A Free Music Blog With a Built-In Contributor Hub
New in Zinery: every new site is a free, public music blog on your own address, with the contributor hub built in.
Words by Charlotte ·
Zinery now gives every new site a free music blog: a public blog on yourname.zinery.co with the contributor hub built in, no credit card required and room for your photos (1 GB). Until now the hub was free and the blog was something I kept promising. Now they are one product, because that is how I run my own blog. The contributor hub helps me managing the contributors and their requests and the music blog was the natural next step to streamline the whole process.
What do I get with a free music blog?
You get a blog at yourname.zinery.co with your own theme and accent color, and the contributor hub behind it: your writers and photographers request shows, you approve them in one place, and a shared calendar, photo pass tracking and a contacts directory keep everything in order. The whole thing is free and needs no credit card. It also comes with room for your photos (1 GB); the media library shows how much you have used.
How do photos get from the show to the post?
Contributors upload their photos straight into the hub, and you publish them from there. There is no sending files back and forth or re-sizing: the photographer uploads them to the show, and when you write the post, they are already there, with the credit attached. The guide for contributors (opens in a new tab) walks through it from the writer's and photographer's side.
Can I write and publish posts right in the hub?
Yes. Reviews, interviews and show recaps are written and published in the same place where the request was approved. Until you publish your first post, your blog shows a coming-soon page with your name and stays hidden from search engines, so nobody lands on an empty blog.
What if I only want the hub?
Then you don't have to run a public blog. Under "Settings" you can turn the public blog off, and turn it on whenever you are ready. Nothing is deleted when you switch it off, and the hub keeps working as it did.
Is there a paid plan?
Not yet. A Pro plan with your own domain and more storage is on its way, and it will upgrade the same account, so there is nothing to move. You can see what is planned on the pricing page (opens in a new tab).
Quick answers
What does it cost?
Nothing. A music blog with the hub is free and needs no credit card.
Do I need my own domain?
No. Your blog runs on yourname.zinery.co. Your own domain comes with the Pro plan, which is not available yet.
Where do I get started?
In the guide for music blog owners (opens in a new tab). Every update is listed on the changelog (opens in a new tab).
If you want to know why I built Zinery in the first place, read: