Most artists start with a link-in-bio page, a Spotify profile and an Instagram account. That works until a venue, a blogger or a festival booker searches your name and lands somewhere you don't control. A simple site you own fixes that. Here's what it should include, whether you play Des Moines bars, record in an Ames basement studio, or tour the Midwest.
1. A homepage that says who you are in one line
Lead with your name, your sound and where you're based: “Indie folk from Des Moines” tells a stranger more than a logo alone. Add one main button, usually your newest release or your booking contact.
2. An electronic press kit (EPK)
Talent buyers and press want the same few things, and they want them fast on a phone:
- A short bio (about 100 words) and a longer one
- Two or three high-resolution press photos they can download
- Your best two or three tracks or videos
- Press quotes or notable shows you've actually had, never invented ones
- A booking contact that isn't buried
3. Music players that don't slow the page down
Embed the official Spotify, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, Apple Music or YouTube players. Each embed loads extra code, so it's worth setting them up to load only when a visitor taps play. Your page stays quick for everyone who came for your dates or contact info.
4. Show dates you'll actually keep current
An outdated dates page makes you look inactive. List the date, venue, city and a ticket link, and pick a setup you'll really update, whether that's editing the page yourself or sending dates to whoever manages your site.
5. Booking, merch and streaming links
Make the next step obvious. A short booking form that asks for date, venue, city and budget saves a lot of back-and-forth. Link out to your merch store and streaming profiles instead of rebuilding them.
6. Engineers, producers and studios: show your rates
If you mix, master or produce, people want to know what you do, roughly what it costs, and how to send files. A clear rate card or a “rates on request” quote form, plus samples you have permission to share, does most of the selling. Wando Sounds, an audio mixing site HIVEMIND SOLUTIONS built, is one real example of this layout.
7. SEO for your artist name
You don't need to rank for “music”. You need your own site to show up when someone searches your name. The basics:
- Your artist name in the page title and main heading
- Structured data (MusicGroup or Person schema) that links to your official profiles
- The same name spelled the same way everywhere: Spotify, Bandcamp, Instagram, your site
- Links from your social bios back to your site
If your name is shared with another act, add your city or genre (“Wando Sounds, audio mixing”) so search engines and people can tell you apart.
8. Mobile first
Fans mostly arrive from a social bio link on their phone. Big tap targets, readable text and compressed photos matter more than fancy effects.
What to do next
Start with the homepage, EPK, dates and contact. That covers most of what bookers and fans look for, and you can add galleries or a blog later. If you'd like help, see our websites for musicians page or ask for a free homepage mockup.