Have you ever dreamed of starting a music blog? Maybe you want to share your distinct taste and perspectives with fellow fans. Or you see it as a way to land artist interviews, score free concert tickets, and potentially even make money.
Whatever your motivation, launching a music blog allows you to indulge your passion while building a community. This step-by-step guide will teach you how to start a music blog tailored to your niche and musical tastes.
What Exactly is a Music Blog?
First, what constitutes a "music blog"? Essentially, it is an online site focused on the music industry, artists, releases, and fans. Posts contain commentary, critiques, listicles, Q&As, tutorials, and other formats delivering perspectives and analysis on music-related topics.
Music blogs target niches ranging from genres like hip hop or country to specific bands. Popular site DJBooth.net covers the latest in hip hop while Pitchfork.com features indie artists and album reviews. Niche blogger Ari Herstand focuses on the business side of music.
So why start your own site? You get to:
- Showcase your musical taste – Share your hot takes, favorite new artists, top 10 playlists etc.
- Cover insider topics catering to hardcore music fans even big sites may overlook
- Land access like press passes, backstage interviews, exclusives
- Monetize your passion through display ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored content and more
While launching a successful music blog takes commitment, it allows you total creative freedom to blend your interests, knowledge and fandom into a distinct brand.
Choosing Your Music Blogging Niche
With over 35 genre categories tracked by Billboard alone, countless niches exist for music bloggers. Before getting started, pinpoint:
The Genre(s) You‘ll Cover
Music genres have nuances that attract different readers. For example, hip hop heads expect the latest updates on artists, beefs and releases. An indie blog digs into obscure bands and scenes, reviewing experimental album drops few mainstream sites touch.
Popular genres and their key reader interests:
| Genre | Fan Interests | Example Blogs |
|---|---|---|
| Hip Hop | New tracks, artist drama, rankings | DJBooth, Complex |
| Indie | Obscure artists, local scenes, festivals | Pitchfork, Brooklyn Vegan |
| Pop | Celebrity gossip, chart rankings, stan culture | PopCrush, PopSugar |
| EDM/Dance | DJ highlights, festivals, dance music culture | EDM Sauce, Dancing Astronaut |
| Rock/Metal | Album reviews, band interviews, subcultures | Consequence, Kerrang! |
| Country | Lyrics and song meanings, celebrity couples | Taste of Country, Nashville Gab |
Choose genre(s) matching your expertise as a fan. While you can potentially cover multiple genres, starting more niche allows you to go deeper into beloved topics.
Your Target Reader Demographic
While uncovering niche interests helps define content, also consider who comprises your target audience. Music consumption varies greatly across:
- Age: Gen Z TikTokers for pop music vs. middle-aged Deadheads still touring with jam bands
- Gender: Largely female readership for boy band and celebrity gossip content
- Geography: Regionally popular country, Latin or K-Pop artists
- Artist level fandom: Casual listeners vs. diehard superfans who want every detail
Knowing your reader demographic helps tailor tone, topics and communication style. For example, an indie blog for younger Gen Z fans may adopt a conversational, meme-heavy tone with shorter posts. A country music retirement blog could use an informal but informative approach to song histories and artist background.
Think critically about who you want to read and engage with your content to provide maximum value.
Choosing the Best Blogging Platform
The core foundations of any site are the blogging platform and web hosting provider you choose. Let‘s compare the most popular options for launching a music blog:
Self-Hosted WordPress
WordPress offers unmatched customization and monetization potential. However, the technical requirements make this better for experienced bloggers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Custom design and features | Must pay for hosting and domain |
| Robust plugin ecosystem | Manual software updates |
| Own all site data | More complex maintenance |
| Ad flexibility | Steeper learning curve |
Cost: ~$300/year for low traffic hosting and domain name
Free Blogging Sites
Options like Medium, Tumblr and Blogspot remove hosting headaches so you simply create content. However, less control and monetization ability.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free, instant setup | Limited design flexibility |
| Hosted WYSIWIG editor | Can‘t run ads |
| Easy importing | Don‘t own data or followers |
| Focus only on writing | Restrictive CSS editing |
Cost: Free! But no ownership
Weigh your technical confidence, need for customization, and monetization goals when deciding between self-hosted and free sites.
For maximum creative freedom and revenue potential down the road, I suggest starting with WordPress (more details below).
Designing Your Music Blog‘s Look
With your platform selected, it‘s time for the fun part – personalizing your blog‘s aesthetic!
Most blogging tools offer multiple themes or templates to launch from. Browse options tagged for your platform under categories like "Music" or your genre.
When installing your theme, look for:
- Responsiveness: Mobile optimization for phone/tablet
- Speed: Sites under 1s load time
- Extendability: Easy customization via page builders, CSS, etc.
Next, make sure your branding immediately conveys "this is a blog/site about X music." Visitors should instantly recognize they‘re in the right place.
Branding elements to customize include:
- Header image or logo
- Tagline or description
- Sample posts to demonstrate content
- Links to social profiles or email list signups
- Sidebars or widgets for navigation
Utilize your theme options, widgets and page builder to tailor all text/images to your niche. Show off your personality while establishing expertise!
Crafting Compelling Music Blog Content
You built the funnel…now it‘s time to fill it with content that captivates fans.
Remember, consistency is key for new blogs. Don‘t worry about length or polish level. Focus on publishing regular content aligned to reader interests. You‘ll refine topics and writing voice over time.
Let‘s explore popular post formats music blogs leverage:
Music Reviews
New album releases by both mainstream and niche artists offer endless fodder for reviews. These critique-driven posts allow you to showcase your perspective on tracks, lyrics, production and more.
Tips for compelling reviews:
- Feature the album cover image
- Link to song/album on streaming platforms
- Share video content like official music videos or behind-the-scenes footage
- Blend objective analysis with your subjective taste opinions
- Use section headers to improve readability on longer reviews
- Close with a rating encapsulating your overall thoughts
Listicles
Countdown list posts consistently perform well for their easily scannable nature. Plus, they tap into reader debate around rankings.
Ideas include top 10 lists for:
- Albums/songs of the year
- Music videos
- Lyrics by a certain artist
- Guest verses
- Music memoirs
- Music documentaries
Embed multimedia like YouTube clips of songs/videos or Spotify playlists to showcase entries. Hyperlink text to Amazon affiliate links for product mentions.
Interviews
Landing one-on-one interviews with artists, producers, music journalists or other industry insiders offers exclusive value for readers.
Leverage your existing fandom connections or utilize press lists via a Google search. Pitch the value for them in promoting their work.
Convert conversations into Q&A write-ups. Supplement with photos/videos from the interview for multimedia engagement.
Tutorials
Musicians niche sites may publish tutorials or how-tos related to:
- Learning instruments
- Recording techniques
- Using production software
For listening/fandom blogs, explore evergreen fan topics like starting vinyl collections, planning concert attendance strategy or even music therapy recommendations.
Commentary
Reacting to music industry news, controversies or trends with your spicy hot takes makes for light, lively posts.
Turn what you‘d chat with friends about into shortform blog commentary. Link/summarize source material for context before weighing in.
Now what other ideas match your niche? Brainstorm content formats across the spectrum of educating, reviewing, ranking or entertaining readers.
Strategies for Promoting Your Blog Content
You put in the work crafting awesome blog posts. But without visitors to read them, you won‘t build traction.
Let‘s explore proven tactics for getting eyeballs to your site:
Leverage Social Media
Promote posts across your personal social accounts and any blog-specific ones:
- Share blog headlines, images, clips to peek interest
- Engage with conversations from niche artists, fans, influencers
- Join Facebook Groups or subreddits around your music niche to share links
Email Marketing
Email converts readers into loyal followers who await your latest updates.
Provide a signup form on your site. Send new post notifications, exclusive content or deals for subscribers.
Free providers like Mailchimp make list building easy.
SEO Optimization
Writing search-friendly content brings in readers from Google searches.
Use target keywords naturally in headlines and text. Research related questions people ask to inform posts.
Guest Post Outreach
Reaching out to similar music blogs for guest contribution spots expands your audience.
When pitching, explain how you align with their niche and your expertise around certain topics their audience would value.
Paid Ads
Once you have some posts, run paid promotions across social media and Google to garner clicks.
Test small budgets around evergreen content or timely topics.
Building an audience happens slowly…then all at once. Persist sharing your authentic passion through content. Fans will come!
Making Money from Your Music Blog
Once you grow consistent site traffic, several options exist to monetize readers:
Display Advertising
Showing display units through networks like Google AdSense earns money as visitors click. Rates vary based on niche, but historical benchmarks per 1,000 ad impressions (CPM) are:
| Niche | Avg CPM Rates |
|---|---|
| Music | $2-5 |
| Entertainment | $5-10 |
| Technology | $5-12 |
Top blogs generate over 1-2 million pageviews per month. Do the math on potential earnings!
Affiliate Marketing
Amazon Associates and other affiliate programs pay you commission for referred product sales using your special links.
Sprinkle relevant music-related product links naturally into content. Share your favorite guitar from Sweetwater or PA equipment from Musician‘s Friend. These long-tail product niches convert well.
Many blogs earn 20-30% of revenue via affiliates.
Sponsored Campaigns
Your niche expertise and audience access has value to brands.
Work directly with artists, labels, gear brands, ticketing companies and streaming platforms around:
- Sponsored posts
- Ticket giveaways
- Site takeovers
- Social media promotions
- Product reviews
Rates vary based on traffic but expect $100-500+ per campaign.
Premium Memberships
Consider gating some exclusive content behind paid tiers for superfans. Offer special perks like playlists co-creation, 1-on-1 Q&As, merch bundles or community access.
Set tier pricing based on production costs and perceived value.
Sell Merch
Once your brand pops off, sell swag like t-shirts, hoodies, bags, mugs, phone cases etc. with your logo or popular sayings.
Utilize print-on-demand platforms so you don‘t pay upfront inventory costs. List at markup price and retain profit margin.
From ad clicks to superfan subscriptions, keep testing what monetization streams resonate. Remember, even $500-1000+ extra income per month is a win mixing passion and profit!
Maintaining Consistency With Your Music Blog
Congratulations, you officially launched your music blog!
But remember, the work doesn‘t stop here. Releasing consistency awesome content over months and years is critical for continued growth.
Stay organized and plan your content calendar to remove guesswork around what to write next.
Leverage your unique fan perspective and access to provide value. Rinse and repeat!
Soon you‘ll have built a reputable destination fans keep returning back to for your niche. Plus you potentially earn income fueling your music passion.
So what are you waiting for? Get started on launching your own music blog today!
