101 Website Checklist – Musosoup

Running a strong publication means more than writing good reviews. How your site looks, how articles are structured, and how consistently you publish all affect how artists and readers perceive your work.

Use this checklist when setting up your site, when onboarding new writers, or as a periodic review to keep standards high.

Site Structure and Layout

The structure of your site affects how readers navigate it and how quickly they trust it. Good structure is mostly invisible, readers notice it only when something feels off.

Logo

Logo is clear and legible at a sensible size

Logo is balanced within the header (left aligned or centred)

Logo does not overpower content or compete with article titles

Navigation

Navigation is minimal and includes only core sections (e.g. Singles, Albums/EPs, Interviews, News, Playlists, Contact/About)

Secondary pages are housed in dropdowns rather than top-level items

Navigation is easy to understand without explanation

Social Links

Social links are visible and easy to find (ideally top right of the screen)

Only actively maintained platforms are listed

Social links are repeated in the footer

Search

A search bar is present and easy to access

Search is not hidden behind multiple clicks or secondary menus

Hamburger Menu

Hamburger menu is used to house secondary navigation or archives where needed

Hamburger menu supports the main navigation rather than replacing it

Homepage Layout

Homepage is grid-based and editorial in style

Content is visible immediately without large hero sections or excessive empty space

Article cards and intro snippets are consistent in size and layout

Pagination is in place as content grows

Footer

Footer includes contact details, social links, and any required policy or legal pages

Footer feels tidy and intentional

Editorial Standards

How articles are written, structured, and presented affects how both readers and artists experience your publication. Consistency here builds credibility over time.

Article Dates

Every article is dated

Dates are clearly visible to readers

Article Layout

Feature image and article text are the same width

Text is left aligned throughout

Padding and spacing is consistent across the article

Feature Images

Every article includes a clear, high-quality feature image

Images are correctly sized and not stretched, cropped incorrectly, or blurred

Official press images are used where available

Photographer credits are included where required

Intro Snippets

Intro snippets are concise, informative, and consistent in length across the site

Snippets clearly communicate what the article is about without giving everything away

Artist Quotes

A quote from the artist is included near the top of the article

The quote adds context, personality, and value to the piece

Release Information

Artist name, release title, and release type (single, EP, or album) are clearly included

Readers do not have to guess what the article is covering

Tone and Language

Articles are confident, readable, and purposeful

Language is supportive and thoughtful, even when offering critique

Vague or unnecessarily negative language is avoided

Embeds and Layout Integrity

Embeds are responsive and maintain correct aspect ratios

Embeds do not overflow or break the content width

Padding around embeds is consistent with the rest of the article

Publishing Standards

How content is published affects how it appears to readers beyond the article itself. Small details here have an outsized impact on perceived quality.

Page Titles

Every article has a clear, descriptive title

Release coverage follows a consistent format (e.g. Artist Name - Track Title)

Interviews and features use descriptive editorial titles

Genre is included in the title where relevant to set context

Publication Identity

A consistent naming style or recurring feature format is in place

Branded titles or signature features are used to build publication identity

Favicon

A favicon is in place and displays correctly in browser tabs

The favicon is a simple, recognisable version of your logo or brand mark

Comments

Comments are disabled if the site does not yet have consistent traffic

If enabled, comments are consistent across all articles and actively moderated

If disabled, engagement is encouraged through social platforms or calls to action

Advertising Placement

Advertising does not break content width or interrupt paragraphs

Editorial content visually outweighs advertising

Ads do not push images or text out of alignment

Pre-Publishing Checks

Titles are correct and descriptive

All links are working

Formatting is consistent throughout

Images display correctly on desktop and mobile

Embeds are responsive and load correctly

Spacing feels balanced and intentional

The page has been reviewed as a reader would see it

Music and Playlists

How music is presented within articles and how playlists are used affects both reader engagement and artist discovery.

Embedding Music

Every article includes an embedded music player

The correct player is used (Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, Untitled.stream, Disco, or Audiomack)

The embed is placed thoughtfully and does not interrupt the flow of the article

Embeds load correctly on both desktop and mobile

Spotify Playlists

A relevant genre playlist is embedded within or beneath each article

A short call to action is included above the playlist (e.g. Discover more artists we support in this genre)

Dedicated Playlist Page

A dedicated playlists page exists on the site

All active playlists are listed and clearly labelled by genre

Use this checklist as a reference point and work through it section by section. You don't need to implement everything at once - small, consistent improvements add up over time and make a significant difference to how your publication is perceived by readers and artists alike.

Need help or have questions about your publication setup? Contact the Musosoup team at curators@musosoup.com. We're always happy to help curators build strong, credible publications.