user-guide

BandPlace User Guide

Welcome to BandPlace! This guide is designed to help you navigate your dashboard and build a professional online presence for your music with ease.

1. Getting Started: Creating Your First Site

When you first log in without a website, BandPlace will guide you through a simple setup wizard.

Essentials: Give your site a name (usually your band or artist name) and choose a subdomain (e.g., yourname.band.place ). This is your permanent home on our platform.
Branding: Upload your logo and select your country. You can also pick a starting theme that matches your aesthetic.
Pick a Plan: Choose between our Garage (Free) or Studio (Paid) plans to get your site live immediately.

2. Your Dashboard: The Command Center

The Dashboard is the first page you see when you select a website. It gives you a birds-eye view of your progress:

Quick Stats: See how many albums and videos you've published, and how many fans have signed up for your newsletter.
Traffic Trends: A simple chart shows you how many people are visiting your site over the last 7 or 30 days.
Top Countries: See where in the world your fans are coming from.
Usage: Keep an eye on your storage and subscriber limits.

3. Identity & Appearance: Setting the Vibe

Found under Appearance in your sidebar, this is where you shape your public image.

Profile Media: Upload a high-quality Cover Photo (wide) and a Site Logo (square). These appear on every page of your site.
Band Profile: Update your site name, add a catchy tagline, and list your musical genres.
Theme Selector: Want a different look? Switch between our available themes (like the classic "Simple" or the social-media-style "Biolink") anytime.
Default Page: Decide which section fans should see first when they visit your URL (e.g., your About page or your Discography).

4. Discography: Your Music, Always in Sync

Manage your releases under the Discography section.

Manual Entry: You can create albums, EPs, or singles manually by entering titles, release dates, and uploading artwork.
Platform Links: Add "Stream on" buttons for Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and more so fans can listen where they prefer.
Auto-Sync (Studio Feature): Connect your streaming profiles under Integrations, and BandPlace will automatically pull in your new releases, keeping your site updated without you lifting a finger.

5. Videos: Curate Your Media Hub

The Videos section lets you showcase your YouTube content.

Adding Videos: Simply paste a YouTube URL. We’ll grab the title and thumbnail for you.
Pinning: Have a new music video? "Pin" it to the top of your video page so it’s the first thing fans see.
Organizing: Use the "grip" handle to drag and drop videos into your preferred order.

6. Integrations: Connect Your World

Under Integrations, you can link your various music, video, and social channels.

Music & Video: Connecting these allows for the automatic syncing of your releases and videos.
Socials: Link your Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, and Facebook to show follow buttons on your site.
Analytics: Add your Google Analytics ID to get deeper insights into your audience.

7. Domain Settings: Your Professional Address

Found under Settings > Domain, this is where you manage your site's URL.

BandPlace Subdomain: Every site has one (e.g., artist.band.place ). It's your permanent identity.
Custom Domains (Studio Feature): Want to use www.yourname.com ? You can connect your own domain here. Once verified, your BandPlace subdomain will automatically redirect to your custom domain for a professional look.

8. Press Kit: Get Booked and Covered

The Press Kit (or EPK) is a professional, password-protected area for journalists and promoters.

Biography: Keep a short summary for quick reading and a long-form bio for in-depth stories.
Contacts: List your management, booking, or PR contacts clearly.
Downloadable Assets: Upload your Tech Rider, Stage Plot, and high-res Press Photos so venues have everything they need for your next show.
Privacy: Set a password if you only want industry pros to see these details.

Stop relying on algorithms! The Newsletter section helps you talk directly to your fans.

Contacts: See a list of fans who have signed up via your website’s "Subscribe" widget. You can also add contacts manually.
Campaigns: Compose beautiful, simple email updates using our built-in editor.
Scheduling: Write your update now and schedule it to be sent later when your fans are most active.

10. Website Features: Curate Your Experience

Found under Settings > Features, this page lets you toggle entire sections of your site on or off.

Don't have videos yet? Turn off the Videos section. Want to focus purely on your Press Kit? You can hide the other pages. This ensures your site always looks complete, no matter how much content you have.

11. Custom Pages: Tell Your Story

Under Content > About, you can craft your artist biography.

Simple Editor: Use our compact editor to write your story, list your influences, and add links.
Markdown Support: Formatting like bold text, bullet points, and headings is fully supported to make your page easy to read.

12. Billing: Manage Your Growth

Under the Billing page, you can:

Upgrade to Studio: Unlock custom domains, press kits, newsletter campaigns, and automatic music syncing.
Track Usage: See how much of your storage or subscriber quota you've used.
Manage Subscription: Switch between monthly and yearly billing or cancel your subscription at any time.

13. What's Next: The Shop

We're hard at work building a native Shop system. Soon, you'll be able to sell digital downloads (like albums and singles) and physical merchandise directly to your fans, commission-free!

Need more help? Our support team is always just a click away!