Learn how to create a music website on Blogger: step-by-step guide, microdata for tracks, Google Drive, Spotify and SoundCloud integration, content placement tips, comparison with photo and video templates and speed optimization. 🎶📸📹✨
How to lay the foundation for a music site template on Blogger? 🎶
❓ What elements are required for a music template?
✅ Audio Track Player: So that users can conveniently play music.
✅ Authorship Section: Indicating the authors of the tracks or the owner of the content is important for copyright compliance.
✅ Search engine optimization (SEO): Convenient micro-markup for music tracks (for example, using Schema.org with the MusicRecording type).
✅ Space for additional multimedia: Photos and videos can enhance the overall visual presentation.
❓ What features should be included in the template?
🎼 Built-in audio player:
Support for standard formats (MP3, WAV).
Integration with external platforms (Spotify, SoundCloud).
📝 Micro-markup for content:
Making it easier to find audio tracks through search engines using Schema.org.
📷 Visual content:
Presentation of tracks with photos or videos to increase audience engagement.
💬 Comments and reviews:
Enable the ability for users to leave opinions on tracks.
❓ What should be taken into account when developing a template?
📋 Cross-platform: Make sure the template works properly on mobile devices.
🔄 Automated updates: Enable the ability to quickly add new tracks or albums.
🎨 Responsive design: Use a lightweight and intuitive interface to make it easy for users to interact.
Posting Music Tracks on Blogger 🎧
❓ How to place music tracks on the Blogger website?
There are several ways, and each has its pros and cons:
Built-in HTML5 audio player 🎼
Supported by most modern browsers.
Easily integrated into your Blogger page.
Code example:
<audio controls> <source src="your-track.mp3" type="audio/mpeg"> Your browser does not support the audio player. </audio>
➕ Advantages: Simplicity and ease of implementation.
➖ Disadvantages:
With a large number of tracks, it may slow down the page loading.
Access to your server is required - it is impossible to upload a track to blogger.
Integration with platform Spotify 🛠
It is enough to insert the iframe code.
Getting iframe code:
Go to Spotify and select a track or playlist.
Click on the "Share" button → "Embed track".
Adjust the settings in the dialog box (auto play, player size).
Copy the provided iframe code.
Example code for Spotify:
<iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/15qrWkkYCfmtu1uRpGf48L?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts"></iframe>
➕ Advantages: Does not load the site server.
➖ Disadvantages: Requires access to an external platform.
Integration with platform SoundCloud 🛠
It is enough to insert the iframe code.
Getting iframe code:
Go to SoundCloud and select a track or playlist.
Click the "Share" button → "Embed"..
Customize the player design (color, autoplay).
Copy the provided iframe code.
Example code for SoundCloud:
<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/21937274&color=%232e7cad&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=false&visual=true" loading="lazy" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts"></iframe>
➕ Advantages: Does not load the site server.
➖ Disadvantages: Requires access to an external platform.
Tracks from Google Drive 📁
It is enough upload the track to Google Drive and embed it the iframe code.
Getting iframe code:
1️⃣ Uploading a file to Google Drive:
Go to Google Drive.
Click the "Create" button → "Upload files".
Select a music file from your computer and upload it.
2️⃣ Access settings:
Find the downloaded file in your Google Drive.
Right-click on the file and select "Share"..
In the window that appears, change access from "Limited" to "Available to anyone who has the link."
Copy the unique file identifier from the link (after /d/ and before /view).
Example:
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A2B3C4D5E6F7G8H9/view?usp=sharing
File ID: 1A2B3C4D5E6F7G8H9.
Example code:
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7WRX1WJEaJIMVRzOVNjY0gxVEU/preview?resourcekey=0-ZlVM_RQRWj68JN8n1KQmWQ" width="100%" height="100" allow="autoplay" loading="lazy" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts"></iframe>
➕ Advantages:
📂 Minimal load on the site: Playback goes directly through Google servers.
🎵 Easy to integrate: Just specify the correct file ID.
🌍 Availability: The player works on almost all devices and browsers.
➖ Disadvantages:
🌐 Access restrictions: You must correctly configure file permissions (the file must be accessible to everyone who has the link).
⚡ Download speed: If the traffic is high, the player may slow down.
❓ How to choose an audio player for a website?
🎯 Functionality:
Minimalist players are better suited for basic use.
Advanced players (with playlists and visualization) are suitable for music blogs.
🚀 Impact on site speed:
Lots of tracks → Use platforms like SoundCloud or Google Drive to minimize the load.
Caching: Optimize players and media files for fast loading.
💡 Tip: Test your site speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
Comparison of Google Drive, Spotify and SoundCloud
| Platform | Advantages | Flaws |
|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | Fast loading without third-party hosting. | Limited player customization. |
| Spotify | Convenient integration with a popular service. | Tracks are available only to registered users. |
| SoundCloud | Visual appeal and flexibility of settings. | Dependence on SoundCloud server speed. |
Where is micro-markup needed?
1️⃣ Google Drive:
Micro-markup is not required, since the files are hosted on Google's server, but to improve SEO, you can add it so that search engines understand the content.
2️⃣ Spotify and SoundCloud:
Micro-markup is also not necessary, as these platforms already optimize track data. However, adding additional micro-markup can boost your SEO ranking.
3️⃣ HTML5 audio player with local tracks:
This is where microdata is especially important because you control all the content and search engines will link directly to your site.
Example of micro-markup for a sound player (Schema.org)
For a music track, you can use the MusicRecording type, which is associated with the track, its author, album, and duration. Example:
<div itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/MusicRecording"> <meta itemprop="name" content="Track name"> <meta itemprop="duration" content="PT3M45S"> <!-- Time: 3 minutes 45 seconds --> <meta itemprop="inAlbum" content="Album Title"> <meta itemprop="byArtist" content="Artist name"> <audio controls> <source src="your-track.mp3" type="audio/mpeg"> Your browser does not support the audio player. </audio> <link itemprop="url" href="https://example.com/your-track.mp3"> </div>
🔍 Key elements of micro-markup:
name: Specifies the name of the track.
duration: Duration in ISO 8601 format.
inAlbum: The name of the album the track belongs to.
byArtist: Name of the author or artist.
url: Link to the track file.
Why is it important to add microdata?
📈 SEO: Helps the track be more visible in search results, including display in Google Rich Results.
🌐 Understandability: Makes it easier for search engines to understand your content.
🎯 User Trust: Automatically provides additional information directly in the search results (e.g. artist name, track length).
Comparison of Blogger Music, Photo and Video Templates 🎶📷📹
❓ General characteristics:
Responsive Design: All three types of templates should be easy to view on mobile devices and computers.
Loading Optimization: Ease and speed of page loading is a key factor for any template.
Visual appeal: The focus is on the content (music, photos or videos) without cluttering the interface.
Multimedia: Support for embedded elements (audio, images, video) via HTML5 or external platforms.
❓ Unique features of the music template:
🎼 Audio Players: The main focus is on music playback with the integration of micro-markup.
🎵 Track cataloging: Ability to create convenient playlists or sort tracks.
🎶 SEO for Music: Using the MusicRecording scheme to improve the visibility of tracks in search engines.
❓ Unique features of the photo template:
📸 Galleries and Sliders: Easily view large numbers of images.
🖼 High Resolution: Important for professional photographers and designers.
🏷 Microdata for images: Types like ImageObject for better SEO.
❓ Unique features of the video template:
📹 Embedded Videos: Using iframe codes from YouTube, Vimeo or other platforms.
🎥 Minimize downloads: Preload video files or use CDN to speed them up.
🎬 Video SEO: Using the VideoObject schema, which improves display in Google Rich Results.
Efficiently combine music, photo and video templates
📌 Who is this suitable for?
Music bloggers: For example, artists who create video clips, photo shoots and publish audio tracks.
Media Producers: To showcase a portfolio using all types of content.
For creative studios: They can combine audiovisual and photographic content in one template.
📌 How to do it?
Home page: Use interactive elements, such as a slider that alternates between photos, videos, and audio.
Separate Sections: Create sections of your site for each type of content to make it easy for users to navigate.
Multimedia integration: HTML5 for audio, lazy loading for images and video for increased speed.
❓ How to set up separate sections for multimedia on the main page?
Create an interactive menu: Organize content using navigation links:
<nav> <ul> <li><a href="#music-section">Music</a></li> <li><a href="#photo-section">Photo</a></li> <li><a href="#video-section">Video</a></li> </ul> </nav>
Content Sections: Example of section structure:
<section id="music-section"> <h2>Music content</h2> <!-- Place audio players here --> </section> <section id="photo-section"> <h2>Photo Gallery</h2> <!-- Place images here --> </section> <section id="video-section"> <h2>Video Content</h2> <!-- Place video players here --> </section>
Differences between music sites
Let's sum it up to determine how a music site on Blogger differs from a specialized DJ or singer site. It's not just the technical aspect that comes into play here, but also the philosophy of content creation.
Music site on Blogger 🎵
A music site on Blogger is a platform for a variety of content: tracks, playlists, photos, videos. It focuses on the general musical direction and can be created for:
🎶 Music lovers who publish their collections of tracks.
📻 Radio stations or music blogs with album reviews.
📸 Visual projects where music accompanies photo galleries or videos.
Specifications:
Multifunctionality: The template supports audio, photo, video.
General Scope: The site is suitable for a wide audience, from beginners to professionals.
Less emphasis on authorship: Content can be varied, including tracks by other artists.
DJ's website 🎛
A DJ's website is a personal brand and a demonstration of professional skills. It is created with an emphasis on:
🔥 Playlists, mixes, remixes.
🎧 Announcements of performances, posters.
📷 Photos and videos from events.
Specifications:
Focus on mixes: Content is presented in the form of sets and unique music selections.
Calendar of events: An important part of the site will be the poster, the schedule of events.
Author's style: Personal brand and style are the basis of the design and structure of the site.
Singer's website 🎤
The singer's website is a showcase of his work and career. The goal is direct interaction with fans and promotion of his own songs.
Specifications:
Original tracks: Only original songs are published on the site.
Biography: Particular attention is paid to the history of creativity and stages of career.
Selling content: Ability to download tracks, buy albums or merch.
Fan Service: A section for communication with fans, including a forum or guestbook.
Key differences:
| Parameter | Music site | DJ's website | Singer's website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accent | General music | Professional mixes | Personal creativity |
| Audience | Wide, from beginners to fans | Club and music environment | Fans of the singer |
| Content type | Tracks, photos, videos | Mixes, remixes, posters | Author's songs, biography |
| Authorship | Not always necessary | Professional creation | Unique, own |
Ironic conclusion: If a music site is a universal music playlist, then a DJ's site is a dance floor, and a singer's site is a personal stage with fans shouting "Bravo!" after every chord.