Launching your website is a big deal. It’s not just a simple web page. It’s your headquarters online—your sales counter, press office, and fan hangout all in one. If a link is broken, or the page loads slowly, or a policy page is missing, you could lose a fan, miss a sale, or skip a press opportunity.
A standard web design checklist won’t cover everything you need. Because you’re a musician, your website has special needs: solid media players, links that route correctly by country, and a professional Electronic Press Kit (EPK).
This 50‑point pre‑launch checklist gives you a clear path. When you work through each step, you’ll know your site is functional, secure, compliant, and ready for fans before you hit “publish.”
Content and Copy Audit
Start by checking that all your text and images are tidy, up‑to‑date, and true to your brand.
Core Page Completeness
- Home Page Finalized: Is the key call‑to‑action (like “Stream the new single” or “Buy tickets”) clearly visible above the fold?
- Biography (Bio) Updated: Do you have a short, medium, and long version? Is the tone matching your artist persona?
- Music Page Complete: Are all your current releases shown, with links to each platform?
- Tour/Events Page Checked: Are upcoming dates accurate? Are time zones clearly shown for each listing?
- Store/Merch Page Verified: Is every item listed with correct pricing and clear descriptions?
- Contact/Press Kit Page Ready: Is the contact info clearly separated for fans and for business/press inquiries?
Visual and Branding Consistency
- Professional Photography Uploaded: Are your photos high resolution, cropped correctly, and optimized for web use?
- Favicon Set and Displaying: Is your small browser icon (favicon) set, and does it clearly represent your logo/brand?
- Logo Display Tested: Does your logo look correct on both light and dark backgrounds and across all pages?
- Headlines Proofread: Has every headline, especially key CTAs and major body copy, been thoroughly proofread for spelling and grammar?
Music, Media, and Sales Functionality
Here, you test the parts that drive income and engagement. If this fails, you lose fans or money.
Audio Player & Streaming Links
- Embedded Player Test: Does your on‑site audio player (e.g., from Bandcamp, SoundCloud, or custom) load and work on desktop and mobile?
- Album/Single Artwork Check: Is the correct, high‑resolution artwork showing up on all embedded players?
- All Streaming Links Verified: Test every link to Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, etc. Also test geo‑routing so a fan in one country lands on the correct store.
- Video Embedding Functionality: Are all embedded videos (YouTube or Vimeo) playing without error? Also, ensure you’ve enabled deferred loading of media so the page loads fast.
- Download Links Functioning: If you offer free or paid downloads (for example, stems or B‑sides), do those links work?
E‑commerce and Merchandise Store
- Payment Gateway Test: Do a small test purchase with at least two payment methods (credit card, PayPal) to ensure payment is processed properly.
- Cart/Checkout Flow Verified: Does the full checkout process—from adding an item to cart through payment confirmation—work smoothly?
- Shipping Rates Accuracy: Are domestic and international shipping rates calculated correctly for all items and destinations?
- Inventory Levels Confirmed: Do the stock numbers shown on your site match what you actually have?
- Refund/Return Policy Link: Is your return/refund policy clearly visible and linked during checkout?
- Coupon/Discount Codes Tested: If you have launch‑discount codes, do they activate and apply the correct savings?
Tour / Ticketing Integration
- Ticketing Links Verified: Does every ticket link send the user to the correct event page on the ticket vendor’s site?
- Map/Venue Integration: If you show an embedded map or venue list, is the venue name and location accurate?
- “Sold Out” Designation: Are past or sold‑out dates marked correctly—not shown as active links?
- Calendar Integration: Is there an easy option for fans to add tour dates to their personal digital calendars?
Technical, Security, and Speed
These checks handle reliability, safety, and search visibility. Search engines reward sites that get these right.
SEO and Discoverability
- Title Tags and Meta Descriptions Set: Are title tags and meta descriptions set for every page? Are they within character limits and compelling?
- Image Alt‑Text Completed: Do all images have descriptive alt‑text so they help SEO and accessibility?
- Google Search Console Setup: Is your site verified in Google Search Console, and has the XML sitemap been submitted?
- Robots.txt File Checked: Is your robots.txt file correctly configured to keep unneeded pages (like admin logins) out of search results?
- Schema Mark‑up Implemented: Have you added the correct music‑specific structured data (for example, MusicEvent, MusicAlbum) so rich snippets can appear?
- 301 Redirects Tested: If you had a previous website, have you set redirects for old URLs so users don’t hit 404 errors?
Performance and Mobile Responsiveness
- Mobile Layout Check: Does your site fully render and function on various smartphones (iOS and Android)?
- Tablet Layout Check: Does the site look and behave correctly on different tablets?
- Cross‑Browser Testing: Does the site load and work without issues on Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge latest versions?
- Site Speed Test (PageSpeed Insights): Have you tested the site using Google PageSpeed Insights? Have you addressed any Core Web Vitals issues?
- Image Optimization Finalized: Are all images compressed without visible quality loss so they load fast?
Security and Legal Compliance
- SSL Certificate Active: Does the URL show “https://” and the secure padlock symbol? This is mandatory.
- Privacy Policy Link: Do you have a clear, custom Privacy Policy and is it linked in the footer?
- Terms of Use/Service Link: Is there a Terms of Use page and is it accessible?
- Licensing/Copyright Information: Is there a visible footer or dedicated page that lists licensing and copyright for all your music, video, and image assets?
Fan Engagement and Promotion
Now you’re polishing the parts that turn visitors into fans, and getting ready for your launch announcement.
Social and Communication Integration
- Social Media Icons Verified: Do all social icons link to the correct, active profiles (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.)?
- Mailing List Form Tested: Has your email signup form been tested? Does it successfully add subscribers to your list (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, etc.)?
- Contact Form Submission Check: Does your contact form successfully send an email to the intended inbox?
- Auto‑Response Email Checked: If you have an automated thank‑you email after signup or purchase, is its copy correct?
Launch Day Logistics
- Analytics Reporting Setup: Is Google Analytics 4 (GA4) installed and tracking traffic and conversions?
- Favoured Social Sharing Images: Are your Open Graph (OG) tags set so that when the site is shared, you get the right image, title, and description?
- Cache Cleared: Have you cleared browser, server, and CDN caches immediately before launch so the site loads the latest version?
- Last‑Minute Password Protection Removal: Has any “coming soon” page or development password been removed so everyone can access the site?
- Internal Team Notification: Have you informed your manager, publicist, label, or other key team members of the exact launch time?
- Post‑Launch Monitoring Plan: Do you have a schedule to check 1 hour, 24 hours, and 7 days after launch for error logs, site speed, and functionality?
Your Website Is Ready for Its Encore
Publishing your website is a major step. But the work isn’t done until every system is verified. By following this 50‑point checklist, you’re not just launching a site—you’re launching a reliable, professional, and optimized hub that supports your music career.
A flawless launch means you start converting visitors into fans and customers right away, rather than spending the first week fixing broken links. Now that you’ve done the technical groundwork, you can shift your focus to marketing.