In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven music industry, independent artists are constantly being pulled toward popular platforms like Spotify, Bandcamp, and Patreon to engage their fans and monetize their music. While these platforms offer convenience and access to large audiences, they come with several downsides that can seriously limit your potential for growth, income, and control. These third-party platforms aren’t built with you—the artist—in mind. They’re built for investors, profits, and control.
The truth is, if you want full control over your music, income, and fan relationships, you need to build your own fan funnel. And there’s no better platform for this than WordPress. Below, I’ll explain why WordPress is the smartest choice for building your music career, and why it beats out any third-party option in the long run.
The Problem with Third-Party Platforms
Let’s start by discussing the common platforms artists use today:
- Spotify: It’s great for reach but pays peanuts. You rely on algorithmic playlists to get heard, and the payouts aren’t transparent. Plus, good luck controlling how your music is displayed or monetized on their terms.
- Bandcamp: A beloved platform for indie artists, but they take a cut of your sales, and you’re still depending on their system for payouts and fan interaction.
- Patreon: Patreon offers a way to build memberships, but again, they take a significant percentage of your earnings. Plus, their features and policies can change overnight—just like they did with many creators in the past.
- Shopify: You can sell your merch easily, but like any eCommerce platform, you’re still paying fees and dealing with restrictions on how your products are presented and sold.
The common thread here? Lack of control. When you’re on someone else’s platform, you’re operating on their terms. These platforms are owned by investors whose goals are often misaligned with your creative vision and long-term career. They can change their policies, fees, and features at any moment, leaving you scrambling to adjust. Worst of all, these platforms take a cut of your revenue, eating away at the money you worked so hard to earn.
Enter WordPress: The Key to Your Independence
WordPress, on the other hand, is an open-source platform, meaning it’s yours. No investors calling the shots. No middleman dictating how your music is monetized. Here are some key reasons why building a fan funnel on WordPress is a game-changer:
1. Total Ownership and Control
On WordPress, you have full ownership of your site and its content. Your website is hosted on your own server or a provider of your choice, which means no one can take it away from you or change how it works. You’re not just another user in a sea of accounts—you’re the owner, and you decide how your fans experience your music, merch, and content.
When you control your own platform, you’re never at the mercy of algorithm changes or platform updates. You have full creative and operational control, meaning your fan funnel operates the way you want it to.
2. Keep 100% of Your Earnings
Revenue cuts are one of the biggest challenges for independent artists on third-party platforms. Patreon takes a cut, Bandcamp takes a cut, and don’t even get me started on Spotify’s minuscule payouts.
With WordPress, you keep everything you earn. Whether you’re selling albums, digital downloads, merch, or fan memberships, the money goes directly to you (minus basic costs like hosting or payment processor fees, which are much smaller compared to the percentage platforms like Patreon take).
3. Flexibility to Build What You Want
Want to create a streaming service like Spotify? No problem. Looking to set up a subscription-based membership program like Patreon? Easy. With WordPress, you’re not limited by pre-designed templates or feature sets. The platform’s vast plugin ecosystem gives you the tools to build exactly what you want.
There are plugins for everything—from streaming and selling music to handling memberships and eCommerce. You can even integrate with tools like email marketing services (MailChimp, ConvertKit), social media, and AI-powered marketing tools like ChatGPT to enhance your site’s functionality.
4. Full Data Access and Ownership
On Spotify or Bandcamp, you get access to some data—but not everything. You don’t have full visibility into who your fans are, what they like, or how they engage with your music. Plus, you can’t directly reach out to them whenever you want.
With WordPress, you have complete control over your fan data. You can see exactly how your audience interacts with your content, track visitor behavior, and collect emails to build deeper, more meaningful relationships. This allows you to create personalized experiences and marketing strategies based on real insights, not just what the platform allows you to see.
5. Flexible Monetization Options
Unlike third-party platforms where you’re restricted to one or two revenue streams (streaming payouts or one-time sales), WordPress allows you to monetize your content in countless ways. Want to sell individual songs, offer fan memberships, create exclusive paid content, or even host virtual concerts? You can do all of that and more on your WordPress site.
You’re free to experiment with different revenue models and find what works best for you and your fanbase. Whether it’s through donations, pay-per-view events, or exclusive content bundles, the possibilities are endless.
6. Platform Independence
Here’s a scary thought: what if one of these platforms shuts down tomorrow? If Spotify or Patreon goes belly up, you’re stuck. All your hard work in building followers, content, and monetization on those platforms can disappear overnight.
With WordPress, that risk is non-existent. You’re not dependent on a single platform’s financial health or business model. Your website, content, and fan relationships are fully in your control and not tied to any platform that can change its policies at the drop of a hat.
7. Scale as You Grow
WordPress grows with you. Starting small? You can set up a simple site with just a few pages. As your fanbase grows, you can add more features, scale your infrastructure, and even integrate with new tools to enhance the fan experience. You’re never limited by what the platform offers because it’s your own creation. This means you can build an empire around your music, with your own terms.
8. Cost-Effective in the Long Run
While there’s an initial investment in building a WordPress site (hosting, premium plugins, etc.), it’s far more cost-effective in the long run compared to paying ongoing fees or giving up a cut of your revenue. Once your site is up and running, you only pay for hosting and the occasional plugin renewal, meaning more of your earnings stay with you, rather than being siphoned off by a third-party platform.
9. Customize Your Fan Experience
Want to offer exclusive behind-the-scenes videos to top-tier fans? How about providing early access to new releases? With WordPress, you can create a custom experience for your most loyal followers. Whether it’s offering premium content, creating a fan club, or hosting live virtual events, you have the flexibility to give your fans the unique experiences they crave.
The Future is in Your Hands
Building your fan funnel on WordPress is an investment in yourself—not some investor-backed platform. When you take control of your own platform, you’re future-proofing your music career and ensuring you never lose control over your art, your audience, or your income.
So why rely on a third-party platform when you can build something truly your own? WordPress is more than just a website builder; it’s your ticket to creative freedom, financial independence, and long-term success in the music industry.
Summary of Benefits:
- Full Ownership: You control everything—your music, your site, your data.
- No Revenue Cuts: Keep all your earnings without sharing profits with third-party platforms.
- Unlimited Customization: Build any feature you need using WordPress plugins.
- Fan Data Ownership: Gain deep insights into your fanbase and create personalized experiences.
- Flexible Monetization: Sell music, memberships, and more with no restrictions.
- Platform Independence: Avoid the risk of third-party platforms shutting down or changing policies.
- Scalability: Start small and expand as your fanbase grows.
- Long-Term Savings: Save money by avoiding platform fees and revenue cuts.
- Custom Fan Experiences: Tailor your fan interaction to fit your unique style and content.
This approach ensures you can build a sustainable, scalable, and fully independent music career!