or business that doesn’t have a website looks like they aren’t a serious outfit, or worse, that they don’t actually exist as a group anymore. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to find out more about you as you can. If someone else has a website with easy to find information and an easy way to get in contact, who do you think is more likely to have someone reach out to them?
I can help
So whether you’re ready to move on from your parent’s garage or you’re preparing to take on Glasto, a website can help you build your image the way you want and get you closer to your listeners. Music is a passion mine and I’d be delighted to discuss the possibility of creating your new website.
If you’d like to begin that conversation just send me an email at mike@mikehigginswebdesign.com.
