Thanks to the internet, the days when musicians needed a record contract and radio airtime to showcase their music and build a fan base are long gone. We spoke with Stacey Bedford, CEO of Bandzoogle, about their platform, which helps musicians build a website, connect with their fans through social networks and mailing list management, and sell merchandise and concert tickets.
This interview was originally published on November 29, 2020.
What is Bandzoogle?
We started as a website builder back in 2003, but today Bandzoogle is the most effective platform for musicians to build their website and manage direct-to-fan marketing and sales. Our all-in-one platform offers musicians powerful design options, a commission-free music & merch store, mailing list management, detailed fan analytics, integrations with social networks, and more. It’s free to try, with affordable monthly plans starting at $8.29/month, including hosting and a free custom domain name.
How are sites created with your website builder?
Our original tagline was “So easy your drummer can do it,” and we still hold onto that core value. All you need is an email address to sign up for a website account. From there, you’ll run through a site builder in which you’ll choose a customizable template, add your band name, and select your pages. We have preset page options, or you can create your site from scratch. Following the initial setup, you can add features, content, and music to your website pages. This content and design can be updated at any time. You don’t need to know anything about coding or even web design; we have great out of the box solutions you can use, and we’re always adding more templates. We also have blank options that are fully customizable – the world is your oyster!
Can Bandzoogle create an EPK (Electronic Press Kit)?
Yes! With Bandzoogle, a musician can create a press kit that includes everything they need to book shows or get press for new music. We include a template specifically for an EPK so that users can populate the EPK with their information (music, bio text, press images, and more).
Can users build mailing lists and send out emails or newsletters?
Definitely, and they should! Email is such a great way to keep in touch regularly with your music fans. Users can import their mailing list or build one up from scratch in our mailing list feature. They can get signups directly on their websites and even offer a free track in exchange for an email address. Newsletters can be composed, scheduled, and sent directly from within their Bandzoogle account. Our mailing list also works with download codes, which can be sent out and redeemed by mailing list members like singles or even full albums.
What functionality is available to streamline integration with Social Media platforms?
From Instagram and TikTok to Pandora and Bandcamp (to only name a few!), we have beautiful site-wide and content icons built in to match every theme. Bandzoogle is also integrated with several social media platforms. Users can embed streams on their website – a feed from Twitter or a video from YouTube, for example. We also have an integrated video option with Twitch. All music and events are directly sharable to social media as well.
Bandzoogle includes musicians’ options to sell music, merchandise, tickets, subscriptions, and to crowdfund. Can you please explain how each of these work and the payment collection options are available?
Our main goal for 2020 was to help artists make as much money as possible. We knew that the pandemic would make conventional earnings impossible, so we doubled down on creating even more eCommerce tools and educ