Plan an artist website that helps people listen, learn and contact you

Start with the visitor’s job

A listener arriving after a show needs to recognise the artist and find the music. A booker needs a relevant performance example and a professional contact. A journalist needs checked release facts and approved assets. Decide which of those tasks the homepage should serve first, then make the other routes easy to find.

Berklee’s music-marketing teaching treats the website, email and distribution platforms as related but separate tools. An artist site can provide a stable home for your current information; it does not replace delivery of the recording to music services. A clear site is useful even when it has only a few maintained pages.

Map a small site before choosing features

• Home: the artist name, a concise musical introduction, a current image and one primary action.
• Music: clearly identified releases with working, authorised listening links.
• Live: confirmed upcoming dates, location, date and a clearly labelled ticket or venue destination where relevant. Remove or archive past listings.
• About and press: a short factual introduction and a route to approved press material.
• Contact: a public professional address and the type of enquiry it accepts.
• Optional newsletter: explain what the reader will receive and use a permission-based signup process.

Treat this as a starting map, not a requirement for six separate pages. A small project may combine the information on one page with descriptive headings. Avoid empty sections and features that nobody can keep accurate. Use the artist press-kit guide for the separate asset package a professional reader may need.

Make one release easy to recognise

For the current release, keep the artwork, artist credit, title and release status consistent. Label an upcoming release as upcoming; do not describe a preview as the full published recording. Verify that each listening link opens the intended artist and version. If the release appears on the wrong artist profile, resolve that through the profile-mapping checklist rather than hiding the problem behind a different button.

A hypothetical duo preparing its first EP uses one homepage listening action and a separate booking contact. Its press page holds approved images and credits, while its private project folder remains separate. This is an example of arranging information, not a claim that a particular layout increases sales.

Choose understandable text and controls

Use headings that describe the sections and link wording that names the destination or task. A visitor should be able to tell a music link from a press download or booking contact before opening it. W3C’s writing guidance recommends meaningful page titles, headings and link text. Keep essential release and event information available as readable text rather than only inside artwork.

Give visitors control over playback instead of starting loud audio automatically. Check the actual player and its controls with a keyboard. Keep contact instructions short, label any required fields and explain what happens after a message is sent without inventing a response deadline.

Agree practical ownership and maintenance

Before commissioning or adopting a site, record who is responsible for the domain, hosting renewal, content updates and the source assets. Confirm the actual costs and what is included in any maintenance arrangement. Keep the artist’s approved material and a record of current public URLs. Do not put account credentials or private agreements in a publicly shared press folder.

Use a simple update log: what changed, who checked it and the next date-sensitive item to review. A new tour announcement should trigger a check of the event date, contact and ticket destination. A catalogue move should trigger a review of the music links. Ownership and access should be settled in the actual arrangement, not assumed from who edited the page.

Run a visitor test before sharing the link

• On a phone, identify the artist and find the intended release without zooming or sideways scrolling.
• Use Tab to reach the navigation, player and contact route; check that focus remains visible.
• Open the main listening and press links, checking the real destination and any access restriction.
• Read event information without relying on a poster image alone.
• Check that optional newsletter signup is explained separately from a general contact message.
• Ask someone unfamiliar with the project what they would do next, then fix the specific uncertainty.

These are practical checks, not a full accessibility, privacy or security assessment. Review the actual services and rules relevant to your site and audience. If you collect personal information or use embedded tools, obtain appropriate advice about the information and choices you must provide.

Connect the website to your release work

Keep the site’s release facts aligned with the release checklist and use the newsletter preparation guide if you want a permission-based direct channel. When you need distribution or separately scoped creative help, bring DistroBolt the actual release and task. Confirm any website work, hosting or maintenance separately; the distribution plan is not a promise that every artist receives a custom website.