Music WebsitesLesson Objective

1. What are the conventions/features of a music website?2. What makes an effective music website?

banner

Interactivitysynergy

Video

Direct mode of address

User Generated Content (shown underneath)

Typography

Scrolling text

News and Information

Hypertext/hyperlink

Artist name/Band Name

Links to social networking sites

Navigation Bar/Tabs

Giant header

Multi Media features

Interactive features

Merchandise

Industry links

Memory test

• What are the generic tabs on a music website?

Music WebsitesLesson Objective

1. What is the purpose of the music website conventions/features?

Warm up

•List as many conventions as you possibly can in one

minute!

Features/Conventions

• Why are the conventions/features important to the website?

• Promote• Appeal• Attractive• Easy to navigate • Represent Genre• Represent the artist

Giant header• Name of band/artist• Focus your attention• Typography • Genre

GOOD, ATTRACTIVE DESIGN• Appealing• Inviting• Audience will want to return• Browse and listen • Convert into loyal fans• High production (grand) vs low production (blogs)

VS

DESIGN REFLECTING GENRE• What genre is this reflecting?

• It is also important in some cases that the design of the website reflects the genre of the music in its iconography, colour and features.

INFORMATIONThis may include:• Concert dates• Press releases• ‘inside information’ and ‘gossip linked to the band/artist.

This serves to make the user feel they are more informed and involved with the band

• Fan sites will include information from fans - this may be more ‘chatty’ and not always official.

• There will be opportunities for fans to give anecdotal information about their band/artist.

MULTI-MEDIA FEATURES

• Video; concert, interviews etc.• A photo gallery• Appear in a banner/‘rolls over’ the image• Social networking sites – Twitter, Face book etc.• Opportunities to listen to music• Advertising to help with costs of maintaining the site.

INTERACTIVE FEATURES• It is a key feature of both official and unofficial sites that

the fans are given opportunities to be a part of the site community. This may include:

BlogDiscussion forumEmail the creators of the site or the bandPicture galleries Competitions and quizzes

MERCHANDISE•

Opportunities to buy T-shirts, posters, caps and other band memorabilia

OTHER FEATURESIndustry Links• Links to other websites, record companies,

merchandising companies etc.• Advertising

Navigational features• Features that help the audience/user to move easily

around the website

Music website Home Page• A convention/feature

will be called out• Draw that

feature/convention• Pass it clockwise in

your group• A convention/feature

will be called out AGAIN

• Draw that feature/convention AGAIN etc…

IMAGE

VIDEO

STILLS

EDITORIAL

SOCIAL NETWORKS SHOPPING BAG

Effective homepage

• Choose the best one in your group• Why is that the best one?

Conventional or Unconventional

• You will be shown a homepage on the screen• On your whiteboards• State whether they are conventional © or

unconventional (UC) Music websites• Use C or UC

Music website lessons• What is the purpose of unconventional music websites?• How do the conventions represent the genre?• What are the representations of the artist?• How does the representation of the artist target a specific

audience?

IMAGE

VIDEO

STILLS

EDITORIAL

SOCIAL NETWORKS SHOPPING BAG