Can the site run on our artist's own domain?
Running a STUDIO on an artist-owned domain or a subdomain: what EVEN needs at kickoff, why the storefront URL has to be locked before chart registration, and how preview and sign-off work.
Yes. STUDIO can run on an artist-owned domain or a subdomain. Your team updates the DNS records, while EVEN provides the exact values, verifies the connection and provisions the HTTPS certificate. You retain domain ownership and your existing DNS provider.
Artist-owned domains
Most teams choose an artist-owned domain when the campaign is built around a single release. Live examples include thefalloff.com, alittlevengeance.com, tysociety.live and brown.live. The campaign then lives at an address that belongs to the artist, which is what makes it a destination the artist controls.
What EVEN needs from you
Confirm the domain with EVEN at kickoff. Your team needs access to its DNS settings to add the records EVEN supplies; you do not need to transfer domain ownership or share your registrar password. If you are acquiring a domain for the campaign, start early so it does not delay launch.
Why the URL matters for chart reporting
For US reporting, a new storefront URL needs Luminate approval at least 14 days before offers go live and must stay active through the reporting period. For UK reporting, every campaign requires notice to OCC and Kantar at least 14 days before launch, even on an existing storefront. Set the domain early and coordinate any change with EVEN before making it live.
Subdomains
Use a subdomain, such as music.artist.com, to keep the main artist website in place. It needs one CNAME record; the root and www records stay unchanged.
Preview and approval
Review and approve the password-protected staging link before the domain switches. Once your team saves the agreed DNS records, EVEN verifies the connection and provisions the HTTPS certificate. For a full-domain setup, the previous website stops loading at that address after the switch.
Still need a hand?
Tell us what you’re working on. The Studio team can help with your next step.