Bandzoogle Review: Setting the Stage for Your Band’s Website

At a Glance

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Bandzoogle was established in 2003 by Chris Vinson, who initially created a website for his alt-rock band. Since then, they have grown significantly, adapting to the changing needs of musicians by offering essential tools like mobile-ready designs, commission-free music and merchandise sales, and built-in crowdfunding features. Bandzoogle has earned multiple awards, including the Stevie Awards for Customer Service in 2021 and 2022. Today, they empower tens of thousands of artists worldwide, providing the resources needed to manage their online presence and direct-to-fan marketing easily. Their continued commitment to helping musicians succeed drives them to evolve their platform to meet industry demands.

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Features

Custom templates and designs: Bandzoogle offers modern, mobile-ready templates that can be customized with color schemes, fonts, and layouts. Customization options are intentionally limited to ensure ease of use, making Bandzoogle an excellent choice for users without advanced design skills.

Electronic press kit (EPK) tools: Musicians can quickly create an EPK, which is essential for sharing music, tour dates, and press information with media outlets. Bandzoogle provides preset EPK layouts for quick creation.

eCommerce integration: Bandzoogle enables artists to sell music, merchandise, and tickets directly from their band websites without any commission fees. Musicians can also use features like album pre-orders, digital and physical product bundles, and crowdfunding options.

Music and video players: You can upload tracks and embed customizable music players on your site, allowing fans to listen to your songs directly from your website. There are also options for integrating videos from platforms like YouTube.

Tour calendar and ticket sales: The platform includes built-in tools for managing and displaying tour dates, which can be linked to ticket sales, helping artists streamline their promotional efforts.

SEO and promotional tools: Bandzoogle includes SEO (Search Engine Optimization) features that auto-generate tags based on the site’s content. The platform also integrates with third-party apps like PayPal and Stripe in addition to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, helping artists boost their visibility and streamline their marketing efforts.

Mailing list management: Musicians can create and manage mailing lists directly from their Bandzoogle site, sending newsletters or promotional emails to their fanbase without needing external software.

Analytics and visitor insights: Built-in analytics tools allow users to track visitor behavior, helping artists understand their audience and adjust their site content or promotional strategies accordingly.

Pricing & Plans

EPK plan

The EPK plan, starting at $6.37 per month (billed annually), is perfect for musicians needing a single-page electronic press kit. It offers essential tools such as custom design options, a tour calendar, music players, and a contact form. With integrations like Bandsintown and GigSalad, you can upload up to 25 photos and ten tracks. Additionally, the plan includes unlimited bandwidth, SSL security, and password protection to ensure your site’s safety and functionality. It’s a solid option for musicians just starting online.

Lite plan

The Lite plan, at $8.29 per month (billed annually), builds on the EPK plan by allowing the creation of a multi-page website with up to ten pages and 100 photos. It includes a full tour calendar, mailing list signup, custom forms, blog tools, a guest book, and forums. You can accept payments with 0% commission, sell music downloads, manage crowdfunding, and offer subscriptions. It also offers SEO tools, QR codes, visitor analytics, a free custom domain name, and seamless integration with platforms like Airbit, Stripe, PayPal, and Google Analytics.

Standard plan

The Standard plan, priced at $12.45 per month annually, expands on the Lite plan by offering up to 20 pages, 50 tracks, and 500 photos. It also enhances the eCommerce features, allowing for both music and merchandise sales, making it ideal for artists looking to grow their online presence while offering products to fans.

Pro plan

At $16.62 per month (billed annually), the Pro plan offers unlimited pages, tracks, and photos, making it ideal for musicians needing more flexibility. It offers advanced music promotion tools and eCommerce capabilities, in addition to integrations with nine third-party apps, custom fonts, landing pages, smart links, and video headers. The plan also supports robust eCommerce options such as selling tickets, merch, and digital media. Other advanced features include print-on-demand merch, album pre-orders, inventory tracking, upselling, discount codes, and Luminate (SoundScan) reporting, all backed by detailed visitor analytics.

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Pros

Catered to musicians

Bandzoogle website builder was made specifically for musicians. They offer features such as built-in music players, eCommerce tools for selling music and merch, and integrations like Bandsintown for tour management. This focus ensures that musicians have everything they need to manage their online presence easily.

Promotion via Smart Links

Bandzoogle's Smart Links are a powerful promotional tool that allows musicians to direct fans to various destinations, such as streaming platforms, merch stores, or tour tickets, all from a single, mobile-friendly page. These links integrate seamlessly with the artist’s branding and offer advanced analytics to track campaign performance.

Robust selection of themes

Bandzoogle offers a wide variety of customizable, mobile-responsive themes that cater to different genres and styles. This ensures that musicians can find a theme that reflects their brand, whether they are a folk band, rock group, or electronic DJ.

Tour management calendar availability

The platform includes a tour calendar feature that allows artists to display upcoming shows and events directly on their website, linking fans to ticket purchases and keeping them updated on tour dates.

Free trial available

Musicians can explore Bandzoogle's features with a 30-day free trial, providing ample time to test out the platform and their tools before committing to a plan. The trial doesn’t require credit card details, allowing users to sign up hassle-free without the concern of automatic charges.

Cons

Branding removal limited to the highest-tier plan

One limitation is that the Bandzoogle branding remains visible on your website unless you upgrade to the Pro plan. Users on the Lite and Standard plans cannot remove this branding, which may detract from the professional look of their site​.

Limited feature upgrades in the Standard plan

While the Standard plan offers some additional features, it doesn't significantly increase functionality over the Lite plan. Many users may feel that the price difference between the two plans doesn't justify the limited extra features​.

No phone support available

Bandzoogle lacks phone support, which can be a downside for users who prefer more direct communication. While they offer chat and email support, some customers may find it less convenient than platforms that provide phone assistance​.

Customer Reviews

Bandzoogle has generally received positive reviews, with most users praising their musician-centric features and ease of use. On Capterra, they earned a solid 4.8 out of 5 rating, while Trustpilot users rated them 4.7 out of 5, and G2 users gave them a slightly lower 4.4 out of 5.

Positive reviews

Many users appreciate Bandzoogle’s simplicity and wide range of features tailored specifically for musicians. Customers frequently praise the responsive customer support, seamless eCommerce integration, fan engagement tools, and their easy-to-use templates. One reviewer noted how their entire request wishlist was either addressed or available, creating an experience that allowed them to focus more on their music. Another customer highlighted how easy it was to set up a website using their customizable templates without requiring HTML knowledge. The company's affordability and seamless integration capabilities for indie artists were also commonly praised.

Negative reviews

Although Bandzoogle generally performs well, there are some areas where users see room for improvement. One user mentioned that while the platform is affordable, they were disappointed that a key integration (Printful) was only available in the more expensive plans, making it difficult to justify upgrading. Another reviewer noted that while the platform offered great value for musicians, the help videos moved too quickly, making it hard for beginners to follow along. Additionally, a few users wished for more flexibility in terms of design and integration.

How Can I Contact Bandzoogle?

If you need assistance or have any questions, Bandzoogle offers multiple ways to get in touch with their support team. You can reach out via email by sending a message directly to their support team through their online form. They respond during support hours, Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST. For faster responses, Bandzoogle offers a live chat feature on their website, where you can speak to a support team member available 24 hours Monday to Friday and 12 hours Saturday to Sunday. You can also stay up to date with Bandzoogle on their social media platforms, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.

Conclusion

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Bandzoogle is a website builder designed specifically for musicians, enabling them to create and manage their online presence with ease. Over time, they’ve expanded their offerings to include mobile-ready templates, commission-free sales for music and merchandise, built-in crowdfunding, and essential EPK tools. Musicians enjoy features like eCommerce integration, customizable video and music players, SEO tools, and tour management calendars. While there are some limitations in feature upgrades for lower plans and no phone support, Bandzoogle remains a strong choice for musicians, providing a 30-day free trial, reliable customer support, and a variety of plans to help artists of all levels grow their careers and engage with fans.

If you're curious how Bandzoogle stacks up against other website builders, take a look at our curated list of the top platforms. You can also explore our comparison tool to find the ideal website builder for your unique needs. For more tips and updates, don't forget to visit our blog for the latest insights.

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