Starting a Music Blog in 2024: Your Complete Guide
Have you ever dreamed of sharing your passion for music with the world? Do you have strong opinions on the latest albums and artists that you‘re dying to express? Starting a music blog in 2024 can be a fulfilling way to join the cultural conversation around music and potentially turn your love of music into a career.
While the heyday of MP3 blogs may have passed, music blogs still play a vital role in the online music ecosystem. According to a 2022 study by Nielsen, 45% of music fans still regularly read music blogs and reviews to discover new artists and stay up-to-date on music news. A well-written music blog with a unique perspective can still attract a loyal and engaged audience.
So how do you get started? Follow this comprehensive guide to go from music fan to influential music blogger.
Step 1: Find Your Niche
To stand out in the crowded music blogosphere, it‘s essential to carve out a distinct niche for your blog. Consider focusing on a specific genre, music scene, location, or time period that you‘re knowledgeable and passionate about.
For example, instead of being a generic indie rock blog, you could focus on the indie rock scene in a particular city, up-and-coming indie rock artists, or indie rock from the 1990s. The more specific your focus, the easier it will be to establish your blog as an authority on that topic and attract readers looking for your unique expertise.
Some other music blog niche ideas to consider:
- Emerging hip hop artists
- Classic rock album reviews
- K-pop news and culture
- Local folk music scenes
- Music festival coverage
- Electronic dance music subgenres
- Music business and tech
- Vinyl collecting culture
Think about what perspective and insight you can bring to your niche that will make your blog a must-read for fans of that type of music. Your niche may evolve over time, but having that initial focus will help you hit the ground running.
Step 2: Set Up Your Blog
Now that you‘ve chosen your niche, it‘s time to get your blog up and running. While you could code a website from scratch, the easiest way to start a blog is using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress.
WordPress powers over 40% of all websites and is known for its customizability and large selection of plugins. It‘s user-friendly even if you don‘t have web design experience. You‘ll need to purchase a domain name and web hosting to install WordPress.
For hosting, I recommend SiteGround, which offers fast and reliable WordPress hosting at an affordable price. Its StartUp plan should be enough to start with, then you can upgrade to the GrowBig or GoGeek plans as your blog grows.
When choosing a domain name for your music blog, opt for something succinct and memorable that ideally includes keywords related to your niche. Including "music" or your genre of focus can help with SEO. A .com domain is ideal, but .net or .co can also work.
Once you‘ve purchased your domain and hosting, you can install WordPress from your hosting control panel with just a few clicks. Then, log into your new WordPress site and choose a theme to determine the look and layout of your blog.
I recommend choosing a clean, modern theme optimized for readability and mobile devices. Some great options for music blogs include Divi, Astra, GeneratePress, and Crescendo. Many of these have pre-built templates specifically designed for music sites that you can easily customize.
Step 3: Install Essential Plugins
To add functionality to your WordPress blog, you‘ll need to install plugins. Some key ones for music blogs:
- Yoast SEO: Optimize your posts for search engines
- Google Analytics Dashboard: Track your blog traffic and audience insights
- Akismet: Filter out spam comments
- Jetpack: Boost security, enable social media sharing, and generate sitemaps
- MailChimp for WordPress: Start building an email list to update readers on new posts
- WP Review Pro: Add eye-catching review boxes with star ratings to your album and concert reviews
- Spotify Master: Easily embed Spotify tracks and playlists to go with your content
Step 4: Plan Your Content Strategy
Once your blog is set up, plan out your content strategy and editorial calendar. Aim to publish new posts consistently, at least 1-2 times per week, to keep readers coming back and signal to search engines that your site is active.
In terms of types of posts, a mix of formats tends to work well for music blogs:
- Album and song reviews
- Concert and festival reviews
- Band and artist interviews
- Listicles (Top 10 albums of the year, etc.)
- Music news and op-eds
- Beginner guides (music history, how to play an instrument, etc.)
- Playlists
- Video content
- Personal essays related to music
When coming up with specific post ideas, look at what other blogs in your niche are writing about, as well as what music fans are searching for online. Use keyword research tools like Google‘s Keyword Planner and BuzzSumo to find popular search terms related to your niche that you can optimize your posts to rank for.
But don‘t just copy what other music blogs are doing – think about how you can offer a fresh or contrarian take, or cover aspects of the topic that haven‘t gotten much attention. Read the comments on popular music blogs and forums to find out what questions and opinions music fans have that you could address in your posts.
Over time, aim to develop a unique voice and perspective for your blog that will make it a trusted resource. Don‘t be afraid to share strong opinions, as readers value music blogs that have a clear point of view.
Step 5: Create Engaging Content
With your content strategy in place, it‘s time to start creating posts that will captivate music fans. Here are some tips for crafting engaging music blog posts:
- Write attention-grabbing headlines that clearly convey the topic of the post and why readers should care
- Hook readers from the first sentence with a bold opinion, intriguing question, or fascinating fact
- Use short paragraphs, subheadings, and lists to break up the text and make it easy to scan
- Include high-quality images like artist photos, album art, and concert shots to illustrate your posts
- Embed relevant songs, videos, and playlists from Spotify, YouTube, or Soundcloud so readers can listen while they read your commentary
- Add some personality to your writing – imagine you‘re having a conversation with a fellow music fan rather than lecturing
- Interview artists, industry insiders and other experts to give your posts added insight and credibility
- Write in-depth, optimized content to compete for competitive keywords – posts over 1000 words tend to rank better in search
- Close posts with a thought-provoking question to encourage reader comments and start a conversation
As you develop your blogging skills, try to get access to advance music releases so you can be one of the first to review new albums. Connect with publicists and record labels to get on their mailing lists. Attend local shows and festivals so you can snap your own photos and get inspired for future posts.
Step 6: Grow Your Audience
Even the best music content won‘t make an impact without readers. Actively work to grow your blog‘s audience from day one with strategies like:
- Optimizing your posts and site for search engines using SEO best practices
- Sharing your posts across your social media channels and optimizing your profiles to funnel followers back to your blog
- Guest posting on other popular music blogs and sites to reach new audiences
- Partnering with music-related brands and playlists to tap into their audiences
- Building an email list and sending regular newsletters with your latest posts and exclusive content
- Participating in online music communities like Reddit, forums and Facebook groups to connect with potential readers
- Joining blogging networks like HypeMachine to get more exposure for your song posts
- Holding contests and giveaways for concert tickets and merch to encourage social shares
- Collaborating with other music bloggers on posts, playlists and podcasts to cross-promote to your audiences
Growing a blog audience takes consistent effort over time, so don‘t get discouraged if you don‘t see huge traffic right away. Focus on putting out quality content and connecting with your niche music community. The readers will follow.
Step 7: Implement Monetization
Once your music blog starts gaining steady traffic, usually at least 1000 visitors per month, it‘s time to think about monetizing it so you can start earning some money from your efforts.
Some of the most effective ways to monetize a music blog include:
- Running display ads through ad networks like Google AdSense, Media.net, and Ezoic
- Doing direct sponsored content deals with music brands and labels
- Linking to music and merch with affiliate programs like Amazon Associates, iTunes, and Redbubble to earn a commission on purchases
- Creating your own digital products like ebooks and courses teaching music blogging or history
- Launching a Patreon or paid subscription program for bonus content and perks
- Adding a donation button for readers to support your work
Start by experimenting with one or two monetization methods, then expand as your traffic grows. Make sure any sponsored content and affiliate links are clearly disclosed to maintain trust with your readers.
Step 8: Overcome Music Blogging Challenges
Music blogging comes with some unique challenges you‘ll need to be prepared to face:
Standing out in a crowded niche: With so many music blogs out there, you‘ll need to put real effort into differentiating your blog to get noticed. Focus on dominating a specific niche and constantly putting out standout content.
Getting access to music and shows: Build relationships with publicists, labels and concert promoters to get on their lists for advance releases and press passes. It takes time but is essential for staying ahead of the curve with your coverage.
Establishing credibility: To be taken seriously as a music blogger, demonstrate your knowledge and authority on your focus topic. Interview artists and experts, write in-depth research-backed posts, and build a strong voice backed up by facts.
Maintaining motivation: Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. When facing writer‘s block or frustration with slow growth, reconnect with your passion for sharing music that drove you to start the blog in the first place. Take breaks when needed to recharge.
For inspiration and proof that it‘s possible to turn a music blog into a successful career, look at examples like Pigeons & Planes, Brooklyn Vegan, Consequence of Sound, and The Line of Best Fit – all of which started as independent music blogs before expanding into big operations.
By staying focused on your niche, continuously improving your content, and engaging with your audience, you can join their ranks and build a thriving music blog. Start sharing your love of music with the world today!
