20 of the Best Artist Websites on the Internet

By Deanna Young & Aaron Tian

If you're an artist trying to make money off music and you don't have a good website, you're missing out. These days, getting a great website isn't hard. There are high school kids around the world who are experts with computers, and a lot of them would happily design a great website for pizza/drug money.

Sometimes, it's all about the look. An artist's website should be in line with their aesthetic, and having a pretty graphic on the front page might be all you need. In other cases, it's about functionality. Interactive features and an easy-to-navigate information can get your fans engaged in a way that can trick them into being even bigger fans. And then, of course, there's the music. Accept the fact that you're probably not going to sell a ton of records, and even if you do, you probably won't make much money. So use your website as a place to share your music. If you've got streams, videos, downloads, and whatever else, put them on your website. At least then, you'll be connecting with fans and sharing directly instead of letting lame music blogs do it for you.

If you're an artist looking to step up your website game, check out these examples of some artists doing it right.

Link: radiohead.com/deadairspace/

Radiohead’s site is about as cryptic and difficult to navigate as their music, and that's a good thing. The site’s content is completely controlled by the band, ranging from “Office Charts” in which the guys list some of their favorite (mostly obscure) tracks, to short write-ups on current events. Their music takes a back seat to the more eclectic musings of their collective mind, making for a really interesting and candid page.

Link: https://childishgambino.com

Donald Glover’s website embodies the rapper’s unique vision, and it’s great. Beginning with the intertwining three dimensional forms that become backdrop, Gambino’s name and an arrow suggesting more content below. Equal parts aesthetically pleasing design-wise and borderline creepy as you may expect, the below digital rendering of Gambino shifts its eyes, following your cursor like it’s the damn Mona Lisa. We’re not totally sure why, but for some reason, it just all makes sense.

Link: redhotchilipeppers.com

RHCP's site begins on a high-res backdrop of their 2011 album I’m With You that changes hues as you scroll your mouse over different tabs. The coolest part of this site is the “We’re With You” tab, which features blog posts and rantings from each of the band members on being a father, side projects, what they’re listening to, and much more. Though they only post every few months, it is definitely worth a read. Most content on official artist sites reads like a press release. A letter from Flea about being a dad? Way more interesting.

Link: brokenbells.com

Broken Bell’s site lays over a soothing GIF of the art for their newest album, After the Disco. Each tab transitions seamlessly over to the next, easily linking fans to their most recent music, news, photos, and more. All in all, a relaxing experience.

Link: skrillex.com

Want to be an outerspace DJ with a few clicks of a mouse? Skrillex’s website will give you the illusion that you are. The front page is an interactive alien-face constellation that makes music as you play around with it. If that makes absolutely no sense to you, just click on the link and see it for yourself.

Link: beck.com

Where as a majority of the other sites made the list for their high quality designs, Beck's website is a dream come true for fans, and this realized dream comes in the form of the Record Club feature. Essentially, a selection of artists record an album in less than 24 hours without any final rendering, and it's released here for free. Definitely worth checking out.

Link: jessieware.com

Jessie Ware’s site is very simple in terms of design, with a monochromatic color scheme and only carefully chosen text for smooth navigation. Instead of a lot of flash, the artist uses three beautiful GIFs, each a self portrait, and link to the multiple features on her site, including footage from her live performances.

Link: bjork.com

In light of the singer’s 2014 film release, Biophilia Live, Björk’s site reflects the same human-less aesthetic present on the album subsequently captured on film. If you’re looking to visit outer space sans psychedelic drugs, read no further and see for yourself.

Link: miauk.com/double-bubble-trouble

Just like her videos, M.I.A.'s website is visually stunning, full of bright colors, bold imagery, and a political edge. There is an explanation of the meaning behind Matangi, the name of her last album, but the best part is the gallery of hyperactive GIFs. You'll have psychedelic elephants burnt into your eyes for days.

Link: prettylightsmusic.com

I imagine Derek Vincent Smith’s intention was similar to those “This is your brain, and this is your brain on drugs” campaigns, only for the future. In the right corner of the site lies a “Turn on 3D site” link. Almost instantly, the site transforms from its originally flat skyline imagery into an interactive, three-dimensional, bird’s eye view from the top. The smooth blur of lights in motion and clouds rolling across the sky remind you that is your brain on Pretty Lights

Link: https://massiveattack.co.uk

Massive Attack’s minimalist website design appeals more to the easily entertained than to those looking for large amounts of archived content. If you can get past the tiny, exploding particles and linear complexities that form as you move your cursor, you’ll be disappointed to find that the site offers little more than a list of tour dates. In way, it seems fitting.

Link: goldfrapp.com/xp/

Artistically, Goldfrapp's website takes the cake. If nothing else, do yourself a favor and click the experience link. Pairing various tracks from the band's albums with the strikingly beautiful black and white imagery created using their "Tales of Us" app, the result is an interactive experience that momentarily consumes you entirely.

Link: https://thelocalnatives.com

It seems to be no coincidence that the vibe of Local Natives’ website mirrors the dream-like, harmonious quality of the band’s melodic vocals. The fluid, captivating backdrop offsets the otherwise average site. The visuals appear to form a narrative, though its difficult to tell what story is being told here. Regardless, the graceful transitions and the water's gentle ripples are so hypnotic, you may forget what you were looking for in the first place.

Link: https://classixx.la

In a world where our right to free music is being challenged daily, we can especially appreciate a place like the official Classixx website. With a regularly updated archive of free track downloads spanning the duo's career, it's unlikely you and your iTunes library will be disappointed.

Link: lcdsoundsystem.com

In a sense, LCD Soundsystem’s website is telling of their decade of musical legacy... and by that I mean it’s an information overload. For fans of the band, the website is an epic collection of all things LCD, from a complete discography link to a collection of unsurprisingly comical updates from the band’s members prior to splitting up. If you can manage to sift through the text-filled site, you won’t be disappointed.

Link: flightoftheconchords.co.nz

Although they're not as serious as the rest of the artists on this list, their website will give you life (or at least a good laugh). It comes as no surprise that the extra features are borderline ridiculous—like the option to dress up paper doll versions of the band—but if that's not what you're into, the website's sharp design and easy navigation should still be appreciated.

Link: glassanimals.eu

Simple in the best way possible, Glass Animals’ website leaves much to the imagination, but the beauty lies in the band's detailed debut album cover used as the site's background. With your cursor you can explore the artwork, shrinking, enlarging, and dragging it in any direction you wish.

Link: asapmob.com

In a way, the ASAP Mob website is like a Tumblr page on steroids, following a similar presentation style to the site's standard layouts. Still, the site offers both quality and quantity in its daily updates, posts, and song and video releases, all found on the site's homepage for easy navigating.

Link: bigboi.com

In classic Big Boi fashion, this website is by far one of the best in the game. The illusion of stars, swiftly moving through space is taken to the next level with a laser cannon used to aim and shoot at various moving images from his #Instaradar. As far as creative design goes, Big Boi is top notch.