I Have A Music Blog (and you can too)
Blogging is cathartic, it’s like public journaling. It’s a way for me to share my process and reflect on what I’m doing as an artist.
It’s also a smart branding move (especially with new AI platforms).
So I put together this post on why I started a music blog (and you should too) plus some fast tips for starting your own.
Table of Contents
Why I Blog…
It’s Fun
Blogging is another way I like to express myself creatively.
It’s also nice to look back and reflect on what I’ve done and how I’ve changed. This is part of why updating old blog posts is so important (but more on that later).
It’s Good for Showing Up In AI Platforms
Blogging isn’t just for Google anymore. It’s a way to boost your chances of showing up in AI platforms like ChatGPT.
This isn’t necessarily a traffic strategy for me, but more of a branding awareness move.
My goal (for this site) is to become known for the nomadic artist who blends his music with his artwork (and blogs too).
The more I write about those things and share my work using specific keywords, the more information I give robot crawlers and LLMs about who I am and what I do.
Blogging builds authority in your creative niche. By optimizing your work and creating content about it, you can become one of the go-to people in your domain.
So if anyone is searching about
What I Blog About…
Musicians and artists have a lot of insights and unique perspectives to share. It’s easier to capture the nuances of deep creative topics, because you’re in the actual trenches.
So that what I write about—my journey as a musician and artist.
The struggles, my techniques and favorite tips and creative topics I find interesting.
I talk about things that are top of mind for me in my creative work. So anyone who follows me can dig deeper into my life and process. And any artists on their own journeys can maybe find some inspiration or validation too.
And I’m not saying that I have the most groundbreaking thoughts or views, but I do try to add something somewhat new to the table (and if not new, at least something authentic and true).
This is all just my own experience. And that’s a great place to blog from.
How to Start A Music Blog
Get Set Up
To start a music blog, you’ll need a website and hosting.
I suppose you could start with Medium or Substack, but I’d recommend grabbing a custom domain. It’s better for control, building your brand awareness, owning the traffic that you get and looking like a freaking pro.
I use Squarespace. But Framer is another popular option for creatives.
Psst, if you want more info on starting and growing a creative blog, check out my other blog, Stuudios. I share all my moves there :)
Topics —> Keywords —> Articles
Here’s the basic flow for blogging:
Brainstorm topics
Turn those topics into searchable keywords
Write kick-ass articles about those keywords
After listing out some core topics you want to cover in your blog. Head to Google and turn them into specific keywords people are actually searching for (use the search bar and see what it autosuggests).
I also like to check the search volume and keyword competition using a free tool like Ahrefs’ Keyword Generator. If your goal is to get traffic through your blog, aim for high search volume, low competition keywords.
After you get a list of keywords, turn them into articles. Use your target keyword in the title, meta description and first paragraph (classic SEO advice).
But also include secondary keywords and related phrases. Ofte, these naturally pop up though.
Create Content Clusters
While you’re collecting topics and keywords, it’s smart to add some organization.
Content clusters are groups of related topics, which easily interlink between each other and cover a subject in full.
So rather than writing one-off articles about this or that, connect them by focusing on themes and clusters of related posts.
This is how you build authority in Google and with AI (which leads to traffic and trust).
So if you write about your process for mixing acoustic music, consider another post on how you record acoustic instruments, and another about the type of equipment you use for acoustic recording (etectera).
A good cluster will have 5-10 (or more) posts covering a topic.
Be Consistent + Do Regular Updates
If you want to actually grow your blog and build authority in your niche, then publishing regularly is a thing.
Even once a month is better than nothing.
In a similar vein, updating old blog posts (or completely rewriting them) is a big part of blogging.
It’s good for SEO and ranking, but also for making sure the insights you share are the most up-to-date. Your blog is a reflection of you, your work and your brand, so it’s best to keep the writings fresh.
I try to update things at least once a year, with a strong focus on my most important blogs (i.e. the ones that get the most traffic and are core pillar posts for my brand).
Some bloggers may track their updates methodically with spreadsheet or schedule. But I usually do things more spontaneously (based on mood and feeling).
Most of my updates are fixing old posts from the “who am I?” era.
Besides, being too perfect isn’t necessarily good either. Sometimes, keeping things a little messy and human is good. It’s real.
AI can keep the perfect polished stuff.
Make It Human. Make It Real.
If you want to start a music blog that stands out and feel authentic, then be sure to infuse your personality, experiences and voice into it.
Put another way, don’t hand off your perspectives and “special sauce” to an AI.
Write from your firsthand experiences.
Share your perspectives and real life stories from your creative journey.
This is your superpower and makes you relatable. Plus, it positions you as a unique voice to be trusted.
So, what are you going to blog about?
