How to choose a domain name for your music website

Social media is great for promotion, but between ads and limiting algorithms you can get lost in the shuffle. That’s where a website comes in. A website is an essential tool for musicians and bands as it allows you to have a place on the internet where the focus is on you. Once you’ve created a music website, to get visitors you’ll need a unique website address, otherwise known as a domain name.

Want to choose the perfect domain name for your music website? Here are a few things to consider.

What is a domain?

A domain name appears in the address bar of your browser. Think of it like your home or business address. Wouldn’t it be great if you could tailor your address to your name? With a domain name, you have control over how people connect to your music website and content on the web. If you want someone to visit your website, you can let them know your domain name so they can easily find your website and content. 

Why is having a domain name important?

A domain name is important because it is completely unique to you. It should incorporate your project name to identify your music website as being yours. Unlike social media, your domain name will be one that you choose, and own. Your name won’t be attached at the end of a url, like with social media accounts. 

For example: facebook.com/yourband or bandcamp.yourband.com. These are used by every other member of those services so you really don’t stand out. Your own website domain will be something like yourband.com.

Where can I get a domain?

You can get a domain name through a number of website companies, but primarily you’ll register directly with a domain registrar. With domain registrars and other website companies, you’re required to pay to renew your domain each year. 

With Bandzoogle, your website hosting plan includes one free domain. This is included in all of our plans and we take care of the renewal and associated fees for you each year. As long as you have an active website plan, you don’t have to do anything on your end!

Is a website domain the same as website hosting?

Sometimes domain registrars will bundle products. They may include website hosting, domain privacy, or other tools with the domain. Because of this, many people think domains and website hosting are the same, but domain names and hosting are different pieces of the puzzle. 

A domain is the name that identifies your website. Website hosting is the technology that stores your website online. This is done through computers called servers. When someone types your website address (domain) into their browser’s address bar, the server connects them to your hosted website.

Build a professional website in just a few clicks, register a free domain, and sell your music and merch commission-free! Sign up and get your own domain name with Bandzoogle now.

How much does it cost to register a domain?

For most domain names, the average cost is between $10-$15 per year. If a domain registrar wants to charge a substantially higher amount (and it’s not a premium domain) you should compare prices with other companies or consider a variation of the name. Oftentimes, a company will buy up desirable domains and resell them at inflated prices. If you find yourself in this scenario, choosing a variation of the domain name is a good option. 

Bandzoogle is awesome because not only can you build and host your own music website, but we also cover the cost of domain registration and annual renewals. Domain privacy and all your website building tools are included in your paid plan as long as you are a member with us.

How to choose your domain name

Hopefully yourbandname.com is available at the time of registration. In terms of domain extensions, a .com web address is a slightly more universal standard for domain names. However, if your website is focused on an organization or business, consider registering a domain name ending in .org, .biz, or .info.

As mentioned, if your desired domain name isn’t available, you can consider yourbandnamemusic.com or yourbandnameband.com or something similar. If you’re a solo artist and your ideal name is already taken, you can also use a name like yournameofficial.com or yournamegenre.com. Adding your genre to the end of the domain will help identify you and your music as well.

If you are in a different country you can also use the country extensions such as .ca, .it and .uk. Your domain registrar may require proof of residency when you register.

In the past few years we’ve seen .band & .rocks extensions popping up. These can be fun, but if fans type yourband.com to find you, these extensions defeat the purpose. Also, these extensions can be more expensive to register and renew.

Remember to renew your domain

There’s nothing worse than finding out that your domain expired and someone else swiped it! It can take a lot of time and money to try to get it back, if you’re able to at all. For this reason you’ll want to make sure to renew your domain on time.

If your domain is registered through Bandzoogle, we automatically take care of it for you while you have a paid plan. You don’t have to remember anything. It’s an automated process so it will renew on time each year.

If the domain is registered elsewhere, you can set it up for auto-renewal or pay for several years in advance. Just make sure to set a reminder to verify that your domain has renewed. Keep in mind, when you connect a domain name to a website host you still need to renew your domain with the registrar. 

What if my domain expires?

The good news is that most domain registrars will allow you a 30-day grace period to renew the domain. After 30 days, the domain goes into a holdover period of 60 days (or more). The domain is locked so it cannot be renewed or transferred.

Some registrars will allow you to access it but the cost is generally between $80-$250 to take it out of the holdover period. If you choose to wait it out, the domain will be released back to the public after the holdover period where someone else can register it.

How can I use an existing domain with my website?

To get your domain to load your website there are two main options. The first is to go into the domain settings and change the nameservers to point to your website host. This is fairly easy to do, and your website host can provide instructions. Once you point the nameservers, the domain should load your website within 24 hours. 

The second option is to transfer the registration to your website host. This requires a few more steps. It also can take up to 10 days to complete a domain transfer. Once done, your website host will be in charge of the domain, and can renew it for you going forward.

Bandzoogle provides both domain pointing and domain transfers at no additional charge. And don’t worry, even if you need to put your website on hold, we’ll transfer your domain to take with you at your request. 

A domain name is your unique address on the web, and is an important part of creating a music website. Since we’re in the business of websites, we’re happy to take this burden off your hands. We’ll register, add privacy protection, and renew your domain so you can focus on what you do best - making music!