Creating a New Release Page in ESR WordPress

Learn how to create and optimize a new music release page in EasyStar WordPress, including artwork resizing, artist linking, SEO best practices, and embedding media for releases

August 26, 2025 By Justin Pietro

In this guide, we'll learn how to create a new release page on the EasyStar WordPress site. This process includes duplicating an existing portfolio entry, updating release details, resizing and uploading artwork, and embedding media such as YouTube and Spotify players.

We will also cover how to update categories, tags, and SEO settings to ensure the release is organized and easy to find. The goal is to prepare and schedule the release page so it appears correctly on the site when the new music is launched.

Let's get started

We will create a new release page by navigating to the EasyStar WordPress. We will log in at https://easystar.com/wp-login. Next, go to Portfolio on the left sidebar. Duplicate the most recent entry by hovering over it and clicking the Clone button.

Step #2: Click on "Clone" — Click on "Clone"

See, it has been cloned here. Click Edit on the cloned version.

Step #3: Click on "Edit" — Click on "Edit"

Change the name to the new release, which in this example is Yearning.

Step #4: Click on "40,000 Years of Dub ( Cloned )" — Click on "40,000 Years of Dub ( Cloned )"

We'll change the slug to match the release name.

Step #5: Click on "Edit" — Click on "Edit"

Scroll down.

The first code block will be the release artwork. We need to open the Media tab in a new browser tab.

Step #7: Right-click on "Media" — Right-click on "Media"

Step #8: Click on "Media" — Click on "Media"

We will add a media file. When we upload artwork, the original file is usually 3,000 by 3,000 pixels. This size is larger than necessary and takes up more space on the site. In Canva, Photoshop, or any other editor, resize the original artwork to a 1,000 by 1,000 pixel JPEG. We will upload it here.

Step #9: Click on "File" — Click on "File"

Once it uploads, copy the URL. Go back to the first block and replace the existing URL with the new one.

Step #12: Double-click on "https://easystar.com/wp-content/uploads/20" — Double-click on "https://easystar.com/wp-content/uploads/20"

Step #14: Drag "1 < img src = " https://easystar.com/wp-content/" — Drag "1 < img src = " https://easystar.com/wp-content/"

Paste the newly uploaded release's URL here.

Step #15: Click on "SAVE" — Click on "SAVE"

Step #16: Click here to edit the title displayed on the page — Click here to edit the title displayed on the page

Step #17: Click on "40,000 YEARS OF DUB BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY" — Click on "40,000 YEARS OF DUB BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY"

This will be Yearning.

Step #18: Drag "40,000 YEARS OF DUB BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY x VICT" — Drag "40,000 YEARS OF DUB BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY x VICT"

This will be by Double Tiger, featuring Sly and Robbie.

Step #19: Click on "YEARNING BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY x VICTOR" — Click on "YEARNING BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY x VICTOR"

Double Tiger is an Easy Star artist. We will link to their artist page.

Highlight the text, click the Link button, and search for URLs within the site.

We'll search for Double Tiger. Wait a moment, then check if the page entry is correct. It should be Double Tiger.

Step #22: Click on "Double Tiger" — Click on "Double Tiger"

Then click Apply.

If featured/guest artists aren't being added to the Easy Star website with an artist page, then we do not need to link to them.

In this case, we will not link to Sly and Robbie. Click Save.

Here is a description of the release.

We usually take this from the email blast or it is supplied by Eric or Lem.

Now, you'll notice an extra space at the top of the paragraph - leave it there to ensure proper spacing.

We want to leave that there. We typically bold any artist names mentioned, whether they are Easy Star artists or not.

Album names should be italicized and bold. Singles just get bold/quotation marks. We also make any other key points bold. Try to keep paragraphs to one or two sentences each. Not like standard writing -more typical for the web, making content easier to read.

Step #26: Click on "SAVE" — Click on "SAVE"

Click Save. On the right, under Portfolio Categories, remove the artist we just duplicated from.

If it is not a single release, we may need to deselect that option. In this case, it is a single release. Scroll down, find Double Tiger, and set it as primary.

Step #30: Click on "Make primary" — Click on "Make primary"

We also want to update the Portfolio Tags.

Step #31: Remove any artists that shouldn't be included. — Remove any artists that shouldn't be included.

This will be Double Tiger. Add that, then create one for Sly and Robbie in case we want to include them in the future.

Step #32: Click on "Add" — Click on "Add"

Below the release description, there is another code block - this is a button linking to the release's pivot page.

Step #34: Drag "r > < a href = " https://moremusic.at/40000 YearsOfDub " target = " blank "" — Drag "r > < a href = " https://moremusic.at/40000 YearsOfDub " target = " blank ""

In this case, it will be Yearning. Next, we need to update the release date.

Step #35: Click on "SAVE" — Click on "SAVE"

Step #37: Update the release date. — Update the release date.

Step #38: Click on "SAVE" — Click on "SAVE"

Next on the page, there is a YouTube video widget.

If there is an official music video or visualizer, we will use it.

I'll check Double Tiger's YouTube page.

It appears he doesn't have an official YouTube channel, and it doesn't appear the video is posted to the topic channel yet (as it will be released in 2 days). We want to make sure that we are not grabbing an unofficial version / the correct iteration.

It appears it premieres tomorrow or in two days, but we'll still get it and embed it. To do this, edit the YouTube widget. Then, copy only the last part of the video URL, the slug, from YouTube as shown here.

Everything else stays the same.

Step #42: Click on "SAVE" — Click on "SAVE"

Step #43: Now we'll edit the Spotify widget. — Now we'll edit the Spotify widget.

Go to Spotify and find the release.

Let's see. Okay, that's actually coming on Friday. This release is scheduled for Friday. We don't have a widget yet, but here's what we'll do... And here's a... This is the Double Tiger playlist. Right-click on it, select "Share," then "Embed playlist," and copy the code.

That way, when this is released, it will appear there.

Step #46: Click on "SAVE" — Click on "SAVE"

Alright.

I need to update the featured image to the release artwork. This time, we can select it from the media library.

Step #52: Click on "Remove featured image" — Click on "Remove featured image"

Step #53: Click on "Set featured image" — Click on "Set featured image"

Step #54: Click on "SLY & ROBBIE" — Click on "SLY & ROBBIE"

Step #55: Click on "Set featured image" — Click on "Set featured image"

Next, update the headline to "Double Tiger" for the releases by the artist on Easy Star.

Step #57: Click on "RELEASES BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY ON EASY S" — Click on "RELEASES BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY ON EASY S"

Step #58: Click on "RELEASES BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY ON EASY S" — Click on "RELEASES BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY ON EASY S"

Step #59: Click on "LEASES BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY ON EASY STAR RECORDS" — Click on "LEASES BY JOHN BROWN'S BODY ON EASY STAR RECORDS"

Under the portfolio widget, change the category setting to pull in Double Tiger.

Step #62: Double-click here — Double-click here

Let's see.

Make sure the posts per page setting is set to negative one. If you duplicate the most recent release page, mention that this will allow all releases by that artist to appear in that section.

Lastly, under SEO appearance, everything in the title is generated dynamically except for the artist name, which does not...

Step #65: Drag "John Brown's Body -" — Drag "John Brown's Body -"

We don't have a way to insert using variables, so you need to update that manually. In this case, it will be Double Tiger meets Sly & Robbie. The rest will be updated. This section is fine with just filler text. It, uh... Once published, it will retrieve that from the site.

For publishing, I will change the date from "immediately" to the 25th.

Step #66: Click on "mPublish immediately Edit" — Click on "mPublish immediately Edit"

Step #67: Click on "Publish immediately Edit" — Click on "Publish immediately Edit"

We want the publish date to be set at midnight on the release day.

Step #69: Click on "at 09:06" — Click on "at 09:06"

This way, they appear in order on the releases page.

I'll click Preview to make sure everything looks correct.

Step #71: Click on "Preview" — Click on "Preview"

It does. Everything looks great. Next, go back and click "Schedule."

Step #72: Click on "Schedule" — Click on "Schedule"

It would be published if you were going live immediately. That's it.