Just like your music, when it comes to website design, you really want to be creative. You want to make your home on the web to be memorable and stand out from the crowd.
So how do you do all of this, especially for those first time fans that just heard about your music and then looked you up online?
Two words: Video header.
Give your fan an experience that truly captures what you are all about in just a couple of seconds. Whether this is a live video, a moving drawing, up close shots of your instruments, or scenery in motion behind your logo - this is a great way to make an impression on your fans.
So why consider using a video header for your band’s website? Let’s take a look at a few stunning videos headers as examples!
It tells a story
Tell your story - give your fans a true idea of who you are and why you are unique. We love the way that Canadian singer-songwriter John Guliak has a series of images, fading from one to the next. He combines cartooning with live action to produce a montage of images in a video that culminates in the date of his next release. It’s attention grabbing, to say the least!
DJ and producer Zardonic also really hits the mark with his video header. As the centerpiece of his DJ website, the video shows him performing and tells his story. It just infuses his website with energy and makes his fans want to experience that live performance for themselves!
Modern web design trends
Video is a cutting edge medium that integrates beautifully with the web design world. To make yours stand out, choose a simple website template with a large space, like the Portside theme or the Prismatic theme.
Choosing a simple theme puts a structure in place that can then be fully customized to your band’s look and sound. Make a video header part of that to increase your website’s creative factor.
Combined with an overlay
One way to make your video stand out nicely is to apply an image filter. This will make your video contrast nicely with your title or logo. Adding a muted filter instantly makes even a video shot on an iPhone look professional. Classy black and white might be the way to go if it works with your look.
For a great example of a video header that uses an overlay, check out https://weathermanmusic.com. They’ve got the image filter set to black, which gives a dark tone to set off a stunning series of video clips stitched together. With the slowed down pieces of each band member, you get a true sense of who they are just from a 5 second watch.
Plus, with your eye on the video header, you can’t help but notice the sleek call-to-action they are using to promote their latest song. Watch video - and click. It’s a great way to direct fans attention to your music.
[How to Promote your Music with a Call-to-Action]
Meet the band
One thing people love is an inside glimpse into your life. A video adds a personal touch, a look into who you are. And a video conveys this so much better than images.
On a website page video has its place (especially in an EPK page or Videos page), but a video header or background just adds the excitement and motion that you can’t capture the same way in a still shot.
Singer-songwriter and piano man Tyler Kealey achieves this by using the Prismatic theme (including a full-background video) with a live performance that loads right away. It’s much more engaging and personal that a staged band shot.
The difference a bit of motion and live video makes in getting fans to feel like they really connect with the artist is remarkable.
What about sound?
By default, the video has no sound. It’s meant to be a design element, making your landing page eye-catching, rather than a music video taking center stage.
Jon Hart’s fingerstyle guitar video does this well. It shows him playing so precisely that you can imagine the sound, and makes you say wow! But it doesn’t distract you from checking out the rest of his website, which is chock full of great text, images, and tunes, well laid out using the Meridian template.
[Music Website Template Customization: Meridian]
Mobile and ready to go
Last but not least - mobile. The percentage of users visiting websites on mobile is just growing all the time. Same goes for the number of videos people are used to watching.
A video header takes a website up to the next level for anyone landing on your page from a mobile device. The videos are optimized, and should be stored in the phone's browser cache once played, so your fans won’t incur data transfer use more than once. The mobile menu sits in the corner, overtop of your video, for easy navigation.
Need more inspiration while you build your band website? Check out our sample band sites for some ideas. Or check out our series on beautiful band website templates to find out how to customize yours!
Build a beautiful band website with a video header to show off your music in minutes! Try Bandzoogle free today.
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