Whether you are a solo artist, a band, a music company or any other show business representative, you won‘t go without launching a music website. Actually, it is no wonder as there are, probably, no users, who don’t look for their favorite songs, music compositions and information about musicians on the web.
If you have recently decided to present your talent to the audience and launch a website of your own, then using a website builder will be the simplest and the most reasonable solution. Website builders are easy-to-use and convenient for professionals and non-tech-savvy users. This is exactly what you need to launch a quality musician’s website, if your web design skills are insufficient to utilize more complicated tools.
Starting a website for musicians or bands should not be complicated, if you manage to pick the right web building tool. Website builders listed above are the best solutions for DIY website development in this niche. Which of them will come up to your web design needs most of all? Which service will be the best pick for your project? To find that out, take your time to read the reviews of each platform included into the list.
1. Bandzoogle
| Product Name: | Bandzoogle |
| Official Website: | bandzoogle.com |
| Templates for Musicians: | 100+ |
| Founded: | 1999 |
| Complexity: | Average |
| Free plan: | Free 30-day trial |
| Paid plan: | From $8.29/mo |
Bandzoogle – is a specialized website builder created “by musicians for musicians”. Actually, that’s the main motto of the platform. It is mainly used to start/manage websites for bands and musicians, offering a specific feature set for this purpose. With an intuitive and engaging interface, abundance of niche-specific web design tools, extensive customization options and responsive music templates, the system deserves the attention of musicians from all over the world. Listed below are the major advantages of the website builder:
- Niche Templates. The website builder allows customizing over a hundred of professional responsive templates, all of which are related to music. All the themes are free and sorted by industry, including rock, folk/country, jazz/blues, EDM/DJ/Producer, business/other, singer/songwriter, classical, urban/hip hop, world, beats and more. There is a preview option that lets you see the required template in details. Users also have an opportunity to choose a blank template to customize it from scratch.
- eCommerce. The platform lets you create and customize a free full-featured web store for musicians and bands with a few clicks. This is where you can sell a variety of products related to your music career (albums, tracks, download codes, tickets, videos, posters, accessories for the fans, digital files etc.). Along with that, you can set up general payment/shipping info, integrate with popular distribution platforms etc.
- Music-Focused Features. Bandzoogle is initially known for its broad spectrum of music-focused features. These include powerful synchronization tools, social media services, online music streaming option, global audio player integration, guestbook/forum connection, feedback tools, flash image/video collections, hit counter, integration of external services (Instagram gallery, Twitter, Bandcamp Player, Topspin Store, Bandsintown, GigSalad Quote Form, GigSalad Review and Airbit), mailing lists creation, availability of website analytics and reports to mention a few.
- Content Blocks. The system makes it possible to add/manage/modify the positions of specific content blocks of your choice on any page, depending upon its type. Thus, users can create an event page here to list the upcoming shows, concerts and presentations and let your fans book and buy tickets for the upcoming occasions in advance. It’s also possible to integrate the music tracks block with industry-related content here.
Cost: Bandzoogle doesn’t have a completely free plan, but the duration of its free trial period is longer than that offered by other website builders. Currently, it constitutes 30 days, during which you can test and master the entire feature set of the platform. The website builder has three paid plans, the cost of which starts at $8.29 per month. Paid subscriptions include a certain amount of tracks (photos) uploads and web pages, availability of a commission-free music store, electronic press kit and other undeniable advantages.
2. WordPress
| Product Name: | WordPress |
| Official Website: | wordpress.org |
| Templates for Musicians: | Dozens of themes |
| Founded: | 2003 |
| Complexity: | Complex |
| Free plan: | Completely free |
| Paid plan: | Paid plugins, themes and hosting |
WordPress – is the outstanding platform to create a music website for free. This is the Content Management System, which is more complicated as compared to standard website builders mainly because it implies the awareness of coding basics. The system also comes with extensive integration options that contribute to your music website performance. The major benefits of the software are listed below:
- Responsive Themes for Musicians. The CMS has a pretty limited collection of built-in templates, while many more of them are available online. To get the most out of WordPress functionality, you should browse the web to look for the best themes for musicians there. Fortunately, the choice is really stunning and it won’t be a problem for you to get the template you really like.
- Plugins for Music Websites. As to the integrable plugins for musicians’ websites, the selection is fantastic as well. The must-have plugins for any musicians’ website include Event Organizer, GigPress, MF Gig Calendar, NextGEN image gallery, HTML5 jQuery Audio Player, Spotify Master, SoundCloud Master, Thank Me Later, Comment Redirect, Gravity Forms, Audiotheme, Cue and Foxyshop to mention a few.
- Customer Interaction, Social Media and Event Scheduling Plugins. Along with music-specific plugins, WordPress allows choosing and integrating third-party extensions for more efficient customer interaction and enhanced project performance. Some of the most popular plugins of this type include TweetThis Shortcode, Simply Instagram, BirchPress Scheduler, Picu, WP Invoice, WPForms, OptinMonster Floating Social Bar, Pinterest Pin It Button and more.
- eCommerce Functionality. If you expect to sell your products/service online, you have a great opportunity to integrate powerful eCommerce extensions specially developed for WordPress. The most well-known of them is WooCommerce.
Cost: WordPress is free to download and install, but you’ll definitely won’t go without integrating third-party plugins and themes. They are either free or may come at extra cost. Actually, it is even safer to purchase them to prevent the scams, which are frequently associated with free templates and plugins. The final cost, however, will depend upon the hosting provider you will go for.
3. uKit
| Product Name: | uKit |
| Official Website: | ukit.com |
| Founded: | 2015 |
| Templates for Musicians: | 12 |
| Complexity: | Very easy |
| Free plan: | Free 14-day trial |
| Paid plan: | From $4/mo |
uKit – is one of the best small business website builders, which also works great for the development of projects for musicians and bands. The system lets you establish a trusted online presence for your music group or individual music site in around 30 minutes, even if this is your first web design experience. This is a real find for musicians, who don’t wish to bother about complex web design nuances. Here are the benefits that make the website builder a perfect solution:
- Responsive Music Designs. uKit comes with a collection of responsive music templates, among which you can find those applicable to your music website. All the designs are customizable and it’s also possible to switch between the themes on any step of the website development process. To enhance the mobile browsing experience of users, uKit offers adaptive site view. It lets you fine-tune the tablet and mobile look of your project.
- eCommerce Functionality. uKit realizes its integrated eCommerce functionality in several ways. If you plan to sell any of your music business-related products directly at the website, the system allows choosing between two popular and effective options that let you start a web store. You can either connect the Ecwid plugin to your website or integrate the eCommerce widget to get a full-featured web store.
- SoundCloud Integration. With Kit, it is now possible to add and update audio tracks to your music/band website by means of SoundCloud integration. Additionally, you can insert images/videos into your project to give it advanced visual appeal and functionality. And that’s not it. You can set up a video background for any block of your website without the need to install third-party scripts or integrate extra codes.
Cost: uKit doesn’t offer any free plans, but there is a 14-day trial period. It is available at no cost and lets you test the entire platform’s functionality. As to the pricing policy, it is very affordable for everyone. The cost of the cheapest plan starts with $4/mo – that’s very inexpensive, considering the wide spectrum of features the platform has in stock. These include custom domain name connection, 24/7 professional support, back up website creation opportunity, free hosting, access to hundreds of templates etc.
4. Wix
| Product Name: | WIX |
| Official Website: | wix.com |
| Templates for Musicians: | 48 |
| Founded: | 2006 |
| Complexity: | Very easy |
| Free plan: | Yes |
| Paid plan: | From $22/mo |
Wix – is the best website builder for musicians and bands, which has already gained worldwide popularity. This is due to the abundance of design customization tools, professional and intuitive web building approach and multiple high end features that contribute to the effective web creation process. The system is user-friendly enough to be understandable even to beginners and it also provides the unsurpassed WYSIWYG web building experience. This is a perfect tool for creatives, who have never been involved in website development, don’t wish to struggle with complex coding nuances yet intend to launch a functional website to meet their needs. Have a look at the main Wix highlights now:
- Templates for Music Websites. The website builder now boasts one of the most extensive and impressive collections of niche templates you may choose from with regard to your website/music specialization. They are divided into several design categories depending upon the industry tackled (Solo Artist, Band, DJ and Music Industry are the major categories here). All the themes are 100% customizable and mobile-optimized by default, but there is no template switch option here.
- Wix ADI tool. The one-of-a-kind Wix ADI tool lets inexperienced musicians create their projects without any coding skills or extra time/money investment at all. The tool requires the submission of your industry-specific information to further create a website in the automated mode.
- Forum and Blogging. Wix makes it possible to connect a forum and a blog to your musician’s website, thus keeping visitors engaged in your industry updates. By visiting a forum/blog, your website users will be able to communicate with other fans, share their opinions and news, leave comments and create topics for discussion.
- eCommerce. If you plan to sell your band/industry-related items or accessories via your musician’s website, Wix allows connecting a small or a mid-sized web store to your project. This is where you can sell your albums, tracks, accessories, brand items as well as issue discount coupons, certificates and what not.
- Wix Music. The free widget is available in the integrated Wix App Market and allows adding the audio player to your musician’s website. This lets your fans listen to your tracks, stream and download those they like most and even buy them directly at the website. At the same time, you can upload audio files in different formats, including WAV, FLAC, ALAC & MP3, adjusting their display parameters and general player settings. The widget also makes it possible to track the detailed stats of your project to find out the popularity of certain tracks, number of sales, downloads, plays and other related info.
Cost: Wix has a free plan, the duration of which is not limited by any terms. The cost of the paid plans (there are two types of subscriptions here, each including several plans) starts at $22/mo for Standard subscriptions and at $27/mo for Business/eCommerce plans. All the premium plans include free hosting/domain name, integrated Google Analytics, professional customer support, increased storage space etc. The system also offers the 14-day refund option, if there’s anything you don’t like about the selected paid plan.
5. SITE123
| Product Name: | SITE123 |
| Official Website: | site123.com |
| Founded: | 2015 |
| Templates for Musicians: | 14 |
| Complexity: | Very easy |
| Free plan: | Unlimited |
| Paid plan: | From $10.80/mo |
SITE123 – is a free musician website builder, which lets everyone create feature-rich projects with a powerful music focus. The platform was created with the needs, skills and requirements of non-techies in mind. Thus, it comes with a toolset geared towards this user category yet it has much to offer to web design pros as well. SITE123 is known for its simple WYSIWYG editor, extensive choice of design customization tools. Other advantages of the software are listed below:
- Collection of Templates for Musicians. The software grants access to the rich collection of templates, which have strong music specialization. The designs are all free and responsive, which makes them accessible in mobile and desktop devices. They are also completely customizable, letting everyone create unique projects from scratch. A handy preview option will let you explore the required template in detail before making the final choice.
- eCommerce Engine. The system comes with a built-in eCommerce engine, which allows starting and managing feature-rich digital stores to sell your music works and special accessories for fans. The software offers multiple eCommerce features and tools to create product galleries, adjust payment settings, introduce special offers/discounts etc.
- Multilingual Support. If you intend to target both local and international markets, starting a multilingual website will definitely be an advantage. Due to its multilingual tool, SITE123 lets you set up projects in different languages with regard to the music niche you specialize and the goals you set.
Cost: SITE123 is not only a simple, but also a very affordable website builder. A free plan available here lets you start a music website without any fees at all. To get rid of the limitations a free plan has, it is recommended to upgrade to a premium subscription. Their cost starts at $10.80 per month.
6. Squarespace
| Product Name: | Squarespace |
| Official Website: | squarespace.com |
| Founded: | 2014 |
| Templates for Musicians: | - |
| Complexity: | Average |
| Free Plan: | No |
| Premium Plan: | from $16/mo |
Squarespace – is a popular music artist website builder, which can be used to set up and manage projects for musicians, bands and artists. The system has a collection of built-in designs, customization tools and special integrations to help users launch feature-rich websites. It may take some time to explore and master the software, but even non-techies can cope with the task pretty well. Experienced web designers will also come across multiple options to run their music projects. Some of the most impressive Squarespace advantages include:
- Professional Templates. Squarespace has an extensive template collection, which is divided into several categories based on the niches they themes belong to. All the templates are free, responsive and customizable. There is no separate section of music themes here yet you can pick any other design to customize it from scratch to get a unique project.
- eCommerce Platform. With Squarespace, you can sell your music works, albums, tracks and accessories directly via the website, thus, boosting your reputation and popularity. The software allows customizing eCommerce themes, adjusting payment/design customization parameters, discounts and special offers.
- Galleries. Squarespace makes it possible to create appealing photo galleries out of hundreds of system blocks (presentations, slideshows, sliders, grid layouts etc.), video integration option, application of display effects.
- Unfold App. The advanced storytelling tool makes it possible to create and share stories and posts via social networks. This is a handy tool, when it comes to boosting your band popularity and reaching the target audience.
- Logo Maker. If you wish to design a logo for your music website, Squarespace allows using its Logo Maker to complete the task in a few simple steps. Just follow the guidelines to reach the desired result.
- Cover Page Builder. The website builder allows browsing a collection of templates meant for cover page creation. There are multiple tools to apply here to boost your music project recognition.
- Style Editor. The built-in Style Editor unveils an opportunity to browse, pick and adjust customizable settings with regard to your project parameters and requirements. Likewise, you can choose the required types of pages to add to your project. These include Events Pages, Blog Pages, Cover Pages, Galleries etc.
- Show Window Design Creation. Squarespace allows creating and customizing appealing show windows to present your music works and accessories to the target audience. You can compile product lists, add and edit descriptions/SKUs, upload photos and media files, introduce special offers and discounts etc.
Cost: Squarespace doesn’t have a free plan yet there is a possibility to test the system during the 14-day trial at no cost. To publish the project, however, you will have to upgrade to one of the premium subscriptions. Their cost starts at $16/mo.
Bottom Line
A website can become an effective must-have tool for any musician, but only if this is a well-designed project with advanced functionality. Let’s face the fact: if you are a musician, the chances that you have a good command of programming basics are quite low. This is where website builders come into play. These systems are simple, convenient and intuitive. That is why, they work great for inexperienced users, helping them design outstanding websites.
The list of website builders to create a website for musicians or bands is quite impressive, but you should be aware of the characteristics, pros and cons of each service to make the best choice. It makes sense to test all of the systems reviewed in the post to decide on the most suitable solution you’ll be eventually satisfied with.
