A composer’s website is their portal to the rest of the world. A website serves to keep your audience up to date on your work, act as your all-purpose 24/7 representative, and stores valuable media such as recordings, photographs, and biographical information for programming and press outlets. Having a quality website is essential to building your music career in an ever growing e-world. Here are a few important things to consider when building your site:

1. Choose a clean-cut, easy to navigate design for your site that allows visitors to easily learn about you and your music.

2. Display your activity by posting dates of recent and upcoming performances of your work.

3. Make sure your catalog always contains your most recently completed work. This is the most effective way to let performers find works for their instrument.

4. Provide both a brief and full biography on separate pages detailing people you’ve worked with, press clippings, etc. You’ll be surprised how often a short biography these come in handy.

5. Have at least three excerpts of music for visitors to listen to in an accessible format such as a high quality mp3.

6. Social networking sites are active arenas of musical activity so post links in profiles on such sites. Participate in the action!

7. Use a professional sounding contact address that is easy to remember. Get rid of that old guitarguru 44 @ yahoo.com email address you’ve probably had since you were 12 and use your business name or formal name.

A website that meets the guidelines mentioned above will undoubtedly boost your career. As a final note however, remember that while your website’s goal is to portray you as a pro in the field don’t be afraid to show a bit of your stellar personality. Professionalism is great, but you are most likely to be successful if you also interest people in a personal way.

Good luck!