The best Squarespace templates for musicians and hosting good tunes

Designed specifically for bands, the Vandam template does not have the usual “about” and “work” sections. Music-specific “merch,” “press,” “tour,” and “home” let you do everything from selling albums and merchandise to letting visitors give your tracks a listen through the template-integrated Soundcloud. The template is easily customisable and lets you add other features that you may realise you need as your band and fan base grow.

The full-width homepage allows you to upload a single photo of multiple artists (but be careful in choosing the right one as, unlike with portfolio landing pages, this is your main chance to draw in visitors) while the press section features a simple blog. Another major perk: a footer section that can be used to display upcoming shows.

LA-based DJ and hip-hop producer Dominic Waverly created the Waverly template specifically for those who not only create and sell music, but also perform at clubs, bars, and events. The landing page is divided in two parts: one for a photo of the artist (although it can, of course, be used to feature an album cover or anything else) and one for a brief description of your work. 

The navigation bar includes pages for your contact information and links to your SoundCloud, Instagram, and Twitter. The scrolling function takes site visitors through blocks of anything you decide to include: tour dates, more photos, and more music in stylish block text. Another trick to make your site look more professional (the one downside to this template is that the design can appear simple if you do not arrange it right) is to use the call-to-action button features to include ways to sign up for newsletters, tour updates, or any other information.

Kitui’s landing page is made up of two main image blocks: a primary for the background and a secondary for what users often choose to be an album cover. They are also in black-and-white, which gives the entire site an artsy underground look that can be accented even further with a bright text colour. The landing page design has a single call-to-action button that can be customised to go to something like a soundtrack or a timetable of tour dates.

The image-focused front page allows you to display your latest album front-and-centre while “tour,” “store,” and “contact” buttons in the top left corner provide additional information for site visitors. The overall look is fairly simple and does not allow you to add large amounts of explanatory text — the goal is to keep the focus on your music, which visitors will be able to either listen to through integrated Soundcloud or purchase in the online store.

Brought to life by Barcelona-based singer and songwriter Alejandra Cruz, the Cruz template is meant for all the musician “outcasts and misfits” out there. (The black-and-white look alone gives it an artistic aesthetic.) Cruz used the scrolling function to intersperse photos of herself and her albums with her discography and show locations. Somewhat rare for non-portfolio websites, this template also comes with a photo gallery that can be used to showcase photos of past performances. The music feature is great for including multiple tracks from Soundcloud while the blog is essentially a free space for anything you need that was not covered elsewhere. 

York's grid landing page is made up of eight rectangular blocks that function just like a portfolio — visitors will be able to scroll through and click on several of your projects at once. This template is fairly simple and not ideal for complex functions; instead, use it to let visitors know that music is one of the things you specialise in. Whether you write songs on the side or are just starting to find yourself in the role of a performer, York can help you start positioning yourself as one. (It may not be specialised enough for those who want to include multiple tracks or integrate too many capabilities.) 

Paloma’s defining feature is the landing page with a built-in player — the “listen now” button minimises the amount of clicking you’ll need to do before getting into great music. Use the episodes feature to create a library of your tunes or podcast clips while all the usual contact information could be included in "about" or "contact." There is a reason Paloma has been a favourite among anyone working with sound for years: It is both highly customisable and tailored to the specific needs of podcasters and musicians. There is even a “donate” button if your art’s livelihood depends on fans’ generosity.  

Music fanatics (and early 2000s-era internet users) will know that this template is named after Waveform Audio Format; that alone should let you know that it is made by someone who knows a thing or two about sound. Another Brine family member, it features a modern-looking grid landing page and has buttons for releases, artists, events, and mixes in the header. Like many of the other Brine templates, Wav comes with a high degree of customisability — add a blog, integrate SoundCloud, create a scrolling homepage, and use the eCommerce site to sell tracks, tickets, or band items. A base understanding of website building will allow you to get the most out of all these features; that’s why we recommend it for a band manager or someone who will regularly update and improve the website. 

By now, you’re probably noticing a trend that is called the Brine family. The Mercer template has for years been a videographer favourite for its parallax scrolling function: Full-width videos interspersed with explanatory text make your website look high-tech and expensive with only a minimal amount of effort. Musicians can use this template to feature videos of themselves performing — everyone from the pianist to the chorus singer or rock guitarist will appreciate having a video-heavy site. A video background of you playing one of your best pieces will also make a great introduction to anyone who happens to fall upon your site. 

Many of the best music templates on Squarespace have been created by musicians themselves. Violinist Maria Aria designed the Aria template to look clean and professional — a black background accents a single main photo (the template also supports a video background) and links to features like bio, media and tour dates. Aria is part of the original 7.0 Brine family of templates and has the signature scrolling landing page that you can also use to add mini-players of your songs. This is an easy template to launch and add more complex functions later — perfect for musicians who need to quickly build an online presence. “Aria’s cool, composed layout sets the stage for musicians hoping to showcase their work, promote an album, or captivate new audiences,” Squarespace says in its description of this template.