Link pages
Overview
Every release has a link page as well as its release page. It's the one address to share when people should go straight to listening: your Instagram or TikTok bio, a poster, a QR code, an ad, a newsletter. It's a full-screen card with the cover (blurred behind it too), the title and your artist name, then a big button for each listen link and buy link. Under them, "More from" your artist name links to the release page, then your site's address.
There's nothing extra to fill in. The link page uses the release's cover, Listen links and Buy links, so publishing a release makes both pages. Before the Release date, it shows "Out" with the date, a countdown under it ("Out in 12 days", then hours on the last day), and a Pre-save button when the release has a Pre-save link. On the day, the countdown goes and the page switches to the listen buttons by itself. Both happen in each visitor's browser, so the page is right even when your host has saved a copy of it.
The address
The link page is at yoursite.com/listen/release-name/, where release-name is the end of the release page's own address. In the release's sidebar, the Release panel's Link page line shows it: select Edit, then Copy. (On an older release with the automatic layout, it's in the Link page panel.) It works once the release is published.
listen is the Link pages address under Music → Settings. Change it there if you've already printed QR codes pointing at another address, like /songs/. See Settings.
QR code
Under the link page address (the Link page line's Edit, or the Link page panel), there's a QR code for it, for posters, flyers, merch and the back of a record sleeve. Select Download PNG for a large image that works almost anywhere, or Download SVG for a file that stays sharp at any size, which printers and designers prefer. The files are named after the release, like release-name-qr.png, with a white border so phones can find the code.
The code opens the link page address with ?utm_source=qr&utm_medium=qr on the end. That tells Dirigible Analytics the visit came from a QR code, so the release's Where they came from shows Campaigns: QR code instead of Direct. Codes downloaded before this update open the plain address and count as Direct; download the code again before your next print run.
The QR code appears once the release is published (or its address is set). It's made on your computer, so nothing is sent to an outside service. It always opens the link page address, so printed codes keep working if you later send visitors somewhere else for a campaign, and again when you empty that box. If you change the release's address (the end of its page address) after printing, download a new code.
Using another page for one campaign
For one campaign, say a Hypeddit pre-save with a download gate, paste that page's address into Send visitors somewhere else instead, under Link page in the release's sidebar. Your link page address then sends visitors there, so the QR codes and bio links you've already shared keep working. Empty the box to go back to the automatic page.
Clicks
With Dirigible Analytics on (it comes with Dirigible Optimize), clicks on the link page's buttons are counted with the release's other clicks: each listen and buy button, Pre-save, and "More from" your artist name. They're added into the release's Clicks (last 30 days) line in its sidebar, so you can see which services your bio link and QR codes send people to, and under Where they came from, which of them (Instagram, the QR code, an ad campaign) brought the clicks. See Clicks.
Running Meta ads to your link pages? Turn on Load the Meta pixel only on link pages under Music → Settings: the pixel then counts visits and clicks on link pages, and stays off the rest of your site. See Ads and analytics.
Search engines
The link page repeats the release page, so search engines are asked not to list it, and pointed at the release page instead. The release page, with its story, track list and credits, is the one that shows up in search. Link pages aren't in your sitemap.
Theme note
With an up-to-date Dirigible theme, the link page has no site header or footer. On an older theme it still works, with the header and footer showing.
If your site uses a child theme with its own header.php or footer.php, those show on link pages. Ask whoever built the child theme to hide them on link pages.