How to design a great rapper website

A website is a necessary tool for any established or up-and-coming rapper to create a strong online presence. Social media is of course important, but it’s essential to use your website as a central hub to engage with your fans and generate new opportunities within the music industry. 

Your website is an extension of yourself as an artist. Use it to reinforce your branding and to be a one-stop-shop for your fans to learn everything they need to know about you while they buy your latest tracks and check out your merch stores. In this post we’ll also look at how you can use your website to generate some income to support your music. 

Choose a rapper website template

Choosing the right template to represent your individual style as a rapper could not be easier using our Rap/Hip-Hop category in the template chooser. Browse the curated collection of modern, trendy rapper website templates using pre-set color combinations (which you can change any time!) and pick one that matches your vibe the best.

We’ve seen that simple, 2-color palettes combined with an eye-catching header image are the trend in 2023 when it comes to designing a rapper website. So find a primary and secondary color combination that works for you and is consistent with your branding. Need color ideas for your template? Look to your album covers or promo materials for ideas.

An attention-grabbing homepage

Your homepage is the first thing visitors will see when landing on your site, so you want to grab their attention with a good variety of important content along with a strong call-to-action. 

Choose a main image for the header of your page that is striking visually, but also conveys your style and sound. Take this opportunity to make a memorable visual impression and introduce your brand. If you don’t have a high-resolution image you’re happy with to use here, you can select from our hundreds of music-related stock images, available in the Bandzoogle image gallery. 

The content of your homepage should offer a little bit of everything: add a short bio and some images near the top, then feature your latest single or album for streaming and purchase. Add your latest video here as well, while keeping older ones on a separate Video or Media page.

Organize your homepage with styled sections and varied column layouts, keeping your homepage visually interesting and easy to read. Draw attention to any new offerings or upcoming events using buttons and calendars. Last but not least, always have a strong call-to-action on your homepage to make sure visitors don’t leave without interacting. Whether that be signing up to your mailing list, downloading a track, or clicking a button to see the latest merch on your Store page.

About page 

As a rapper, you’re sure to draw from your personal experiences in your lyrics, but let your fans and industry know the depths of your story on your About page. A compelling story can leverage your image and create more interest in your music. 

On your About or Bio page, add a text feature for the main story, then add images to drive your story home with visual appeal. This page can be simple, but your musician bio text should include information about your achievements, what you’re working toward, and anything that would be relevant to someone writing about you in the media. 

Artist: Cheflodeezy

Having trouble writing your bio? You can use ai tools like ChatGPT to get you started and put together a good first draft to build on. A prompt like “Write a bio for a rapper with the following details:” then list out where you’re from, your inspirations, your accomplishments, your style, etc.

Media page 

An important part of creating a rapper website is a dedicated media page. This page should contain your mixtape, videos, full albums, or singles. You can sell your music directly to fans from your website, taking advantage of our commission-free stores to keep 100% of your sales and take charge of your own career. 

While your homepage features your latest track, album and videos, use this page to show off your entire discography. It can be a place for visitors to stream and listen to your music, but also to get great deals on your downloads. 

Think about offering exclusive tracks on this page, so that it really becomes the place to hear what you’re making. If you’ve made music videos or have videos of live performances, add them to this page as well.

Shows page 

For a lot of rappers, live performances are the best place to build a fanbase and generate additional income though ticket and merch sales. Having a standalone Shows page makes it easy for visitors to find out about your next gig. It’s also a great place to sell tickets using our ‘Calendar’ feature - again, with zero commission.

To make your events listing even more interesting, add release dates for your singles, or your new album drop, in the list. 

You can also add a photo gallery with images from your live performances, backstage antics, and fan meetups.

Store page

Branded merch is one of the best ways to engage with your fans. Fans love having tangible items to help them feel closer to, and support, their favorite artists. Create a dedicated Store page on your website to offer your fans exclusive swag like t-shirts, phone cases, hats, and more. 

Take advantage of our integration with the merch fulfillment service Printful to add your branding to any kind of swag you can imagine. Then sell these branded items through your Bandzoogle store, still completely commission-free.

Electronic press kit for rappers

If you want to book tours, get radio play, or be featured in the media, an amazing press kit for your music is the best way to do it. Think of your EPK as a resume or business card for your music. It’s where you’ll want to feature some hi-res press images, post your accomplishments, share samples of your music, and add extra details like stage plots, to attract the attention of agents, venues, and labels. 

Start your artist press kit with a strong quote from a reputable source, like a media outlet, presenter, client, or collaborator. Then take the best parts from your musician bio and post the text  alongside a professional image of yourself, to put a face to your name. 

You’ll want to highlight your best tracks in a music player and add any videos that pack a punch. EPK pages can come in different shapes and sizes, but ultimately you want to use this page to focus the attention of industry professionals on what you do. 

Contact page

Often overlooked is the Contact page. There may be tons of ways to find you on the internet, but a page focussed solely on methods to reach you is the best way to make the right connections.

Start by adding a custom contact form – you can even add extra fields to learn more about who is reaching out. Adding links to your social media pages and a mailing list signup feature makes it easy for fans to follow your journey. 

Being a rapper is about expression and identity. There’s no better way to show that off than with a thoughtfully-laid-out website, built using these tips. Your lyrics and your energy are going to bring in the fans, so build your website to catch their eyes  and show off your work to keep them coming back for more.