![\"Music](\"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/music-industry-revenue.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nResearch from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry<\/a> reveals that people are listening to more music than ever before, with the average person tuning in for 18.4 hours a week \u2014 up from 18 hours in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In part, this upturn in listening time appears to be linked to the pandemic, with eight in 10 music fans saying that music helped their emotional wellbeing as the world lurched in and out of lockdown.<\/p>\n\n\n And while we constantly see headlines that suggest streaming is destroying the music industry, we actually spend comparatively little on streaming compared to our various other music-related expenditures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, Nielsen<\/a> discovered that the average person spends $156 on music, of which streaming makes up just 9% of the total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In short, if you\u2019ve been thinking about becoming a music blogger, now\u2019s the time to take the plunge. In this article, we\u2019re going to show you how to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being a massive music fan or an up-and-coming act isn\u2019t enough reason to start a music blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fact is, running a successful music blog requires a significant investment in time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It takes an average of 4+ hours<\/a> to write a single blog post, and that\u2019s before you factor in building your own website, developing your personal brand, and using tactics like search engine optimization and social media marketing to grow your traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are four reasons why it\u2019s worth all the effort:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting a music blog gives you a ready-made portfolio for your work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That \u201cwork\u201d could be new music you\u2019ve created. It could be content that demonstrates your knowledge and writing skills, positioning you for a role in the music press. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or it could be about uncovering the hottest new acts in your area, setting you up for a career in the music industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a similar vein, having your own blog can be a fantastic way to underscore your music industry credentials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every artist needs a personal brand, and starting a music blog can help you build one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only that, but having a successful <\/em>music blog can unlock new opportunities that wouldn\u2019t otherwise have been available. Maybe it\u2019ll land you an internship at one of your favorite record labels or get you a booking at one of your favorite music festivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Community is super important in the music world. Your \u201ccommunity\u201d could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026and lots more besides. Your music blog can be the hub for your newfound community, giving you a central space to tell people what you\u2019re working on next, where you\u2019re appearing, which artists you love, and what plans you have for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Music fans might be quick to criticize artists for \u201cselling out\u201d, but the fact is, everyone\u2019s got to eat. So while making money might not be your primary motivation to start a music blog, it should definitely be a consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your music blogging project gives you lots of potential avenues for monetization. We\u2019ll talk about those avenues in more depth later on in this article, but broadly speaking, they include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first step on your music blogging journey is to see how other music bloggers are doing it. Here are three of our favorite music blogs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Love it or hate it, Pitchfork is one of the most successful music blogs out there. Predominantly a new music blog, it publishes tons of music reviews, features, and interviews, as well as covering all the biggest news from the music world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It makes money through advertising and affiliate marketing\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n \u2026as well as organizing its own music festivals in Berlin, Chicago, London, and Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the name suggests, BrooklynVegan is a New York City-focused music blog that writes about new songs, live show reviews, tour dates, gossip, music industry news, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Founded back in 2004, it\u2019s expanded over the years, in part by acquiring the long-running metal blog Invisible Oranges in 2013. It predominantly makes money through advertising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ReverbNation is a social networking platform that aims to help musicians, music venues, and promoters to communicate and collaborate. It also helps artists reach millions of fans via some of the world\u2019s biggest music sites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, its blog isn\u2019t about promoting third-party products; it\u2019s all about marketing the ReverbNation platform. Content focuses on marketing and promotion, touring and gigs, music management, and the process of creating music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, we\u2019ve got the theory out the way, so now we\u2019re going to talk through the process of how to start a music blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In reality, the music niche isn\u2019t much of a niche at all. It\u2019s just too big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you launch a generalist music blog, you\u2019re not going to appeal to anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why? Because people value expertise <\/em>when it comes to music. If you\u2019re looking for recommendations on new hip-hop artists, you\u2019d go to a hip-hop music blog, not one that also writes about everything from vaporwave to 10th-century Gregorian chants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So your first task is to hone in on a much more specific blogging niche \u2014 ideally one in which you can add real value. At the very least, it should be something you\u2019re truly interested in; music fans can spot a faker a mile off!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It pays to consider your target audience at this step. Who are you trying to reach? And why would they visit a site like yours?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clearly, there are any number of potential target audiences within the overarching music niche. Examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, there are tons of other examples too. As you can no doubt imagine, all of those different audiences will be looking for very different content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So while you don\u2019t need to 100% nail down your chosen blogging niche at this stage, you should definitely have a shortlist of potential options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Struggling for inspiration? Don\u2019t worry. At Authority Hacker, we\u2019ve got tons of experience in creating content websites across a vast range of industries, so we know a thing or two about choosing a niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For starters, websites like Detailed<\/a> and FeedSpot<\/a> can help you find examples of other music blogs. Read through a bunch of those blogs, figure out the primary niche each one of them is targeting, and decide which (if any) of those niches is most appealing to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Failing that, turn to one of our favorite search engine optimization platforms, Ahrefs<\/a>. One of its many features is a handy tool called Competing Domains <\/strong>that lets you enter a \u201cseed\u201d website \u2014 such as BrooklynVegan \u2014 and search for other music blogs targeting similar keywords:<\/p>\n\n\n Again, take your time to scroll through that list of domains and pick out sites you like the look of. You might even want to run some of them through Competing Domains <\/strong>too, giving you a wider list of music blogs to examine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take note of the blogging niche each website is targeting and use that information to inspire your own choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve chosen a niche \u2014 congrats! Now it\u2019s time to start the process of building your music blog. And the first step in that process is to choose a blogging platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, a blogging platform gives music bloggers the tools to publish and manage the content they create.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some blogging platforms<\/a> enable users to choose a unique domain name, select a web host, and build a site from scratch, whereas others \u2014 like HubPages<\/a> and Medium<\/a> \u2014 keep bloggers within a standard platform environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, some are free, while others charge for their services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early in your music blogging project, it can be tempted to go with the cheapest option. More to the point, you might even be questioning why you need to start a music blog at all<\/em>. Wouldn\u2019t it be faster and cheaper to start a podcast or create a bunch of YouTube videos?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s deal with that final point first. While it\u2019s certainly possible to make money in the music industry without a <\/a>website<\/a>, we wouldn\u2019t recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you go the social media route, you\u2019re reliant on a single platform to reach your target audience. If your chosen platform chooses to tweak its algorithm (which happens all the time), you might suddenly find yourself losing a bunch of traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you start a music blog, you can leverage a whole bunch of channels to generate blog traffic, engage your audience, and make money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can leverage search engine optimization to target relevant keywords. You can build an email newsletter and use it to share your latest content. You can create multiple social profiles<\/em>, each with the goal of sending traffic to your blog. You can even run ads to bring paid traffic to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So starting your own website is the smart option. And when it comes to creating a blog, we recommend WordPress.org<\/a> over all the other blogging platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n It\u2019s not the cheapest option, because you\u2019ll need to choose a domain name and hosting provider. But there are lots of positives to building a self-hosted WordPress blog, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, because you’re building a music blog, you\u2019ll definitely need the ability to add audio and video files to your site. WordPress allows this, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next step is to bag yourself a domain name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, one small downside to having a self-hosted WordPress blog is that you won\u2019t get a free domain name (or, at least, not a permanently free domain). But don\u2019t let that put you off, because it won\u2019t cost you the earth: you\u2019re looking at $9 \u2013 $14.99 for a full year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, cost isn\u2019t the only factor here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Far more important is deciding on a domain name \u2014 something that reflects your personal brand, stands out on a busy search engine results page, and is memorable enough to keep blog visitors coming back time and time again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s a lot of things to achieve, and not many characters in which to achieve them. So no pressure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, choosing your music blog\u2019s name needn\u2019t be a stressful experience. Just follow these best practices:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are lots of whacky new domain extensions out there. You might be tempted to choose a music-themed extension like .audio <\/em>or .band<\/em>, but be warned: 70% of people<\/a> say they don\u2019t trust these \u201cnewer\u201d domains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So nine times out of 10, the smart choice is to go for a .com <\/em>extension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cast your eyes back 1,000 words or so and take another look at those other music blogs. One thing they all have in common is a short domain name \u2014 one or two words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, shorter domains are easier to remember, so keep your blog name to a maximum of three words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It might sound obvious, but your domain name should speak to your chosen blogging niche. Sure, you want to be clever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you\u2019re starting a music blog about concerts in Los Angeles, laconcertlistings.com <\/em>is a better name than lostinthenight.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a whole lot of other music bloggers out there, so you need to accept that your first choice of domain name might not be available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Synonyms can be your best friend here: if laconcertlistings.com <\/em>has already been snapped up, <\/em>go with lagiglistings.com <\/em>instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, finding a niche is important, but you don\u2019t want your choice of domain name to limit the topics you can cover on your music blog. Better to go with laconcertlistings.com <\/em>than westhollywoodconcertlistings.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One final point on this: don\u2019t get too hung up on your domain name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, it\u2019s important, but don\u2019t let it become a barrier that stops you moving on with starting a music blog. Set aside a chunk of time \u2014 say, an afternoon \u2014 to brainstorm potential domain names, then pick your favorite and head on to step four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So far, all the actions required to start a music blog have been creative in nature. But at this point, things are going to get a little bit technical. Don\u2019t sweat it, though, because we\u2019re here to hold your hand through the whole process!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because you\u2019ve chosen the self-hosted WordPress approach, your music blog simply won\u2019t exist until you\u2019ve bought a domain and chosen a hosting provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, there are plenty of options when it comes to web hosting, but we recommend Siteground<\/a>. It has good hosting support, it\u2019s easy to use, and offers decent performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, let\u2019s talk through the seven simple steps to buying a domain and hosting through Siteground\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Time](\"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/time-spent-listening-to-music.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhy Start a Music Blog?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Share Your Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Expand Your Resume<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Build a Community<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Make Money!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Examples of Successful Music Blogs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pitchfork<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Pitchfork](\"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pitchfork-homepage-1024x491.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Pitchfork](\"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pitchfork-affiliate-disclosure.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBrooklynVegan<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Brooklynvegan](\"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/brooklynvegan-homepage-1024x428.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nReverbNation<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Reverbnation](\"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/reverbnation-homepage-1024x427.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow To Start a Music Blog in 10 Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1<\/em> Narrow Down Your Music Niche<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"Brooklynvegan](\"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/brooklynvegan-ahrefs-competing-domains.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n2<\/em> Choose a Blogging Platform<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Wordpress](\"https:\/\/www.authorityhacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wordpress-org-1024x739.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
3<\/em> Choose a Domain Name<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Select a .com domain name<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Keep it short and snappy<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Align your domain name with your niche<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Make smart use of synonyms<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t niche down too far<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4<\/em> Buy Your Domain & Hosting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n