ARTIST WEBSITE ANALYSIS

 Conventions of pop artist websites

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To help with my research, I have analysed the conventions of various pop artist websites. I found that the homepage typically features things like the artist logo, a menu bar / form of navigation, pictures of the artist, social media links, examples of their music & their music videos. 

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The logo is used to create repetition within the brand they have created & usually remains consistent with the theme, font & colour of their most recent album. As pop artists are dependant on getting their music into the charts & being most popular, the consistency with the logo helps promote their album.

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I found that the majority of websites have a horizontal navigation bar, placed at the top of the page for easy navigation around the website, however, some websites use a drop down navigation bar to have all the information portrayed on one page. This allows the audience to easily navigate around the page & makes it easy for them to access the content they want. Some tabs that were reoccurring were news, events, tour dates, videos, gallery, bio, social, contact, store & merchandise.

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On many websites, the primary photo is one of the artist. This image is usually one that was used on the cover of their album or portrays a similar theme. I noticed that more established artists tend to have their main image as one that matches their star image & style opposed to their latest album. Some artists websites also have a selection of photos from tours, gigs & photo shoots used for the promotion of their album & also a gallery to showcase this. 

 

Another recurring feature within pop artists websites was a loop track that allows the audience to listen to their music while on the website. This technique draws in the audience & fans so that they will buy the music. This is frequently done by using a link which opens another window where you can listen to the songs. This gives the audience control as to whether they want to listen to the song rather than playing the music on repeat while they browse the website

 

Music videos are important for pop artists as they create visuals for their music. Most artist websites have a page dedicated to multi-media, such as music videos or videos of live performances, as this encourages the audience to view more of the artists content. Artists generally upload their music videos to sites such as YouTube or Vimeo, so a link to this will be featured on their website. Artists use these sites as it is another way to advertise & promote their music & increase album sales. The websites occasionally have a page dedicated to music videos & sometimes they are featured on the homepage so they can be viewed easily.

 

I also noticed that all the artists websites I analysed include links to their social media platforms. As there has been a rise in digital technology, artists have to ensure they are staying up to date with online media. The links are often to sites including Instagram, Spotify, ITunes, Twitter, Facebook etc & allows the audience to follow them & view their content in various different ways.

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Overall, I believe the website is very important for the artist as it allows the audience to view their content & stay up to date with news & upcoming events. I will use my research to try & incorporate these conventions in my artists website.

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Artist website homepage examples:

(Click image to visit website)

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