How to Add a Song to Your Website on WordPress
One of the biggest challenges of running a music website is getting people to visit it. Spotify has predicted that by 2022, 66% of all music-related web traffic will come from mobile devices.
The key to attracting potential fans to your website is a great deal of content. Having music to listen to is essential, but so is having informative articles to read. You can use this article to get you started.
Make Sure Your Song Is Legally Available To Listen To
The first thing you should do is consult with a lawyer or an experienced intellectual property (IP) advisor to see what you can and cannot do with your song. This article will tell you what you need to know about IP law in relation to music. You also need to know what licenses your song might require. Luckily, you can often find answers to these questions online. Doing a quick web search on “licensing [insert name of your song here]” will most likely turn up a few results. One important thing to keep in mind is that the first thing a potential fan might do once they discover your music is try to listen to it. For this reason, make sure you have the legal rights to play the song online or on a device. Otherwise, you might find that someone has already claimed ownership of the composition you wrote and you’ll be forced to fight them in court. This could end badly for you.
Curate An Accurate Synopsis Of The Song
Even if you have the rights to play your music, you will still need to get it in front of as many potential fans as possible. For this reason, you should write a synopsis of your song. A good synopsis gives the reader/listener the main points of what the song is about without having to listen to the entire track. If you have a few thousand words, you can use this to your advantage. The goal is to have a short and sweet synopsis that will make your fans want to read the rest of the article. In order to write a good synopsis, you will need to listen to your entire song at least once. While you’re at it, you might want to try out a few different instruments to get a better idea of how the song sounds. You can use this information to help create a more accurate image of the song in your head. Once you have the basic idea of what the song is about, you can start to flesh it out in a few thousand words or less.
Use Short Snippets Of Music To Hook The Reader
Even if you have written a great deal of content about your song, someone scrolling through a list of articles might get bored of reading and seek something more exciting. For this reason, you should use short snippets of music to draw the reader into your content. Ideally, you want to have a minute or less of music to end on. This will help keep the reader interested and make them want more. If you’re using snippets of existing songs, make sure you have the rights to use them online. For indie songwriters, this might be difficult to track down. In this case, you might have to pay an artist to give you permission to use their music in your content. But you should still follow the rules set out by IP law. Never copy someone else’s work without proper credit.
Avoid Plagiarism
Plagiarism is when you use someone else’s work and claim it as your own. This is often done for monetary gain, but it can also be done because the writer/artist doesn’t have the same vision as you do. When you use plagiarism, you are taking credit for someone else’s hard work and depriving them of potential income. For this reason, avoid doing this. If you’re using someone else’s music on your website or blog, make sure you have the proper credit. Even if you don’t want to give the artist income, you should still follow the rules set out by IP law. Besides, if you do end up getting sued for using someone else’s music, you will more than likely lose. The truth is that you probably don’t have the talent to write the songs in the first place. So, rather than trying to take credit for someone else’s hard work, you should be encouraging them to discover your site and listen to your music. This will more than likely lead to you creating a following of your own. One way to create a great piece of content for your fans is to write an honest opinion piece about your song. This will allow you to showcase your music and the inspiration behind it while still following the rules set out by IP law.
Make Sure You Follow All Of The Rules
Just because your song is covered by an artist doesn’t mean that you can treat it any differently. As a songwriter, you will have to follow the rules set out by intellectual property law. This includes following any copyright renewals, paying for music performance rights, and getting proper credit for your work. If you ignore any of these rules, you might find yourself in trouble. One rule to keep in mind is that you can’t simply “lift” entire lyrics or melodies without proper credit. Using the music from another artist without their permission is plagiarism and can be illegal. This is why it’s important to follow all of the rules even if you feel like you have permission to use the music. Make sure you are aware of the legal boundaries and don’t cross them. When in doubt, ask an experienced attorney or IP advisor. They will be able to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do. One more thing, make sure you are familiar with the proper way to credit songs and lyrics. If you are using a sampling program (such as GarageBand) to create your song, don’t forget to include the appropriate tags. This will help readers find your content online if they are looking for specific artists or genres.
In order to get people to find your site and read your articles, you need to have something valuable to offer. Luckily, you can often find answers to nearly all of your music-related questions online. Use these resources to get started and don’t forget about the power of music in connecting with your audience. This article is just a quick guide to help you get started. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact me via email.