How to create your own Wikipedia page as a musician, creator

When people look your name up, whether or not you have a Wikipedia page is going to affect their first impression of you. Here’s how you can save your rep and get started…

by Randi Zimmerman of Symphonic Blog

Having a solid Wikipedia page is just another step on the list of things to accomplish as an artist moving up in the industry. Once you have some notable accomplishments to show off, it’s the perfect time to get started. There are a couple things to consider when creating your wiki page, so this post will break down everything you need to know. Here’s the rundown…

Have Noteworthy Information To Feature

If you’re a new artist, you don’t really need a Wikipedia page. (Just being honest here.) To get a page in the first place, you have to be fairly noteworthy. That means anything that’s been said about you in the media, accomplishments in the public eye, etc. are all pieces of information that make you eligible for a Wikipedia page in the first place.

And because Wikipedia is edited and managed by volunteer editors, they’ll be the ones to decide what sees the light of day. According to Wikipedia’s guidelines, these are some things they consider worthy for artists:

• Multiple articles covering your music or a tour
• Albums or singles in the official charts
• Prominence within a certain genre or subculture
• Award or competition wins or nominations
• Your music featured in another form of media, eg. TV shows, movies, games
• Involvement in political activism or controversy
• Worked with other famous figures
• Performed at major festivals or well-known venues

Skip The Self Promo

Wikipedia is not the place to exaggerate all your accomplishments. To give your information the best chance of being secured, you have to remain as unbiased as possible. If you use this time to self promote yourself, you risk not only getting rejected, but getting the page deleted all together.

Only Use Verified Resources

Anything you want featured on your Wikipedia much be absolutely true and verified as such That means including published articles, any mentions of you online by third parties, and any press coverage you may have can all be included here. Remember you want to stay as unbiased as possible here, so having verifiable content like this is perfect.

Hire Someone Else To Write It

In the vein of remaining unbiased, it’s a good idea to just have someone else write your Wikipedia page for you. It’s not your fault, you should be your biggest fan. There’s nothing wrong with that. But doing this on Wikipedia will ensure your page never sees the light of day. Keep everything as straightforward, unbiased and detailed as possible by getting someone (not your bandmates or manager either) else to write it.

Wikipedia actually sees & tracks who contributes to their pages that are getting published, so it’s not a bad idea to find a frequent contributor to write your page. Upwork is a great website where you can find freelance writers for the low. You can even narrow down your search on the site to Wikipedia Specialists.

Use a Wikipedia Template

To make things even easier, there’s literally a Wikipedia page of its own that offers a full template of what to feature. From your biography to notable events in your career, this template has it all.

In Conclusion…

With these things in mind, you’re on the right track to having a Wikipedia page of your own! Although there’s no guarantee your page will be accepted, following these tips will give you the best chance possible.

In the meantime, check out these additional resources:

• How to Trademark Your Artist Name
• 5 Things You Need To Document For Every Song You Write
• Why You Need To Copyright Your Music And How To Do It

Good luck!