Yesterday during one of our many conversations with my teammate Beatmad, a very interesting subject came upon us. He discussed about his latest project: building a portfolio website for his artist profile. Having expertise as a web developer, it surely is a great opportunity for him to merge both of his skills. Thinking about it, I realized that many minor and upcoming artists around don’t own a website. Is it a requisite for a contemporary musician? Let’s share our opinions about this often-overlooked point in self-branding.
Well, without beating around the bush, the short answer is… No, if you have just started out! Five years ago it was a different scenario, but nowadays a beginner need not concern about a website on the get-go. Social medias are ample enough to spread the message intended through your music, which is also easier enough to engage with fans and gain reputation with it. However, things change when you are thinking about long-term existence in industry.
When acquiring an esteemed position in the industry, most artists begin by diversifying their offerings. They tend to give lesser attention to production and gigs, the significant aspects, and rather divulge in selling merchandises, sample packs, courses, starting a label-record and others. Depending on the situation, a management team is needed, especially if the marketing starts becoming more cost-involved. This is when a brand is most needed.
Managing the entirety of the said complex structure with just an Instagram or Facebook account is possible at lower levels, but a website has more efficiency. On a brief summary, there are as following advantages of having a website:
Professional – If well-made, a website can lure in more visitors. It’s crucial to have a curated, proper-looking site with a simple and efficient UX (UX design refers to the term “User Experience design”. Third party website templates are alright for novices, but to impart a more creative tone (as a higher level of branding would require), it is necessary go for a personally built web-page, which aids a lot in business trademarks.
Personalized – One can be free to do as one’s wish, whether posting blog about their own life or music, set-up a merchandise store or any peculiarly alluring portions in website to emphasize their identity.
Cost-effective – With a few bucks every month for hosting, the process involved in managing a website is easier thanks to technology. In addition, sales can be made through personal marketplace as usually third-party vendors tend to extract a good percentage of commission.
Tracking Evolution – It’s important to save all major milestones in one’s career at a specific space, especially in the age of internet where millions of posts are made everyday. It can offer newer fan-base to understand your progress in the scene, and achievements worth-noting.
As talked about, web-hosting can be confusing for a layman, since technical-knowledge is a must-need in this. It’s like a pet creature, be tended and monitored and “updated” on a regular basis to get more attention. It’s an digital tool, and should be invested upon if one is ready to advance further.
What do you think?
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