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Most musicians eventually hit the same wall. They open up a popular website builder, pick a template that looks vaguely “creative,” and try to bend it into something that works for an artist. It starts fine, but after a couple of hours, things get messy. The features they actually need simply aren’t there, and the ones that exist are designed for small businesses, photographers, or cafés.

Artists end up forcing their website into a shape it was never meant to take.

Here’s why this happens so often.

1. No real music pages

Traditional builders usually let you embed a Spotify player or paste a YouTube link, but that’s not the same as having a proper music page. Artists need a place where albums, tracks, artwork, lyrics, credits, and streaming links are organized cleanly. Trying to build that manually with generic page blocks is frustrating and honestly never looks quite right.

2. Zero focus on EPKs

Press kits are still essential for booking shows, reaching blogs, or sending info to promoters. But typical website builders don’t offer EPK templates, contact sections tailored to media, downloadable assets, or press-friendly layouts. You end up cobbling together a mix of text blocks, images, and Google Drive links. It works, but it feels like a workaround.

3. No built-in streaming integrations

Artists don’t just need to embed players; they need their website to understand music platforms. Things like automatic links to Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, or YouTube, or the ability to sync releases. Traditional builders don’t do this. They give you a blank canvas and hope you figure out the rest.

4. Merch and shops are built for general e-commerce

Selling a hoodie or vinyl is not the same as running a generic online store. Artists need lighter, simpler workflows: SKU handling, limited runs, preorder windows, bundled digital downloads, or merch connected to events. Typical builders treat it like any other shop, which adds unnecessary complexity for musicians.

5. They’re too broad by design

Website builders try to serve everyone: plumbers, yoga studios, freelancers, photographers, restaurants, you name it. Because of that, they can’t dive deep into the specific needs of musicians. The result is a tool that does many things decently, but nothing specifically for artists.

6. The “music templates” they offer are surface level

You’ve probably seen them. A hero image, a big name across the top, maybe a tour date section. They look nice at first glance, but once you try to adjust them to your real workflow, they fall apart. They don’t scale with multiple releases, they don’t handle large galleries, they don’t fit long bios, and they definitely don’t behave like an EPK.

7. Artists end up relying on scattered links

Because the website can’t handle everything, musicians patch together:

Spotify links, YouTube links, Bandcamp embeds, Linktree profiles, TikTok, Instagram, merch pages hosted elsewhere. The site becomes a glorified menu, not a home base.

A proper artist website should bring these pieces together, not send visitors away in five different directions.

If you spend any time around musicians these days, there’s always this idea floating around that an artist website isn’t really necessary anymore. You have Instagram, you have TikTok, you have Spotify and all the other platforms that people already use. So why bother with a separate site at all?

It sounds reasonable on the surface, but once you look a bit closer, it falls apart. Social platforms change constantly, algorithms bury content without warning, and none of those spaces really belong to you. A proper website, even a simple one, still does a kind of work nothing else can.

Let me break down why that matters in 2025.

Your own space, not someone else’s feed

Every social platform is rented land. You can build a huge following and still lose reach overnight because the algorithm decided to favor something else. A website lives outside of that noise. It’s your place, your domain, your design. Fans who end up there aren’t scrolling past you at light speed; they’re choosing to learn more about you.

Everything important lives in one place

Most artists scatter their online presence across half a dozen platforms, which makes sense until someone tries to find something specific. Your website acts as the hub. Music, videos, merch, tour dates, press info, contact links, streaming buttons, newsletters, whatever you need. One location. One address. People shouldn’t have to go treasure hunting to figure out who you are or what you sound like.

Press and promoters still expect it

This part is almost boring, but it’s true. If you’re pitching yourself for a show, a festival, a playlist, or any kind of editorial coverage, having a clean EPK section on a proper website saves you hours of back-and-forth. It’s a small thing that quietly signals “professional,” and that honestly matters more than artists sometimes think.

A home you control long term

Platforms rise and fall. Remember MySpace, Vine, SoundCloud’s uncertain period, Bandcamp’s sale? You never know. Your website outlives all of that. You can redesign it, expand it, move hosts, whatever you like. You’re not tied to anyone else’s roadmap.

Better visibility on search engines

People still Google artists. They Google bands, songs, lyrics, tour dates. A real website gives you space to appear in those results with the information you want fans to see. Social profiles show up of course, but they’re not structured for deeper discovery. A website fills that gap.

More control over how you present yourself

Bio-links and social bios are practical, but they’re small. They don’t really let you shape a story or create a mood around your music. A website lets you lean into your identity a bit. Maybe it’s minimal, maybe it’s dark and moody, maybe it’s full of photography. Whatever it is, you’re not limited by someone else’s template.

It’s easier than ever to create one

This is the part where many artists get stuck. The idea of “building a website” sounds bigger than it actually is. The tools are improving fast, and the gap between a half-functional page and something that genuinely feels like a home for your music is getting smaller every year.

We’re building BandPlace because we think artists deserve something that understands their needs without forcing them to become web designers, but the main point is simple: use whatever works for you. Just don’t skip having a website altogether.

Final thought

Your website doesn’t need to be huge. It just needs to be yours. A small patch of the internet that tells your story the way you want it told. Social platforms are great for reach, discovery, and quick updates. A website is where your identity settles and becomes something people can return to again and again.