Image
Top
Navigation
February 21, 2011

Viinyl – Branded Song Sites For Budding Artists

Got a dream and a guitar? If so, you might want to check out Viinyl. Whether you’re a member of an amateur band or a solo artist looking to go it alone, you can use Viinyl to grow your fan base online and start earning money from your craft. By making it easy for amateur musicians to make mini-websites devoted to a particular song or single, Viinyl is aiming to change the way musical artists promote themselves in an online world.

Although anyone can sign up for Viinyl, the ideal user is an amateur musician who wants to move forward in turning a hobby into a profession. If that sounds like you, then head to Viinyl.com and sign up for an account. Building a site on Viinyl is a straightforward process that involves nothing more than uploading a background photo, adding a few links, and including the one song you’d like to promote. Viinyl will direct you through the site-creation process, prompting you to add lyrics, artwork, notes, and promo tools. The specific links, download options, and informational material you include on your site will depend on your overall goal – users who want to increase album sales will want to make sure to include links to iTunes, for example, while musicians who want to grow their online following might want to include icons directing visitors to their Facebook fan pages.

Because Viinyl’s song sites are located on subdomain web addresses, there’s no need to worry about getting a domain name or paying any hosting fees. Even better, the app offers easy-breezy analytics tools that anyone can use to keep track of who has been visiting their song site. For aspiring musicians, Viinyl is a great way to promote new songs and hopefully get noticed by record execs.

Practical Uses:

  • Promote your single by building a themed webpage
  • Increase your chances of getting noticed by music executives searching for new talent
  • Let fans listen to your latest song for free
  • Create a website to direct traffic to your Facebook and Twitter pages

Insider Tips:

  • Viinyl pages are specifically designed to be easy to share via Facebook, Twitter, or shortened links
  • Artists retain control of copyright restrictions on their music
  • Analytics tools can be added to track who has been visiting your site
  • Add lyrics and biographical information to keep people on the page for longer

What we liked:

  • Viinyl sites look like they were designed by professionals
  • Creating a polished-looking website with Viinyl is an extremely easy process
  • Musicians can decide whether visitors should be allowed to download their streaming songs to their desktops
  • Videos can be added to any song page, along with lyrics and contact information

What we didn’t like:

  • Because Viinyl is still in Beta, musicians have to ask for an invite before they can join

Alternatives:

Company Info:

  • Launched: 2010 (Beta)
  • Privately Held
  • Headquarters: Montreal, Canada
  • Founded by: Armine Saidi
  • Web site: http://viinyl.com

Costs:

  • Free

Submit a Comment