Having your own website is a great way to communicate your message in a way that demonstrates your style. For a musician, your website is the hub for all of your information. It’s where you keep track of your accolades, bio, pictures, blog, and music. It’s where people come to learn more about you. For the most part, it’s where people will first interact with your content. With so many plug and play website options available, there’s no reason for a musician to be without one. Whether you’re first starting out as a musician, and do not have a large budget to work from or you’re a seasoned musician and just haven’t had the time or money to create one – it’s time to make the leap and start a website for your music today!
There are many platforms you can use to create a website for free. You must weigh the pros and cons, however. The important thing to consider when using a free platform to build your music website is your long-term goal. What do you want your website to look like long-term? Will you buy a domain and hosting eventually? If so, you should consider a platform that allows you to test out the free version, but also one where you can easily transition to a premium version when you’re ready. Do their paid themes/templates appeal to you in case you want to step over to a paid version? You should be thinking about your long-term goals with every decision you make especially when it comes to your website.
Here are a few platforms you can try out to set up a good looking music website for free.
WordPress
Most people think of blogging when they hear ‘wordpress’ but nowadays the platform is highly customizable for small businesses, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and artists alike. You start with a blank canvas and build from there using your own style and creativity. The editing platform is very simplistic and easy to navigate. There are also many free plug-ins you can use to add extra functionality to your site as well. If you’re open to paying for a premium theme, WordPress offers some amazing themes for musicians. Check out these 10 Powerful and Free WordPress themes for musicians.
Weebly
Weebly is a newer platform with an easy drag and drop editor that lets you essentially build a site from scratch. They have themes and templates to choose from and you can create something spectacular in just a few hours. If simplicity and ease is what you’re looking for, Weebly has you covered. Although you can have a fully functioning website in just a few hours, you might run into some limitations using the free platform. See my list of cons below.
Wix
Similar to Weebly, Wix has a drag and drop editor with lots of gorgeous themes to choose from. The cool thing about Wix is that it offers apps that you can add on to your website to give it more functionality, much like you would with a WordPress site. These are third-party apps that allow you to add things like a booking tool and a newsletter feature. Unfortunately, Wix does not allow you to change templates easily after your site has been published. Also, you’ll likely encounter ads with their free plan. See my list of cons below.
Jimdo
Jimdo is made for beginners. It is organized pretty well and it’s easy to figure out. Their editing platform is easy to use and you can get set up in a matter of minutes. They also have a mobile app that allows you to create your website with a table tor phone. One of the downsides to Jimdo is that there is no preview feature, so any changes you make will go live. So be very careful with any updates being made!
Ucraft
I’ve recently come across Ucraft and I’m actually using them for another project. They offer modern looking landing pages and unique one-page designs for a more simplified approach to web building. While they don’t have a ton of templates, they do provide building blocks and elements that you can use to make the site your own. Their free version is sufficient enough to get started with your online presence. However, like all the others there are a few limitations such as not being able to install a contact form, no dedicated domain, and a watermark.
If you haven’t already come to this conclusion, I hate to be the bearer of bad news: free isn’t really. It gets paid for in some way. There are always strings attached. Therefore, when choosing between various free options, you have to consider what works for you in the long run. Also, consider the business model of the platforms you’re considering. How do they get their money? What are they using us freebie seekers for? Content, data, to hopefully upsell us later on down the line, or to attract customers with little to no value offering? Some platforms get their money from providing extra services or premium features at a price. Others, simply offer a free version that is extremely lacking in order to get you to spend extra money on a paid version. It’s a subtle difference, but if you’ve used your fair share of “freemiums” in the past, you’ll be able to tell the difference right away.
So what are the cons to using a free platform to host your music website?
#1 You may not have access to premium features such as pop-up software, premium layouts, or complex html/coding ability.
#2 You might be limited in the amount of space and number of website pages you can use.
#3 You may not have control over advertisements. For the most part, all free website platforms include an advertisement on each free site saying “This website was created for free with Weebly” or something similar. Other platforms may go as far as including sponsored ads on your website in random places that you have no control over.
#4 This is a big one. You won’t have a dedicated domain name for your website. It will look something like this “yourname.weebly.com’. The problem with this is that it lacks professionalism. You end up losing credibility. In a business where ‘street cred’ is the name of the game, you’ll need all the credibility you can get!
When it comes to starting a career as a musician, one of the first things you’ll need to do is create a website. If you’re like me when I started, you don’t have a lot of money to burn and you’re looking for a free option. Fortunately, there are many options you can choose from and you don’t have to pay anything to get a website going. Using any of the above platforms will set you up with a very nice, modern looking music website.
There are some drawbacks to consider though. While having a free website saves you money, it won’t necessarily help you achieve business goals. For starters, not having your own dedicated domain could make you look unprofessional and the folks you’re looking to impress might not take you seriously. Plus, you may be missing out on a lot of cool features that you would otherwise get if you upgraded to a paid version.
However, if a website is stopping you from moving forward in your music career, put it to rest and create a free one. It’s better to have a website than to not have one. When you’re ready to level up, go ahead and invest in your own dedicated website. After all, if you don’t prioritize your career enough to invest in yourself, how can you expect anyone else to invest in you?
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Looking for website platforms specifically for musicians? Try Bandzoogle. They offer templates built with musicians in mind. They are currently offering a free 30 day trial and their monthly pricing is affordable. You can also try Squarespace. They offer lots of templates with musicians in mind and they have a free 2 week trial.
Your turn to chime in. Did I miss a platform? Are you using a platform that’s not listed here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
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Another excellent resource is Google Sites. If you have a gmail account, you can create a free google sites page and it looks just like a professional site.